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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!!
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).
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*
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!
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...
DD2 now fits the cardigan I knitted for her during the pg and the beanie is not far off fitting. My nana would be proud, she taught half of her granddaughters how to knit. I want to do more beanies for both of the girls before winter. My m/w crotchets during births (apparently it's quieter than knitting) and she has beanies for both of the girls I'm getting off her at our get together on Thurs.
I was a bit spoilt as my m/w can't to my house for all of my appts. I arranged it with her when we first engaged her. She lived a fair distance away and I couldn't fit in traveling to her with DD1 at school and my busy work period.
Cricket, I hope your friend is okay.
Visited with my friend today - looks like everyone is doing well. :) Baby's not quite back at birth weight yet (10 days old) but getting closer. Not sure where she had him weighed, but this is baby #4 for her, so at least she's familiar with "normal" and "not normal" for the most part.
Had my home visit with the midwife yesterday. :) Got the list of supplies - a couple things to round up yet, but I've got most of it ready. If I go by my ultrasound date, I'm 37 weeks tomorrow. (yikes!) Officially though, I'm not 37 weeks until Monday. DD4 and DS were both born at 38 weeks, so I'm trying to get everything really ready, without getting my hopes up too high - this baby could come much later than that. I'm finding it harder to sleep these days, and by evening, I'm totally exhausted and sore. Wavering between being really excited about meeting this baby soon (and not being pregnant any more!) and being scared about going through labour again. I've had an easy time compared to most, but the trouble I had pushing DS out is coming back to me, and I keep worrying about how this baby might present. Time will tell, I suppose. The idea of having a new little person in the house is also kind of surreal still at this point. :) Got to get a name finalized!
How is everyone else?
So exciting cricket!!! Thinking of all our soon to birth mamas. Beautiful birthing blessings to you all :loveshower:
I started researching having a HB here... just "in case" we decide to have another baby and "in case" we decide to stay a few more years. Turns out it'll probably be very similar to Melbourne!
Cricket you sound more organised than me.
I have midwife appointment tomorrow evening.
I'm getting a lot of lower back pain lately which is worse with Braxton hicks, I never got that with DD. Still got quite a few things to organise but hopefully it all falls into place in time. I'm hoping I go early because MW is away the week I'm due so I either have to go early or late or hope she arrives in time.
Cricket: oh yikes! so so close now :loveshower: it is probably a good thing to visual the presentation of baby and imagine your cervix opening nicely and baby coming down smoothly. i am a firm believer in visualisation helping us through our fears xx
Meow: your 'maybe' baby could be like ours and soon become hard and fast reality lol!! it is awesome btw...once the shock wears off :lol:
Em: it's all exciting times! do you know your IMs backup at all? the good thing i have found is that everything tends to fall into place, so i am sure that this baby is going to choose the best birth day for all of you :hug:
AFM: we had our NT scan today :dance: baby is looking healthy and is a total wriggle bum!! just like DD1 was lol. sooooo cute! even if they are just these skinny minny big alien-headed things lol. anterior placenta again and is a bit low but the OB wasnt worried at all. he was very cool and asked me about the state of HB in Australia so then we got into this big convo about the travesty of choosing the wrong path in terms of care for families etc etc (he is a total HB advocate and totally awesome person...if only he lived in Oz lol).
I hear you on the back pain! I've had it terribly through this pregnancy, and not with any of the others. :( Spinning Babies suggests doing 20-40 "cat stretches" per day - where you go on your hands and knees, and arch your back up, tuck your tailbone and head down, and then release the stretch down back to a flat spine, and repeat. (don't let your back sag down low when you release - it's too hard on it.) It does seem to help, and it can encourage good fetal positioning too.:
And my midwife also is going on vacation right after my due date. I really want to have her there - I like her much better than the other midwives on staff in the group.
Meow - have fun with the research.... :) Always good to be prepared.
Cassius - hurray for a good ultrasound! So lovely to have a peek at the little bean, especially when there's not a whole lot of evidence of them being there yet - not much belly, no kicks, etc. Makes it seem so much more real, IMO. How are you feeling, by the way?
And thanks for the visualization suggestion - I'll give it a shot. :) I find that during the day, I can be pretty rational about the birth, but at night it's a little harder....
yeah, i am the same. all the fears come bubbling up at night...i figure its the only time we have to ourselves :lol: it gets easier and easier to do the visualisation and soon you'll be a pro lying in bed before bed...very soothing!:
Ooooo Cricket and Em, not long now. Beautiful birthing vibes your way.
Your ob sounds great, Cassius. Can't believe you've already had a scan - where is the time going?
Had my HB group get together today and a great discussion about baby led weaning and food. Also, my second m/w announced that she is pg - due in Oct. Very excited for her! She has three kids and her last DD is 18 mths and was born at home. The birth was so quick her m/w just made it so her DH is all prepped on how to administer oxygen to the baby and a shot of synto to her just in case. The rest she can manage herself. Lol
I also had a good chat with Hannah (Dahlen) about epigenetics and her research that she's about to start comparing babies' DNA from different births. Sounds really interesting.
Apparently Lateline at 10.30pm tonight on ABC is covering the state of home birth in Australia. I'll be watching!
Hi all! In a rush so sorry no personals to everyone....
Cass- how can you be twelve weeks already!?? So excited for you!
Jen- I'm going to chase up that late line on iview...did you watch it? How cute about your midwife making beanies.
Meow- I'm doing the maybe baby thing at the moment too. I really don't want to be pg yet because I need to start my masters...but I keep dreaming of pg ans birth and a tiny little baby....cluck cluck cluck.
Cricket and Em- beautiful birth blessings to you both. It's almost time to start lighting the candle and welcoming the baby into your heart and home. So exciting!
awww go on Arcadia! I had two babies while doing my PhD....it's totally doable...that said, i reckon masters degrees are harder workload wise...so maybe just do a PhD ok?! ('cause then you can heaps of babies while doing it lol).
Jen: i so wanted to watch it! i wish that i could access that stuff here :(
now i have to google epigenetics....
I am also going to get DH and myself prepped for a JIC scenario. it was a bit close last time as the birth went super fast once the waters broke and i had to really visualise slowing the labour down and allowing a bit of adrenaline in to just get things to calm down. in the end the midwives arrived 40 minutes before she was born. i am certain she would of have come much faster had they already of been there ITMS. my official labour was only 1.5 hours :o
Wish I could have watched Lateline too... was it good?
I'm totally into epigenetics! I'm convinced my son's autism is caused by environmental triggers activating his genetic predisposition to autism. Now we're working on the concept of being able to heal what caused the triggers to reverse the activation of the gene expression. I don't think it's any coincidence that every doctor we see about his autism asks about his birth history ;)