Homebirth General Discussion #6

[~Stoked~]

I had to have my car seat installed at 37 weeks in case of transfer. I suppose if I bled after the birth the ambos would prefer if I wasn't holding baby.
I'm 39 weeks today. Feeling very emotionally up and down. Anxious to meet bub but frustrated with myself for being impatient! Grrr!
Hope you're feeling better soon HotI xx

[Tegam]

posting in here is just a tease stoked LOL had my hopes up there for a second!

If i dont get to post again before the big event....happy birthing huni!

[meow]

We had the carseat in from 36 weeks (I was determined I was staying home from 36 weeks even though my MW was feeling pretty strong about 37 weeks ).

I guess if you're transferring for PPH then you'll be pretty unconscious and it's just a sucky situation all round so it makes not much difference that you go in the ambulance and baby goes in the car to be reunited ASAP. If you transfer for a mega tear then it could wait a little (like a few hours surely?) and then you can sit/lie downish in the back with baby (after someone takes out the toddler seat). I'm an over planner

Hope you feel better soon hoti.

I was getting impatient at 39 weeks stoked. See above- I even thought my baby might come at 36 weeks! He came at 41 weeks on the dot and I was so thrilled by then

[Jennifer13]

Saw the GP yesterday for my referral to the midwives (so they can book u/s if needed and for Medicare, i think) and to organize all the things I'll need from her to prepare for our home birth. She's a great GP and completely in favor of me going this way, even though I'm her first patient to do so! So I get the Group B strep test done through her at 36 weeks, plus syntocin JIC of bleeding and Vit K for the baby. She also wrote me a letter for the hospital in case I need to transfer.

Off for our scan next Thurs and pretty sure we'll be confirming our girl. DD is very excited!

She asked me the other day, "Mummy, how does the baby get out of your vagina?" So she obviously has listened and watched when I showed her the water birth video! LOL I told her my body sort of opens up and gently squeezes the baby out. May as well start using my calm birth language! I love that she's old enough to share this with us.

Next question was all about how the baby is fed in Mummy's tummy and what does the placenta look like. It's like a continuous biology lesson around here!

[Smoke Jaguar]

If you can, get your hands on My Brother Jimi Jazz - DS loved this in the lead up to our HB, and when he saw the placenta he was prepared for it - they describe it as a tree
Can request a copy of my home waterbirth from my friend who has the master, if you like
DS keeps painting pictures at kinder of me with him and his sister in my belly, and me with a new baby in my belly - it's just so normal and lovely to him, and I credit being at the birth with that!

[Jennifer13]

I agree Maya, it makes it all so normal for our kids. No confusion or whispered stories behind the school sheds! I love that DD is experiencing this as a part of life. I will ask my m/w about the books, they do have a library I can access. If not, I'll let you know!

The surprising thing is that she's got no interest in how the baby got into Mummy's tummy. We've mentioned a few things, ie Mummy and Daddy have a special cuddle and Daddy puts a little seed in Mummy's tummy - so a baby is half of both, but no questions at all. That part is currently irrelevant in the great excitement of the actual baby!

[Smoke Jaguar]

DS currently thinks that when he has babies they're going to come out of his 'willy', and he keeps asking me how, and I keep saying that's not how it happens...!

[Cassius2]

we had "hello baby" as our pre HB reading in fact, DD1 wanted to read it again today! and she actually asked about the placenta today (when i had Marta she was too excited about everything else to even notice the placenta...no questions whatsoever at the point...now however lol).

[Tegam]

DS currently thinks that when he has babies they're going to come out of his 'willy', and he keeps asking me how, and I keep saying that's not how it happens...!

ouchy!

we also had 'hello baby' beautiful read!

birth and boobs are all very 'normal' around here, even with my miss7 we havent had to go down the old 'mum and dad have special cuddles'. i have just explained eye colour like mumand dad making a cake... all the bits go into a bowl and its just a suprise what comes out LOL!

[*Ash*]

Hi all!
Sorry I've been MIA. Just trying to get through the tiredness and m/s.
I heard a rumour that my independent midwife (who was at the birth of all my children) had 'retired' from independent midwifery. I phoned her today - and the rumour is true! Damn.
She is doing 3 shifts per week at our local hospital.

She told me that there are a couple of independent midwives doing homebirths, but that one may still be having a break. She said it's pretty dire around these parts. I was afraid of that. It never used to be. Oh well. I have a couple of leads, so I will follow up on those.
She also recommended that I immediately book in to the case load model at the local hospital in case I don't find someone. . Unfortunately, she is not one of the caseload midwives Im not giving up yet.

I hope you are all well.

Hi Stoked, not long now!

[Artechim]

Ash, that is a bummer that your midwife isn't available.

I am constantly amazed at how hard it is to access home birth in Australia!

AFM, I am not sure on the HB thing now. We initially planned it thinking that it would most likely happen at night and the kids would be asleep - but with DS waking 2-4 times and DD screaming inconsolably for an hour or two, I am thinking that there won't be much serenity for birthing at my house. I guess I will still get the birth pool set up and then play it by ear on the day - there is still a month to go and I hear the miracles do happen lol. It will be a shame if DH misses the birth again if I do go down the road to the birth center.

[onthefly]

DH have (only half-jokingly) decided that we might have to relocate to NZ if we have another baby

[Cassius2]

arte: you know what though, if you do labour at night and the kids are awake...well, really, no biggie. get them up, let them watch (i am sure W would be totally into the facts and figures lol). i thought that having L there would be offputting or that i would get distracted or cross with her, but the opposite was true...it was a blessing to be able to share that with her (in early labour reading her stories etc) and then during the more intense stuff having her sit there watching or every now and then rubbing my back. she still talks about it with love....just a thought.

[Artechim]

Cass, I think W would be alright, but then it is hard to tell because if he gets stressed he will tantrum. A would be a disaster, she would just cry to get in the pool. But then I guess DH only needs to be around for the end which was fast with A, he can always shove them in front of the telly with bribe lollies for the action bit (from The Good Parenting Guide lol).

MadB, we have reciprocal health agreements - I think you would only need to be here around the time of the actual birth for it to be free. But then I guess you would be short a home to home birth in lol.

[Pip82]

Hi I'm having a HB with #2 in about a month with CMWA. Only just got on the program, a late change of plan. Haven't spoken with my midwife yet, looking forward to it though. Has anyone here birthed with them?

[Smoke Jaguar]

Preparing them for what to expect of you and what is desired from them for the birth will mitigate 'disaster' - whilst DD is little and can't communicate with many words, she can understand a lot more than what she can articulate, so don't be afraid to get a bit 'wordy' with her about the birth. I think that even highly-strung children can adapt very well to a birth situation and realise that something momentous is happening. My DS was awake for DD's birth and lost the plot about half an hour after she was born and had to be put to bed, but that was because he had refused to go to sleep earlier in the night when labour had started He was mesmerised by what was happening to me and how his sister had come out into the world. Sure, he DID want to hop in the birth pool (and we let him), so that kept him happy and involved. He was also feeding me nuts and water while I was breathing her down. He was a bit older, at not quite 3.5yo, but I think the principle holds for younger children. Keeping them involved will work out better, in the long run, for their adjustment, than planning for them not to be there.
Sorry, I've been out of the loop here, but is there someone trusted you can call on to be your support person for the kids? We had my close GF come to film, take photos, support DS and maybe us (if we needed, but we had two midwives, so wasn't really an issue). That worked out so well on so many fronts, and I still can't believe I had that many people there - more than I thought I'd be comfy with, but as it was just how many we needed it seemed to be right.
DS was also at the appointments and heard heartbeats and the midwives involved him in the conversations. I don't think it was his age, I really think it was the preparation and final involvement that saw him transition smoothly to the new dynamic. He knows exactly where she came from and feels part of her existence, and that makes it easy for all of us
Sorry to be annoying, I can't help but feel that MORE involvement is your ticket with DS and DD

[onthefly]

I was with them Pip. who's your midwife?

[Pip82]

Emma I think. Would have been better to be with them the whole pregnancy but I honestly didn't think id get on it as I only moved back to Perth at 32 weeks. How did you find the care etc?