homebirth general discussion #9

[Jennifer13]

I wish I was closer to my sister so I could do some meals for her when she gives birth next month. Might do an order online and get it delivered to her.

Ah the list. Lol I didn't end up needing a lot of what I gathered, but hey, it was there. And now we have enough plastic drop sheets for whatever we could possibly need them for!

How exciting that we're so close to our next batch of HB bubbas!

[Cassius2]

haha, ahhh yes, well, whenever you are going to do all that housepainting you will be thankful for the HB planning Jennifer

thankfully we also still have a fair bit of stuff left over. although the rubber gloves i gave to our IM after DD2 was born. so will need to buy another one of those massive boxes...surely they have small packets??

[Cricket]

Just had my pre-admit appointment at the hospital today. (Not sure how they work it in Aus, but here, you book in with the local hospital so they have your info, just in case.) They were really great there - thanked me for coming in, even though I didn't "need" to, and hoped they didn't "waste my time", and gave me a tour of the totally renovated birthing wing at the hospital, which I was curious to see, along with best wishes for a great homebirth!
Also interesting was the magazine in the waiting room - Today's Parent, pregnancy issue. In it was an article for husbands/partners about being a support person. They interviewed three guys - one had 2 kids born at hospital, one had 4 kids, 3 born at home, and one just had his first child at home. I thought that was a great, low-key way to bring home birth into the public eye, without making it a "home vs. hospital" debate. Obviously, there's a time and a place for an article like that, debating the pros and cons of birth locations, but this is much more non-confrontational - just more like, hey, here are some people who had their baby at home, on purpose, and liked it, and lived to tell about it.

Bought some material to make a sling for a friend of mine who just had her 4th last week (fussy baby), and looking forward to using the other half of the material for a new sling for this bean. Also crocheted a lovely, soft, warm little hat for this baby last night.... Feeling more and more crampy - kind of exciting, even though I know we have some weeks to go.

Hope all is well with everyone else, especially the other May mums!

[Arcadia]

Oh yay cricket, it sounds like you're in the midst of the final stage...so nesty and lovely! I really love the idea of that article too. I wish we had a similar attitude to home birth over here. Your local hospital sounds great!

So excited for may babies!!

[chocorama]

Hi again all, I typed a reply a few days ago but included a link so it said it needed to be moderated and has obviously yet to be okayed. So to repeat... Thanks for welcoming me back, I didn't realise I had actually gotten around to posting a while ago, thought I'd just intended to... Gotta love preggo brain!

Cricket you sound crafty! I wish I was. I'd love to hand make something for this babe but don't even know how to knit. Maybe I can teach myself via YouTube tutorials or something. I too recently had my hospital backup booking in visit, and although the m/w was polite & happy for me to be having a hb it did just remind me how pleased I am to be avoiding hospital. I was weighed, measured & asked if I'd like to do a GBS swab. Er, no thanks. I don't quite understand the point of weighing & measuring if I'm not going back, it's not like they can monitor it. Anyway, glad that's done and dusted, back to my much more pleasant antenatal care with my mw (which consists of laughing, talking & occasionally having a feel of/listening to baby lol).

[Cassius2]

chocorama: i am having similar moments here in the US where i am going through a midwife group that have a birth centre but also attend HBs, but to me it is still very hospital-like in that all appts are at the office, and i need to wee in TWO cups each visit lol. i mean, seriously??
thankfully my hospital booking in is done at home with my IM as she handles all their booking in paperwork and sends it off to them *phew*

[Cricket]

Cricket you sound crafty! I wish I was. I'd love to hand make something for this babe but don't even know how to knit. Maybe I can teach myself via YouTube tutorials or something.

I can't knit either. Well, I can, sort of, but I hate it. SOOOOO SLOW! Give crocheting a shot - it's a lot faster and pretty easy to learn. Look for instructions that have a video or at least pictures. There are tons of lovely baby patterns out there for free. Crocheting makes pretty girly clothing, IMO, but you can always do a blanket if you want to keep it more neutral. And, late pregnancy is a great time to try it - you're probably getting tired and sore, if you're anything like me, and a bit of time off your feet, making something pretty for your baby, is a nice break! Another bonus - baby stuff is small, so you can finish a project relatively quickly.

My midwives appointments are mostly at their office, but they will be coming to my house next week for my pre-baby home visit. They will also visit me at home for the week after birth, or longer if I need it. I love the follow-up care they give. I'll see them every other day at home for the first week, and then once at 2 weeks, 4 weeks if I want, and 6 weeks.

My friend who just had a baby, was discharged from hospital the day after she gave birth, (and hemorrhaged), worried about her baby's weight and nursing, and NO ONE is seeing her! She can't get in with her own doctor until May 7 or something. Now there are centres that she can take her baby to, to check his weight and talk to the health nurse, but I sure prefer having arrangements made with someone who knows me and my baby, and having them come to me!

[Cassius2]

Cricket: i hope that your friend gets to see someone xx There is currently an investigation happening as a woman and her newborn (the newborn from dehydration as mum was solo) died after she hameorraged at home post discharge from the hospital which was 24 hours post birth. I didnt realise that they dont do follow up in home checks here in the US! it is just so dangerous...