Homebirth General Discussion #19

[Sterla]

Hi everyone! Before now, I have kind of just been lingering... but I am 20 weeks today, so this whole pregnancy/home birth thing is starting to get a bit more real!

I will see my midwife next week, and I guess we might start discussing details for a home birth then. In the mean time, I guess I just wanted to get a general idea of the sorts of things I need to organise. My midwife has a birth pool I can hire, but that's all I know.

I will aim to try and keep up with this thread more from now on!

[Smoke Jaguar]

Exciting, Sterla!! You're half way cooked! The Midwives Naturally website has documents you can download for things to prepare - things like sieve, hand held mirror, watercolour paper for the placenta etc. You can google for aromatherapy recipes to make up oil blends and products to heal your birthing bits afterwards (I've got a perineum massage oil and a spray ready, as well as pads in the freezer with a healing blend sprayed on them) - stuff you can start making at about 35 weeks in between furniture rearranging! Think about birthing support, for your other children, too.
Cassius - I know my DD never stopped, and actually annoyed the crap out of me while her head was out and she kicked inside me for laughs with her angel face pointing up in the water after her quick labour. I'm not sure DS ever stopped, moving before labour, either (he shot out, though, he was in a hurry!). I was hoping this one would be more textbook...though I'm not sure why the labour goddesses would all of a sudden decide I was deserving of textbook at this stage, after spending more than half this pg on crutches
I'm getting a real hankering to be back in the saddle, so I wonder if that means anything for this week? Come on, baby, I wanna get back on my horse.
I forgot - after our photo session the other day, the photographer got excited about my homebirth revelation and asked if we wanted a birth photographer. I said I'd already asked DP and run her fees past him and we decided we couldn't afford it...and then she said she does payment plans...DP still wants to hold onto that money, but part of him seems to want to do it. It's our last one (if we can help it!) and we know how much our kids love seeing pics and the video of DD being born (not that we had one, but I am pretty sure it gets more viewing than if we'd had a wedding video!!). Soooooooo...it might still happen...

[Smoke Jaguar]

How many of those cotton umbilical ties does one typically need? I've made 5...might make extra, even if the kids get to wear them afterwards

[HotI]

How many of those cotton umbilical ties does one typically need? I've made 5...might make extra, even if the kids get to wear them afterwards

generally only one maybe two if you want to tie placenta side as well before cutting.

I did cord burning this time, so no tie required. I had one packed, just in case I changed my mind about the burning or we had to transfer etc.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Oooh, good idea to pack one in my token transfer bag!!
ok, so I ended up with 8...maybe one for everyone in the birth team Who knew I could feel so crafty?? I'm even contemplating finding my drawing pencils and sketching a thingy onto a canvas square I have here, waiting to be painted up into something. I painted a dragon for DD's anticipated arrival. I have nappies to fold, too, so I know which one I'd rather be doing!
I've put the kids' birth art onto tape so they'll be ready to hang tomorrow. They'll be so pleased. They're both giving my belly hugs goodnight telling me and the baby to have sweet dreams.
Nothing left for it but to keep nesting - bookcase was collected today

[meow]

I LOVED my "transfer" bag last time. This time when I pack it I'll call it my "early days" bag and relish it. It was so great to have all my nourishing things and the little newborn baby things all together in one place. We ended up putting the bag next to the bed and if I needed anything I could grab it easily or else pretty much anything I wanted to ask for I could just say "it's in the bag". Made life so easy.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I have my transfer bag stashed in the buggy and my oils, sprays, umbilical ties are in a basket that came with a raffle win. I have an auto tray set up in the loungeroom next to a recliner chair and the basket is there. The tray has heat packs and a baby chamber pot on the bottom and will have a jug and cup on it (and there's a tray ready to load nuts and Skittles, my preferred labour 'food', onto). A friend will bring around another change table soon to keep at that end of the house (because I'll be doing elimination communication as soon as I can I'll only really need tops for the baby and back up nappies). The auto tray moves around the house with me. It was fab in our teeny house when DD was born and will be even better in this longer house!
DD has just been watching her birth DVD and is feeling very inspired
All night I slept lightly, and kept dreaming that I was in early labour.