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We used our front room, as it's a bit cosier, and left the kitchen/dining area for the midwives to have their tea :) I made a lot of noise and I was sure neighbours must have heard me, but nobody's ever mentioned it, though one of my neighbours did get worried about the ambulance turning up. Never mind about the old dears :)
We have an open plan living, dining and kitchen area so we only had one area to use really. We ended up putting the pool in the perfect spot really, close to the kitchen taps and also close to the backdoor for emptying. We live on six acres so didn't need to warn the neighbors as they don't live close, but our closest neighbors knew anyway. I do wonder if they thought we had bought ourselves a cow though, with all the mooing that was happening ;)
We'll be doing a letter drop for our neighbours...we live in a block of flats! Lol! I don't really want to tell everyone, because I hate all my neighbours (they're soooooo rude), but at the same time, hardly any of them speak English very well, and I don't really want a knock on the door and them yelling at us, or the police rocking up! We're setting up the pool in the loungeroom, it's a pretty small flat so that was pretty much the only spot. We'll cover up/move thongs like our tv, computer etc.
36 weeks today, I week until I can birth at home :happydance:
One of the reasons I convinced myself I couldn't homebirth my first baby was because we lived in a small apartment and I thought everyone would hear and I wouldn't be able to relax. I ended up staying at home till I felt like pushing so I spent the whole night labouring in the that small apartment and making a heck of a lot of noise :lol: I remember having my head mashed against the cool, open window at about 2am, groaning away in the shower and thinking "I guess the neighbours must be able to hear that". But I didn't care and no one ever said anything.
i had our birth space set up in the dining. there was the heater there to heat the towels for bubba :) and also was within reaching distance of the washing machine taps to fill the birth pool up from and close to the kitchen that DH could lug hot pots of water and bring me ice. my big 'thing' was to not be in sight or line of the front door. it felt too exposed for me. in the last 3 months i really began collecting the things for the room and 'tweaking' them all until it felt right (ie oil burner, oils, photos, affirmations etc.
as for the neighbours: well thankfully we are all friends and they were supportive of our choice. i wasn't a screamy loud birther with DD1, but didnt know how this would go as it was my first go at home (and i didnt labour at all at home with dd1). in the end they heard nothing! i wasnt loud i am told at all, but i was sure thst one or two were pretty guttural as DD2 descended. but nup, nada. i also figure that being an afternoon birth all the day noises probably would of covered alot of sound anyway....
We will be setting up the pool in the dining room.. which is an open room with the kitchen and a family room. Not really planning on decorating the space or anything. I guess I'll set up a few candles or something for dimmer lighting if it's at night. But I'm not even convinced yet that I'll use the pool LOL.. so my 'space' might just be wherever I happen to drop to birth!
I had a scan today, which showed bub at a good size (they est 3kg already.. but not worried... just glad it's smaller than DD was!) Cervix is long and closed, so hopefully we'll get through the next 2 weeks without a hitch. Bub is still breech, so I've booked acupuncture for this friday to start doing something about that! Not keen on doing head down bum up.. hurts my breathing and gives me reflux! So hopefully acupuncture and moxa will work :)
Lady-bug! yay for being due! Hope things get moving for you soon :) Will look forward to hearing about it :)
Has anyone birthed in their normal bath? i think i would prefer that to a birth pool in the living area.
I keep telling this bub s/he needs to slip out in the bath. The problem being, it's really shallow. My fear would be bub lifting out of the water when pushing, then dunking them back in again. Also, there's the whale factor to consider :) There will come a time I'm not going to be able to maneuver. Lying on my back in labour is the worst. I hope a bigger pool is better for moving and keeping back and front warm at the same time. Mind you, I didn't use a birth pool last time. I spent most my time in the shower or on the loo. I may prefer that again this time.
I would have hated our bath- I couldn't move in there by the end of the pregnancy. I loved the deep birth pool. It depends on your bath though I guess. I remember seeing Rikki Lake birth in her bath on BOBB and it looked damn uncomfortable to me. I used the shower first labour but the pool kicked arse this time around! I had a super deep pool so could kneel and be upright.
We set our master bedroom up as the birth room. We didn't use it for ourselves as it's at the front of the house away from the other bedrooms, so it was only being used as a study/spare bedroom. It was great because it felt private and tucked away and had an ensuite so filling the pool was easy.
How big are the pools anyway? How much room do you need, including people being able to get around them?
There is no way I could've done it in a normal bath either.. Firstly, we don't have one! Secondly, I guess the only way you'd be under the water is if you were on your back, and there was no way I could've birth on my back. If you have a bigger bath, like spa sized or a corner bath you could probably do it.
The birth pool I used was a blow up one... Um.. LaBassine or something? Deep enough so that I was squatting and my tummy was completely underwater. It wasn't that big really, but deep. The area we had it set up in was about 3m sq and there was plenty of room. I know the wooden ones are much bigger. I loved the blow up one as the edges were like a pillow to lean on.
Tash: NAH NAH NAH works for me!
Meow: Normally id race in there and read that link but just not feeling i have it in me, but thanks for sharing and super thanks for the warning!
LadyBug: Cant be too far away... well that is if you arent like Mad :p
I didnt set up anything special for DS birth and just had the important stuff in boxes in our room. Same really for DD3 but i just moved it to whichever room i was sleeping in that night LOL.
Never birthed in water... Normal bath looks too small to me tho!
BBL
my concern would be size constraint...and the fact that it isnt padded... what i loved about my birth pool that i hired was that it was super soft on my knees and had a really wide inflated edge for me to really lean into and grip/hang off and also allowed my birth support to comfortably sit on...oh and did i mention the awesome size lol?! i loved being able to move away from my people so that i could get away from them to the far corner and just focus on Marta and I...:
Tash: hmmmm cant remember the exact dimensions...but you can check out the picks on my FB ;) i found there was enough room to switch sides and stretch out etc.
Yay we got out birth pool from the midwife today! It's purple :) Makes everything more real and exciting, that's for sure. We also have drugs in our fridge :rofl: For 3rd stage, in case of a bleed. Need to hire a TENS machine and we're pretty much set!
Yay for getting the pool already PZ! I'll get mine at 37 weeks :) We've got to go out and get tap fittings and a new piece of hose, and some drop sheets too. I might even need buckets actually.. on the list of supplies it says to have two buckets. I've only got ginormous nappy buckets, and filthy gardening buckets hehe.
As for using the bath... no way would I use the bath. I don't like baths anyway cos they're so hard. I really don't understand how people relax in a bath LOL. I think the birth pool will be comfy cos it's all padded, even the bottom of it, and I'll be able to drape myself over the side of it, there'd be no room to move in our bathroom bath.
Midwife came this morning. We are on a mission to turn this baby now. Start acupuncture and moxibustion tomorrow (I'm assuming he'll be doing the moxibustion!) and we'll be giving bub some stern talking to and will try the flashlight trick too. I'm on weekly visits now instead of from 37 weeks, because of my history of going early, and also to check that bub has turned next week! yay it's getting exciting!
PZ - that's really cool. You must be so excited. You can fill it and have a bath now (for practice, obviously :)). Are you taking RLT? It helps with contractions and apparently can reduce the chance of a PPH.
Just remembered, 1 week to go until you're hitched!
meow: I'm also not going to read the link but thanks for posting. I'm generally trying to avoid sad stories for my sanity.
If anyone who hasn't read my birth story wants to, there's a link in my siggy. If you can, ignore the sad bits. Obviously ignore if you're near to birth. It really was a fabulous birth up to the end. It's one reason I get all huffy about breech = c/s. I know vaginal breech can be done safely. It didn't seem that hard to me, once we got the inexperienced dr's out of the room.
mmmm, if it's purple i might be able to find space for one....
Yep loving the RLT...I drink it lots, but I need to get some tablets too, and some EPO too. I cant wait to set the pool up, I wish we had a better hot water service, it's tiny :( We'll be having lots of pots on the stove and hire some coffee urns to help keep it warm.
Liz our middie came today too :) Measuring on dates, nice and boring over here. Isla is still head down but midwife said she was kind of half posterior at this stage. I'm not worried at all, I have a while to go :)
liz: 3.58kgs at 34weeks wow! molly was 38weeks and only 3.1kgs! you cooked her quickly!
Pz: how exciting re the pool, not long now! oh a purple pool cool mine was blue.
Tash: I've read your birth story- you are an amazing woman!
Liz: I hope your little one decides to turn but if not Tash is proof you can have a breach birth. But of course it would be better if bub just goes head down for you. I know someone who's breach baby turned during labour!!
Birth pool was definitely worth it even though I didn't end up birthing in there. The padded floor was great. When the suggestion was made that I had to get out I really didn't want to cos I was comfy but DD wasn't coming out in there.
next time em!
Hi all!
I hope it is OK if I drop in here? I am not pregnant atm, but I have had 2 glorious homebirths - one in 2006, one in 2009. And I hope to have another one next year.
I birthed 'on land' both times, but am interested in waterbirth next time - or, at least, water-labour. A purple birthing pool would be awesome!
Hi meow! I read your link - oh did I cry...but I also felt uplifted. She is an amazing woman and mother.
PZ - not long to go now! I am excited for you.
Tash- I have read your birth story. You were amazing....what a beautiful birth you gave your son. :hug:
Em - Your birth story is beautiful.
Liz - Good luck with your 'mission' to turn your bub.
Thanks Ash. Welcome and of course it's fine if you drop in here
Ash I'm so jealous you're planning another! I'm clucky, but not. I'm glad you liked the link. I found it such as amazing story. Cried lots but really moved by such an empowering experience for everyone involved.
tashybabe- I thought I had read your birth story but obviously not. WOW! You and Leo rocked with such an amazing birth. What a team. I cried for your precious little boy. I wish he could have stayed :hug:
Hi Ash :hello: and welcome! like Meow i am a teeny weeny bit jealous lol.
You know what i loved most about the birth pool? was that it felt safe and almost womb-like. it was like it just allowed me to be wrapped in the warm water and out of reach of prying hands (not that anyone in the room had any intentions of prying, but it all just felt safe and like i was able to be on my own without being alone...).
Hi all,
Just a quick update, our babe arrived a week ago, perfectly at home in the water. He is just beautiful!
Labour was 10 hrs and he was posterior. Will write a birth story soon (hopefully)
Congratulations lady bug!
:loveshower:woohoo ladybug:loveshower:
Congrats Ladybug!
CONGRATULATIONS LADYBUG ON THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR BABY BOY!!!!! :bluecheer:
Congrats LadyBug! Looking forward to reading your birth story.
Congratulations lady bug!! Very exciting. Can't wait to read your birth story.
Homebirth stories are my favourite.
Liz - how you going with turning bub? I read on another forum a lady helped her bub turn from breech at about 38wks. She put pillows under her hips, put a warm heat pad thing on the southside and a bag of frozen peas at the top and bub shifted around. She said it was uncomfortable, so she tried to relax to let bub do its thing and it worked! I've also heard putting a torch or playing music near the pubis can help encourage bub head down too.
Cassius - how do you keep the water warm in the tub? Do you have to keep bucketing water out and replacing with warm water?
Welcome Ash - do you have birth stories I can read? I need the inspiration.
Congrats ladybug!!!!
When my sister birthed her last at home, I brought with me an emergency blanket. You know the silver sheets that you see wrapped around people who are rescued? I got one from work but I bet you could get them from a chemists or somewhere that supplies first aid boxes. It was great and when my sister got out for about 3 hrs we completely covered the bath and it didn't lose a single degree of temp. Other than that it was a great way of keeping her hubby occupied during the birth cos he constantly had to heat saucepans. Should have seen his face when he had his hand in the water dippering it out and he realized she had peed in the water. Lol! Poor bugger!
Congratulations Lady Bug!
Congratulations ladybug!!! Thrilled!! :D :D
Tashybabe I've been thinking we should start a "homebirth birth stories" thread with links to all of them. I love reading them too! I might quickly start one and get you all to add to it :)
Started it here... please help me add the stories. If yours isn't there, I haven't forgotten you! Just have homework I should be doing and searching, cutting & pasting is taking time.
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...tories-163804/
added mine :) great idea!
Tash: the birth pools are pretty well insulated in themselves and can stay at temp for roughly 2-3 hours and then only lose half a degree to 1 degree every hour after ITMS. of course this is calculated in a room temp above 21 degrees C though. Because we had floorboards and it was still early september we layed out some old woollen blankets underneath the pool and then topped those with some cheapo $2 plastic tablecloths. the midwives mentioned that you could lay some big plastic sheets over the top of the pool if you wanted (for when/if you got out to do other things during labour). we didnt bother with that though as we figured that with it retaining heat for so long it would give time for DH or someone to top up. (although in the end we were only in there for about an hour before she was born and an hour after that...).
i was just coming in to ask people to tag their stories with 'homebirth'! beat me to it!
are we able to tag our stories? i thought it was only possible for new stories??