anyone else planning a homebirth?
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Topic: anyone else planning a homebirth?
Posted By: sarasal
Subject: anyone else planning a homebirth?
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 10:51am
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Hi I'm due first week of november and planning a homebirth for baby 2 - just wondering how many others are also doing it at home? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Two_Puddle_Ducks
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 11:11am
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Yip. That is the plan. We are having to do an unexpected shift of house but it is my intention to birth at home if at all possible. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 2:36pm
*puts hand up* yup we're planning a homebirth for our 2nd bubs, due in 6 weeks 
Looking forward to seeing my mw in a week and a half so we can talk about it, ie when to start getting stuff ready, whether I need to pack a hospital bag just in case etc etc. ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 2:52pm
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Yip, me too. What are you going to do with your DS during the birth? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Two_Puddle_Ducks
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 4:10pm
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I am planning on keeping our DS with us and having a close friend their to support him. If he starts finding it all too much she'll take him to her place but not expecting him to have issues, we've talked about it a lot and I think he has a pretty good understanding of what to expect.
Of course if our new home is super tiny he might have to go to my friends house just to free up some space. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 7:07pm
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I'm not sure what to do about my toddler for the birth. He gets quite upset at the sight of blood and worries about me if I'm hurt so maybe not the best to have him there but I don't know where else he could go - I've never spend more than a couple of hours away from him! I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you all.
Rachelsea, only 6 weeks to go ... exciting! Is it your first homebirth? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 8:38pm
Rach, definitely pack your hospital bag, and do it properly. We just did a half-hearted job, and then poor DH had to do a mad run-around packing job when we did need to transfer. It'll be easy enough to unpack it again afterwards when you don't need it 
I'm thinking I'll pretty much do the same re the toddler. Have her here with someone to mind her specifically. HOpefully it'll be at night, and she'll actually sleep through for a change! And if not, my friend can take her to the park or out on the farm for a bit if need be. I'm actually more concerned about the friend! She's one of very few people I'd be happy to have around, but she's never had a baby, and I kind of wish I had someone to ask who had. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 01 April 2011 at 8:57pm
Yup anahr, my first homebirth  very exciting! DD came 3.5wks early so I'm kinda wondering how long I really have left to go hehe, bubs will probably be overdue this time just to spite me
T-Rex yeah that's what I thought, best to be safe and pack a bag, then I won't need it! Really should have one ready anyway in case he does decide to come before 37wks in which case I'll have to go to hospital anyway. I'm not sure what to do with the toddler either. I don't know who to ask to watch her, because I do want her here. My Mum thinks I'll be calling her to come and take Chelsea away, because she says a birth is no place for a child to be! But I don't want her taken away! No point asking Dad, lol he wouldn't be into it, and my step-mum is completely anti-homebirth so that won't work. I'd be happy having my friend who was at DD's birth there again, but she's a nurse and doesn't like homebirth either! And my other friends who I'd be happy to have there all have toddlers/babies too so don't want to put them out! So am hoping it happens over night and Chelsea sleeps thru hehe. ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 7:35am
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Oh I hope you make it to 37 weeks! I'm pretty sure most MW will only do homebirth between 37-42 weeks because outside of that it's not considered a *normal* pregnancy.
Gosh, it's tricky isn't it? You don't want the support person stressed out, do ya?! I'd have my mum but she'd panic about it being a homebirth (i'm not even telling her that!) so she's not much use. Plus she's hours away, I'm hoping labour won't take that long this time
If we decide to leave her in care for a bit post-baby, I might just let her go off to daycare for the day too, I'm not sure. And maybe get my friend to collect her asap once the baby is here. It's tricky cos my friend is doing her surgery training the week baby is due, so if she ends up in surgery...  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Lillybetts
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 9:48am
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Ohh I would of loved a home birth! Good on ya guys for doing it though! Had an emergency CS, so no home birth for me! But all the best with that! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 10:11am
| I was keen on a homebirth for this one but had placenta previa..please let us know how it goes for you ladies - if i am ever crazy enough to do this baby thing again a home birth is what i'd prefer and love to hear how it works for others! |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 11:24am
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I would 2nd packing a hospital bag. Last time I didnt because I was so sure it was going to be fine. So when I went to hospital, I had nothing... didn't realise I'd have to stay there for 3 days. I had to rely on my partner to bring stuff in but he brought clothes that didn't fit, didn't match & I had to go round looking like a total spaz!
Are you guys doing anything special to prepare, like hypnobirthing, exercises, yoga, meditation etc? I think the reason it didn't work out for me last time was being in the wrong state of mind ... I didn't know how to relax and put everything else out of my mind. Sorry to hear about the unsupportive relatives. I haven't told my family yet, but I think I'll just be really vague about my plans when I do tell. I just don't even want to hear anyone's negativity. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Two_Puddle_Ducks
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 12:02pm
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I haven't told my family but have been really open with friends about it and they all seem really supportive or at least keep their opinions to themselves.
As for preparing I've been spending a few minutes each day in location and positions where I think I might be comfortable and just practising my breathing and focusing. We have to shift now so I'll start the process over again in the new house when we shift. It has been quite hard since knowing we had to shift to try and visualise the birth as I don't know where it will happen anymore. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 12:25pm
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How long till you shift puddleducks?
I've told a few friends, but only ones I know will be supportive. Because DD ended up being a hospital birth, I didn't tell most people she was meant to be a home birth. Only a select group of friends. It was easy enough, because most people just presumed it would be a hospital birth and I never bothered to correct them
I think I'm in a pretty good state of mind - I'm very educated about birth which is handy; the trouble last time was with DD not engaging properly so the contractions never really got going. I'll be having a lot of heart-to-hearts with DH in between now and then as to what I want/need from him, but mostly this is up to me. I'm actually really looking forward to the birth  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 10:12am
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I have had two home births first unplanned second planned and loved it it was fantastic. with my second home birth we had my first DD there she was 20 months old - we had a friend who lived around the corner who could come pick her up if she needed but she was fine I had spoken to her before about how it would be hard work and it would hurt and she could help by holding my hand and that i might scream and yell a lot. just over a year old she remembers it and often comments that her little sister came out of mummy but she was more concerned about the mess than anything else lol. i would totally to it again ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 11:07am
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Im toying with the idea of having a HB, mine will be a HBAC, but my MW supports it (she was the one who first suggested it to me!) Im not convinced to, but the more I think about it the more I want to...
Im looking forward to hearing all your home birth stories! ------------- 
+1 May 09 Angel 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 11:15am
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Aww Emmi! Do think about it
Bubba2, thanks for sharing. So you had no support person in the end for your DD? Just someone you could call if you had to, but didn't? Love hearing from someone who's done it before. My DD will be 21-22 months depending how overdue this little one goes... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 12:02pm
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Do it Emmi!!
I've only told my mum we're planning a homebirth. She said to my dad and stepmum (when I wasn't there) "I've met Rachel's midwife and am happy about her having a homebirth now" and my stepmum went all crazy, hands over her face and yelling "Oh, she's NOT! OH NO! She CAN'T have a homebirth! I've heard horror stories!!"  lol. So I was expecting a lecture, but she hasn't brought it up with me. But last time I saw her I just casually made up a story about how my mw joked that I might not make it to the hospital in time and end up having the baby at home  hehe she doesn't need to know that we're hoping to not go to hospital at all. Anyway it could be quick seeing as my labour with DD was 3.5hrs and they say the time halves with subsequent labours (secretly hoping that's true!)
I haven't done anything to prepare yet, am waiting till I see my mw next Tues to talk about the birth etc. Will be 35.3wks then. Was looking at the list of essentials for a homebirth this morning though and all I really need to buy is a new shower curtain (we need a new one anyway) so we can use the old one for the birth. I'm not gonna worry about the essential oils and all that as I have no sense of smell so don't really see the point. Everything else we have in the house already. I'm not sure where exactly I'll give birth, probably in the lounge if it's night time. Bubba2 that's awesome to hear how your DD was at your 2nd homebirth. I will have to explain about it to my DD. She knows there is a baby in my tummy, she always talks to him and reads him stories. And she says "Brudda come out mama's tummy" then gets a serious look on her face, shakes her head and says "Not yet"  I think she would be concerned about the mess too lol, seeing as whenever she makes a mess she chants "Chelsea made mess. Mama clean it" over and over until it's clean
sorry for the novel again  ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 1:29pm
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Hi Emmi, you've got to be wherever you feel most comfortable but I think the thing with hospital VBACs (hospitals in general for that matter) is that they can put quite a bit of pressure on you, like to conform to their schedule or to accept interventions. My experience of hospital was that it was really hard to say no to them, because they just kept pushing, offering drugs every 5 minutes. So if you really have your heart set on VBAC, it might be worth at least staying home for most of your labour. If you go for hospital, find out what their VBAC statistics are - if their rates are really low then they are probably not very supportive of it in practice. Sounds like you have a cool MW anyway. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 1:40pm
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Are you going to have a pool Rach? I guess if you are a short-labours kind of lady, you might not have time to fill it! I'll be more worried about filling it too soon and having it go cold given my labour was 27 hours last time!!
We live rural, so I laboured on the deck during the day last time and retreated to the family room once it got dark. I'll probably do that again, I think. We have a bathroom just off the family room so it was quite nice being able to go in there and lean over the basin during a contraction. We'll definitely be hiring one of those gas hot-water heaters this time so that DH doesn't have to spend heaps of time heating water for the pool and can focus on me and DD instead. Hmm, I wonder how much luck I'll have keeping her out of the pool ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 3:49pm
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No no one actually there for DD although my husband was with her - i tend to go all internal when in labour and let my body take over so i dont really need my DH's support so he was looking after DD - she got upset a wee bit while i was pushing but i held her hand and she calmed right down - also second labour was 1 1/2 hours est. so was pretty quick midwife arrived 10 minutes before baby did lol. one of the drawbacks of going all internal i kind of forget to let the midwife know what is happening hence first being a home birth i was fully dilated when midwife arrived
------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 7:19pm
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That's interesting Bubba2 ... some people say labour goes more quickly and easily without a midwife there since you don't feel like you're being observed and no distractions. I'm really fascinated by the concept of unassisted childbirth - Laura Shanley's Bornfree site is my favourite birth website ... www.unassistedchildbirth.com
Has anyone else looked at it? Such amazing, beautiful birth stories. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: princesspumpkin
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 4:26pm
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We planned a homebirth with our first - almost got there, but had to transfer as his heartrate went too high . Go for it though - labouring at home was absolutely wonderful, and if I hadn't had complications last time I'd do it again for sure.
PS...do pack a hospital bag just in case - I reckon that'll stop you having to transfer Poor DH had a hell of a time trying to find stuff to take to the hospital after the midwife & I had sped away!!!
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 5:04pm
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Yeah I'm thinking no to the pool T-Rex. I'm not really a fan of baths, I get all light headed lying down in the bath for too long, and I don't have it very hot either. And I tried labouring in the hospital bath (big triangle one) for about 3 contractions but just couldn't get comfy and didn't like it. So am thinking I won't bother.
I had a look at that website earlier anahr, sounds facinating but I still want my mw at the birth she lives just over the back fence so can hopefully make it in time hehe. ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 09 April 2011 at 9:03pm
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I am sitting on the fence... I first thought nah, stuff that, I'm off to hospital so I can have some gas but now I'm am leaning waaay back towards a homebirth. The experience is just such a nice one.
I have had 2 homebirths before so nothing new to me and I know what to expect my dilemma at the moment is whether I have somewhere I could put a birthing pool up LOL My opinion on having your other kids there is that you know your kids better than anyone else but do try to see the birth process through the eyes of a young toddler- I think sometimes Mum will control their response to pain so to not scare the toddler or can't control the response and will scare the toddler- neither situations are helpful to the birth process or to the toddler. Thats just my 10c's worth anyway. With birth #2 I went into labour at 4am so when DS woke up we let him hang about for a bit and have breakfast but then he wanted to interact with me and have a chat but that wasn't the headspace I needed so we got MIL to pick him up (they live next door so ideal). We brought him straight back over after the birth. This time DS will be 9yrs and DD will be 6.5yrs so a whole different kettle of fish and both said they want to be there but we'll see- I'm not convinced they won't be a distraction or that I will be able to control the noise I make near the end- I'd rather that DD didn't have a freaked out view of birth from a young age LOL oh- and do have a bag packed for your birth- this means you have your stuff ready if you have to go to the hospital but also means you have everything handy for your homebirth. Poor DH was sent to find me some undies after my waters broke- he's calling out "which ones" I'm like, I'd don't give a Sh1t, just bring any, oh hang, on don't worry, I don't want any undies *queue large contraction* PMSL |
Posted By: Spacette
Date Posted: 10 April 2011 at 3:01pm
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Hope it all goes well for you! I had a great homebirth for A, my first, although MW only got there with 9 minutes to go (birth story at the bottom of http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=146&PN=1&TPN=34 - this page ). Would definitely do it again if factors came together. I guess my only advice would be collect together the bits and pieces earlier than we did cos she was early...but it worked out fine anyway. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 11 April 2011 at 1:07pm
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Thanks for sharing your birth story Spacette ... I love it that she swam to you and you got to hold her first. So beautiful! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Alley-cat
Date Posted: 12 April 2011 at 4:50pm
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Will definitely be having our second as a homebirth, our first was a planned unassisted homebirth and it was the best thing I have ever done, and unless any serious complications arrive I plan to do the same with this one.
My advise trust your instincts and stay positive... ------------- 
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 13 April 2011 at 6:09pm
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Alleycat, that is so exciting! I've never heard of anyone in NZ doing UC - I guess people stay pretty quiet about it. It seems to be more accepted in countries where women have no choice but hospital or DIY. I'd be really interested to hear more about how it went for you
. I wanted to do it unassisted for my first child but ended up deciding to go to hospital after a long labour... which I now think was a mistake. I haven't exactly decided for this pregnancy but in my heart I really want to do it alone. What are your ideas about doing it safely? Did you hire a midwife for pre/post-natal care, or just to have someone to call on as back-up? Do you do your own care, like taking your blood pressure & urine tests, or just trust your instincts? Do you read a lot of midwifery texts or do you think that just generates fear? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 14 April 2011 at 5:56pm
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Wow spacette thats a beautiful story!! Lurking for info on unassisted homebirth. Despite my constant saying i'm never having another baby....if i do...you know, never hurts to be prepared
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Posted By: Alley-cat
Date Posted: 15 April 2011 at 3:53pm
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Hi Anahr
Yeah, have keep it reasonably quiet, I certainly didn’t do it for any publicity, some of my family members don’t even know… they have fits at the idea of a HB let alone an UC. For me labour was a dream, about 5hrs. Started at 3:30am in the morning when I had to get up to pee, dozed through the first 3hrs cuddled up in bed up to the hubby. Then when I felt things could start to get a bit messy I moved to the area I had set up, I actually found sitting on a dining room chair leaning forward was the best position for me as the contractions got stronger (although there was never any pain) and then when I had the urge to push I went down onto my knees, with my torso upright. Several big pushes, then my water finally broke and a couple more pushes and baby come out… and he was perfect, with an excellent set of lungs (he certainly let the whole house know he had arrived). Placenta came out about 5 minutes after that, while I was sitting back on the chair nursing him. Then while hubby introduced himself to our little baby I had a nice hot rinse under the shower, then wrapped up warm, jumped back into bed and cuddled and nursed my little fella for the next couple of hours. After that we cut the umbilical cord and give him a quick wipe down with a warm cloth to get rid of any excess gunk and dressed him, then spent the day just relaxing in bed with our little fella, it was bliss. I knew in my heart too even before I was pregnant that I wanted to be alone, the idea of giving birth in the typical way, just never sat right with me, then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks what I wanted, and that’s when I started researching it, and I just found so much information that supported my feelings that I had to go with my instinct. I didn’t hire a midwife for pre or post natal care, because I took ownership of my own health, I paid attention to how I felt, I listened to my body (I do pay a great deal of attention to my instincts; the trick is to know what is an instinct, and what might be either fear or denial), if I needed an afternoon nap I took it… I ate an excellent diet, and I keep an eye out for anything that was a sign of something potentially wrong, i.e. lack of weight gain, swelling… if anything had raised a concern, then I would have investigated further i.e. tests but never found the need to. I don’t believe in testing without reason, it just wastes time, money, resources… people these days are too busy carrying out routine tests instead of giving personalised care, that they start missing things that are really wrong, because they are instead looking for things that they don’t need to. I didn’t read typical midwifery texts because I found them a lot like the books on pregnancy, even some of the more natural focused ones, they all still treat labour like it is something that requires intervention, which kind of makes them hard to read and yes, can install to much fear. I tended to find information on the process from medical professionals who actually understand that for some women being alone is one of the most important things to her feeling safe and therefore a natural and safe labour and healthy baby. was more useful, Michel Odent is a good author. Anyway in case you haven’t found them here are some websites that have some useful information for UC http://www.gentlebirth.org/index.html is run by an American homebirth midwife; it is probably one of the best to look up for advice on allsorts of pregnancy and birth related issues, try doing a search on cord-cutting, its amazing how much info she has. http://www.sarahbuckley.com/ is run by an Australian doctor that had her own four children at home, she has some interesting information on homebirths and instinctual labour http://www.unhinderedliving.com/childbirth.html a website out of the US that is all about UC -------------
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 15 April 2011 at 4:08pm
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There was a documentary on the Doco channel a few weeks ago called "Freebirthing"...all about unassisted childbirth. Interesting. Not for me - but I found it interesting and thought provoking. Might be lurking around the net somewhere - could be worth trying to watch if its something that you are seriously interested in.
------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 15 April 2011 at 4:19pm
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Thanks Alleycat - that is a really amazing wonderful birth story. I am a big fan of Sarah Buckley & Michel Odent but I hadn't seen those other sites yet. That's a good point about unnecessary testing being a waste of resources. I've just been thinking about that, how too many people in the world don't even have access to the most basic medical resources but here you get all this stuff almost forced on you.
What did you say to people who asked who your midwife was? I'm getting that a lot - it's only week 12 for me so I've just been saying I'm still looking at this stage. I don't really want to tell people about what I want to do ... did you come up with any tricky answers? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Alley-cat
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 12:16pm
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Ahh, the midwife question... only got that once from a lady at a local baby store when I wasn't very far along also so I to also just said I hadn't decided... I did think after that I could just make up a name and say she was an independent midwife, never got the chance to try it.
However, I did get heaps of people wanting to know where I was going to give birth, I live out in a rural area, so everyone was like how far is it to the nearest hospital... I have a theory on lying it sounds awful I know and to be truthful I hate lying but if some people are going to be extremely hurtful and abusive to you for telling the truth then its their own fault that they don't get told the truth, especially when often it is none of their business, your body your choice sort of thing. Very passive agressive I know. Anyway before I start ranting too much the theory which has served me very well over the years is to tell people the answer they want to hear... people hardly ever question if you tell them what they want to know... so when I they asked where the nearest hospital was I told them that there was one in the nearest town only 10 minutes away, I didn't bother saying I was going to have a homebirth... I wasn't lying there really was a maternity hospitial in the nearest town I just wasn't planning on going there but they didn't need to know that, but it just stopped me from getting into a potential argument on the safety of HB. Although you can never please everyone, one person who I mentioned the local maternity hospital to, didn't think that was good enough, cue changing the subject very quickly, ask a question about them it usually stops them in their tracks. Towards the end more people I knew asked me whether or not I was having a HB (I'm known as a bit of a hippie so I suppose it wasn't an unusual question?), I judged how I answered the question by how it was asked... if it came in the form that my mum got when she first told my aunt that I was pregnant which was a "she better not be having a homebirth!" then I just politly mentioned that there was a birthing hospital 10 minutes away in the nearest town, they usually made their own assumptions from there. If it came across in a more curious supportive manner then I did tell them I was going to have a HB but just left out the part that there wasn't going to be a midwife. With this one I guess it is going to be a bit different, because alot of people know what actually happened, and so as I start telling more of them I guess I will get some new questions this time round. My mum wanted to know if I was going to have a midwife this time, but I think that is more out of fear wanting to have someone on hand sort of approach, and I am expecting I will get more of that. For those who still think I had a midwife, I guess if I get the question asked this time round I will just say the "same as last time, after all it went so well" -------------
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 5:34pm
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Alley-Cat, your story is very inspiring
When people ask where I'm planning to giving birth, I just say that my midwife thinks it'll be really quick and I might not make it to the hospital, but say that luckily she (midwife) lives over the back fence so at least she should get there in time. And most people laugh as though I'm joking so I don't bother telling them that I'm not actually planning to go to the hospital at all lol. Or I just mention the fact that the hospital is 5mins drive away
One more week till I'm officially allowed to have my homebirth! (I had my daughter at 36weeks 5days) but mw says if it's closer to 37wks than 36wks we can still do it at home. I don't have any signs that this bubba wants to come out soon though - with DD I had already lost my plug by now... ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 7:16pm
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Ohhh exciting Rachelsea! I hope you have an amazing birth
Alleycat, I'm glad things turned out so well for you. I can really see the appeal of it being just you and DH and the baby - that would be really lovely. But I've also seen that birth doesn't always go to plan even with the best of preparations, so for me, I absolutely want someone there who is experienced in infant CPR etc. My daughter was resuscitated at birth after suddenly deteriorating after showing no signs of distress until the very end of delivery. It was the scariest moment of my life - I still feel sick thinking about it. I'm glad I didn't have to do it myself! I was super-confident going into DD's birth, so this time I'm going to be better prepared in terms of back-up plans and then hopefully I won't need them ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 7:33pm
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Alleycat, I like your style. I live near a hospital too so I guess I just be vague and say, "well, the hospital's just down the road..." The midwife question is still difficult though because most of the people who are asking would probably know if I just invented a name. I'm kind of thinking maybe I will sign up with someone towards the end, as a kind of psychological insurance, then I can decide on the day whether I actually want/need them there or not. I'm happy to skip all the prenatal interference though.
T-Rex, I'm with you having back-up plans this time round. I was probably a bit overconfident the first time too. I read too many books that said "if you're calm and confident, everything will go quickly and smoothly" but that's not quite how it went for me. Exciting, Rachelsea! Not long til you meet your little sweetie. All the best for your birth... & for keeping him in there for a while longer. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 10:14pm
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I agree with T-rex that births don't always going to plan, no matter how relaxed and informed you are.
I respect your right to birth unassisted but I do strongly disagree with it. It is a needlessly reckless act. If you choose your midwife well then you should be able to have someone there who is on the same page as you, that you call at the last minute and is there to help out rather than take over & they are trained & experienced to deal with any emergency situation. I know you believe in what you are doing Alleycat so I won't go on but I would hate to see unassisted become popularised and babies or mums die. I would also hate to see Homebirth become tarred with bad statistics from unassisted births. I was at a friends homebirth that rapidly changed pace, we rang MW but she was already pushing so I scrubbed up, grabbed warm towels and flannel and birthed the baby (midwife arrived 7 minutes later). It was an awesome experience but fortunately I knew what I was mostly doing & was able to feel for and unwrap the cord from around Baby's neck as baby's head birthed. It was wrapped very tightly. Her husband wouldn't have had a clue on what to do or look for. Anyway- best of luck with whatever you choose to do. |
Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 16 April 2011 at 10:28pm
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*fingers crossed* for you rachelsea- how exciting :)
I've noticed this time I have gotten a lot of negative responses to homebirth from other mums- I know it is just their emotions & experiences of birth affecting their responses but I've been a little taken aback... like I'm some kind of heroic nutjob hippy freako who's out of my mind to contemplate a HB!! *sigh* Since I think I have pretty much settled on another Homebirth I think it is best to adopt the not telling anyone/avoiding the truthful answer position again too. Sad our society sees hospital birth & its interventions as the necessary norm for normal, low risk births. |
Posted By: Alley-cat
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 7:40am
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Thanks everyone for your understanding, well sort of
I competely understand that for most having the midwife is important and by no means am I saying that people should be like me... I think that going UC is only for those truly able to take the responsibily of all possible outcomes upon themselves. My foremost belief is that the needs of the mother and baby of course (those 2 things cannot be seperated, what hurts one hurts the other) are the most important, but those needs vary differently and what I want most is for women to have the opportunity to do what is right for them, which sadly even in this country isn't always an option. T_Rex, Kupukupu, I know all too well that sometimes bad things happen in life despite the best laid plans. However, perhaps I should mention the circumstances that lead to my decision in more detail. I suffer from PTSD and the thought of someone in my house (even my own mother) during labour sends me into a panic attack. There is no cure for PTSD it can only be managed usually with medications, but I have severe reactions to all of those. It was suggested that it was best that I don't have children, because I would not be able to handle it and would almost certainly end up with severe PND (I suffered from depression for most of my life). Today I am free from depression (which was my prequiste before getting pregnant) and what is more I haven't suffered since, in fact I have never been better. In my circumstances the small chance of something going wrong could not be outweighed by the trauma I would suffer from having someone there. Obviously if I felt that there was something wrong then I would seek assistance if required... my children will always come first, but part of that is having a well mother. Beside the fact I don't think that there is a midwife in the country that would accept me as a patient. My husband and I did not take this decision lightly, and we did have some back-up plans in place, however to be truthful you can't plan for everything no matter how much you try to think you can only invites failure. But we both have trained in CPR including CPR on infants and my husband and I were very aware of the things most likely to go wrong and what to look for and how to respond if and when they happened. In fact, our little DS did have his cord wrapped around his neck but not so tight that it was causing any issues, but we were ready and able to deal with that. I do and will always take full responsibilty for my actions, and I think that needs to be a prerequisite for anyone thinking of attempting an UC. No one should lose a child that leaves scars on the heart that can never heal. In some ways I could say that other people are reckless after all their only plan is to rely on being able to get to medical assistance even for a perfect birth, but each to their own. I would like to see more people realising that birth is a natural process that generally doesn't require intervention and more support for mothers to do what is right for them! The negativity that some people give mothers that mention they want a HB is horrible. I think it would also be nice if the medical industry was not so focused on carrying out unnecessary interference so that they could give better care to those mothers and babies that need it. Hmmm, prehaps I should have just mentioned I was planning another HB and left it at that, but the cat's out of the bag now -------------
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 8:16am
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Not planning a homebirth any time soon, but just chiming in as someone who'd be happy to have a baby at a hospital (although I prefered the birthing centre where I had Jacob) - I don't think there's anything 'wrong' or have any particular negative reaction to a home birth. It's not for me; I'm more comfortable knowing that there is medical help available fairly close if need be. Plus, to be honest, a home birth doesn't hold any particular appeal for me, I'm happy snuggling up to Bubs in a hospital bed and having them clean up the mess. But if you're more comfortable giving birth at your own home, I'd say go for it. If you think about it, in a real emergency I would have still had to have been transfered to the hospital from the birthing centre, just like you could be transfered from home to the hospital.
I do have fairly strong feelings about the unassisted birth thing, but I'm sure you've heard it all before, Alley-cat, and I respect your right to make your own choices. ETA that I do also admire your frankness about the fact that you'd have to take responsibility for any negative outcomes (which thankfully didn't happen). -------------   
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 4:03pm
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I don't think it is at all likely that unassisted birth would ever become popularised ... most pregnant women seem to be just about begging their LMCs for unnecessary interventions like US scans every few weeks. People don't say it's irresponsible when a woman chooses the full hospital treatment, even though it is proven that drugs, epidurals, non-emergency CS, continuous monitoring etc have negative effects on babies. But women who want to avoid those harmful things are irresponsible?
Everyone has to take responsibility for their own birth ... if you decide to put everything in the hands of the hospital/midwife and they make a wrong decision that harms your baby (which does happen too often), you are just as responsible as if something had gone wrong if you'd done it by yourself. You have to live with the fact you let them do those things, perhaps against your better instincts. Not many people understand how important it is for a woman to feel safe in labour and birth. If you don't feel safe, it messes up the whole delicate hormonal process. If you can't relax in the presence of a midwife, it is likely her presence would make your birth more complicated - so it's not necessarily safer to have a professional person present. Especially if you live close to a hospital and know what to watch out for. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 7:59pm
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It's interesting, the different perspectives. Alleycat, I'm sorry if I sounded judgemental in my post - I wasn't meaning to be; more just commenting that it was definitely outside of my limits to do that.
I guess I do see UC as *too* risky, but plenty of people view homebirth as too risky as well, yet for me that's perfectly ok. In the end, as long as everyone makes an informed choice, they can choose whatever they like as far as I'm concerned
Anahr, I totally agree that some people are *too* willing to take interventions that can be harmful too, but again, that's their perception of safe. For me, my choice of midwife was crucial as I don't intend to accept any interventions I don't want, so I wanted a MW who wouldn't be likely to impose them anyway. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 8:16pm
Just curious, did you (or anyone else) ever look into any stats on that when considering your birth plans? I never have (since home birth was never something I seriously considered) but while I personally *feel* more comfortable at a birthing centre (and liked it for other reasons that aren't relevant to this question) is a birth at one of them actually less likely to have negative outcomes? Somehow I suspect that there's not too much difference between the two, but it's not something I've looked into, so that might just be my imagination... -------------
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T_Rex wrote:Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 17 April 2011 at 9:08pm
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Yay my husband has come around to my way of thinking and we are going to start trying for another baby in the next couple of months. I love the idea of an unassisted birth but im a bit too much of a worry wart lol. will definitely be aiming for a home birth again tho and will make sure i am prepared for an unassisted home birth just in case it is super quick. last time midwife arrived 10 minutes before my baby did. My mother has had an unplanned unassisted birth due to a superquick labour and living in the middle of nowhere.
the way my midwife looks at birthing centres vs home births is that you will be transferred to a hospital for the same kind of thing so why not stay at home lol. i have just never felt the urge to go to hospital at any point during labour. my mother has also had her last 3 children at home (she has 8) ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 18 April 2011 at 3:30pm
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Alley-cat- I respect your resons and if anyone has a valid reason for UC then it is you. I still disagree with planned UC but I sincerely mean it when I say best of luck with whatever you choose to do.
anahr, The women "begging" for interventions are hardly going to be the ones contemplating UC though. I didn't say wanting to avoid unnecessary interventions is irresponsible (I wouldn't have had 2 MB's previously otherwise)- I said planned unassisted is (IMHO). Fine- if that's your choice to do it but burying your head in the sand and saying that planning well and having no interventions makes for a safe birth doesn't make it true 100% of the time. Maybe some people planning UC's are equipping themselves properly with CPR courses, an infant re-sus kit, educating themselves on what to look for in regards to haemorrhage/ placenta previa etc etc.... but I'm not convinced that everyone planning an UC will do that... and to me that is reckless. A MW doesn't train and study for 3-4 years for nothing. anyway, I'll agree to disagree with you- we are all big girls here and can handle not having the same opinions eh LOL. |
Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 18 April 2011 at 3:41pm
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Hopes, I have looked at the stats thoroughly in the past. The stats are very favourable to Homebirths BUT you cannot read the stats in isolation!!! otherwise it is very misleading.
Generally only Low risk pregnancies are given the opportunity to HomeBirth so already there you have some favourable stats regardless of where the birth would have happened. HB's are also more likely to be considered by educated, healthy and less socially disadvantaged women so again the stats will reflect this. Women who choose HB are more likely to self-educate and be informed about the birth process and by its very nature there is less incidence of intervention. If a HB is hospital transferred then it is likely that hospital interventions would have happened anyway. OBgyn's are generally high risk pregnancies so their stats are always going to reflect this also. It can also be said that a well prepared, confident woman birthing in her own environment is less likely to feel under stress or pressure and this is what encourages the natural birth process to a less problematic birth. But hey- some women feel more relaxed & confident being in a hospital or birthing center environment so that is more "right" to them. Anyway- the stats are very favourable and are out there is you want to do a bit of searching around. |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 18 April 2011 at 5:25pm
Yea, I see what you mean, Kupukupu. Well put too  I'm just one of those people who feels more comfortable not at home, so I've never really looked into the topic, but it's still interesting -------------
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 18 April 2011 at 8:09pm
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Yep, it's one of those "can't really do a randomised control study" thing, but even when they've compared *similar* people in paired studies with the difference being home vs hospital but otherwise same age, pregnancies etc homebirth generally comes out slightly more favourable in terms of outcomes. It also comes out streets ahead in terms of mother's satisfaction.
I'm too tired to write sensibly right now, but yeah, I've researched it and it's actually statistically *safer* for low risk pregnancies. I also have much the same view as notenufchaos - you'd transfer for much the same reasons as from a birthing centre so it's actually not much/any different to that. A good home birth MW has all the same tools on hand ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 18 April 2011 at 8:31pm
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Lurker here...
I just wanted to drop in and make a quick point about 'mess' - my home birth vs my hospital birth was the least messy of the two, we had *maybe* a single grocery shopping bag's worth of rubbish, and a single extra load of laundry - which between my DH, midwife & support person, barely made a blip on my radar. ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 19 April 2011 at 12:41pm
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For anyone who's interested in the stats, the largest study on safety of home birth was a Canadian study involving around 300 000 women (from memory) - the outcome was that the home/hospital mortality rates were similar but home was overall safer as there were far lesser rates of intervention.
http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/homsafty.html#Canadian As Kupukupu mentioned, it is hard to get full info from some studies because 1) the mortality rates are so low anyway you need a huge study to get reliable figures 2) you have to ask whether the researchers are comparing low risk planned home births with low risk hospital births. If they are using stats from unplanned homebirths, or comparing homebirth with general hospital rates, the numbers aren't going to mean much. This was the case with the 2010 metaanalysis by Wax et al that claimed homebirth had 3x the infant mortality rate - this metaanalysis has been heavily critiqued for cherry-picking which studies to include (and for a lot of other mistakes as well). I think you have to log in to medscape to read their articles but it's free. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/739987 My point about people's negative opinions about UC was that I think they tend to be bothered by the fact that it's not 'normal', rather than that it's 'unsafe'. There are no studies or stats to prove how safe/unsafe it is compared to any other childbirth choice so we're all free to make our own assumptions on that. However plenty of things (eg med interventions mentioned above) that are proven to have negative effects but are considered within the realms of normal don't seem to bother them. It's fear of the unknown. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 19 April 2011 at 2:05pm
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Also, another point to consider on the topic of homebirth safety is the high-risk/low risk labels. In some countries only low risk women are 'allowed' to homebirth but high risk can be an extremely broad label, including all first time mothers!
Ina May Gaskin is a lay midwife who has been assisting birthing mothers for decades (at home and in the clinic at her commune) and she has some of the best birth stats in the world - eg a caesarian rate of under 2%, an intervention rate of 10% AND she does not turn away "high risk" cases - even twins, breech, VBAC, women who have been told by drs that their pelvic is too small, and of course first time mothers. She also quotes other homebirth practices with similar rates (I think it's in the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth). Considering the caesarian rate in many western countries is now over 30% (and the world health organisation says it is not justified to be over 10%), and that non-emergency CS increases risk of maternal death by about 3-4 times - you've got to wonder about the medical establishment's evaluations of risk. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Tralala
Date Posted: 19 April 2011 at 9:38pm
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Hi ladies,
Just wanted to say thanks for all the fabulous stories and useful debate. I am 16wks with my first and have always known I would be trying for a HB. It's been super inspiring to hear the UC stories and would like to commend you for staying true to your beliefs! Whilst I have chosen to have a MW there I believe that if every mother shared your attitude of accepting full responsibility of the birth, all of our birth experiences would be smoother and more natural. Whatever you choose, enjoy it! |
Posted By: dinolau
Date Posted: 19 April 2011 at 9:46pm
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Hi ladies, I'm back planning a HB for my second baby - except planning it from London as I will be here till around 7 month pregnant. So no ideas on who a good/relaxed/non-intervention/cheerful/friendly midwife is but doing some research. Any suggestions gratefully accepted!
I was very keen on the idea of UC, mainly because we can't choose our MWs here and mine was a complete ... well.. she was pretty useless and very bossy. Anyway my idea was to call her at the last minute but turns out that I really wanted some gas and air ha ha. Also considering having it at birthcare, I really want to have it at home but as we are still living in London, it would mean haviing it at my parents home... hmmmm... -------------  
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Posted By: Alley-cat
Date Posted: 20 April 2011 at 10:51am
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Have calmed down now, guess I don't like to be thought of as irresponsible.
Here's to Women Informing & thinking for themselves Taking responsibility for themselves Having freedom of choice & allowing others the same Having safe labours & happy healthy children! -------------
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 20 April 2011 at 11:07am
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Dinolau, have you looked at the homebirth aotearoa website? http://www.homebirth.org.nz/midwife.html
Maybe you could email some of them and ask for their stats on their rates of intervention and views on birth etc. Best of luck for finding something that suits you. Thanks for your comment Tralala - it's nice to hear people being open-minded about the subject. Most women do want the support of a midwife and it's fantastic that we do have a lot of choices here in nz including free mw care. I have nothing against midwifery and certainly am not trying to convince anyone not to hire a midwife - only that it's a valid choice for some people. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 22 April 2011 at 5:28pm
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Hey, what did you ladies wear for your homebirth? I only have one nightie and it's white hehe, should probably get a dark one right? No point wearing PJs with pants, but I don't fancy being naked either lol (sure I won't care at the time tho...). So glad I'm 37wks tomorrow so homebirth plans are all go! ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 22 April 2011 at 7:18pm
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with my first i had one of my husbands old tshirts with my second i was still wearing my tshirt bra and skirt and Knickers (which my husband cut off me in a hurry) as was pretty quick in the end lol ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 22 April 2011 at 7:36pm
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I started out in a singlet and pj pants but eventually even a sposie nappy in my knickers replaced every 20 minutes or so couldn't hold the waters and my pants got wet, so I took them off and wore just a singlet and knickers for a while. I did end up starkers in the pool though, so must have shed them at some point. I know I went through a trillion pairs of knickers during the evening/night I was in labour and leaking waters with every contraction for nearly 24 hours before we transferred to hospital though, so it was a long time to go through them all! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 23 April 2011 at 10:07am
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rachelsea... what about a comfy t-shirt instead? Both HB's I was in my usual PJ's (pants and top).
#1 my waters broke during labour so I sent hubby to get me another pair of undies from our room... while he's yelling out which ones, I'm having the most massive contraction so ended up yelling don't worry- I don't need any (not so politely LOL)... anyway, turns out I was in transition so undies were the least of my worries... stayed in my PJ top for a while longer but at some point I got too hot and striped it off for the birth less than 2 hours after waters had broken. #2 laboured mostly in my PJ's... hopped in the bath towards the end & I guess my waters broke in there... contractions intensified so hopped out of the bath starkers and gave birth half an hour later. Whilst I'm a modest person, my body super heats towards the end of labour and I just want everything off and nothing touching me. At the end of the day, don't over think it- just go with the flow oh and YAH- for getting to the "homebirth zone" LOL
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 10:45am
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A wrap dress is really good. Womama sells the birthing wraps but they are quite expensive. Any lightweight, dark-coloured wrap-around dress or robe is good. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 11:47am
Good ideas thanks ladies!! I'm so excited to be past the magic 37wk mark now  any time now baby lol nah I'm in no rush. If he doesn't come today then he'll have to wait till after next weekend as my mum is away all week and will never forgive me if I have him while she's away hahaha (like I have any say in it ). Have had a few niggles over last few days but nothing exciting.
Hope you're all having a good Easter ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Spacette
Date Posted: 29 April 2011 at 3:35pm
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I was just in a nice loose dress for most of it, got that off to get in the pool, then it was quite quick and I had to take bra off to try first feed. But yeah, anything that's comfortable. All the best! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 30 April 2011 at 10:22am
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Meant to say, LOVED your birth story Spacette! Awesome
I just bought a black nightie yesterday to wear to give birth in. Not planning a water birth (don't really like baths, and tried labouring in the water with DD but couldn't get comfy and preferred to be walking around and leaning over the bed during contractions). It's not particularly BFing friendly which I didn't think about till after I bought it lol, but will probably want to change afterwards anyway. ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Becsandmonkeys
Date Posted: 01 May 2011 at 4:35pm
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Hi girls, i am wondering if anyone can answer my question. I am only 6.5 weeks pregnant, but am considering a home birth this time. Can you have gas when you birth at home? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 01 May 2011 at 4:52pm
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im not sure if it is the same rules everywhere but my midwife doesnot/cannot bring gas with her ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 01 May 2011 at 6:45pm
Hi Becsandmonkeys, congrats on your pregnancy I have read birth stories on the homebirth website where people had gas. I haven't asked my mw if she brings gas or not as I don't want to use it. Tried it very briefly while in labour with DD and promptly threw up  not keen to repeat that experience again!! ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 01 May 2011 at 9:31pm
| my MW doesn't carry gas with her. Never gotten to the bottom of if its a personal choice for the MW's or if they aren't allowed to... not sure. |
Posted By: princesspumpkin
Date Posted: 02 May 2011 at 8:22am
| The midwives didn't have gas with them when we were planning to birth at home either - perhaps they can't? (although Kupukupu & I have midwives from the same practice, so maybe it's their thing?) |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 02 May 2011 at 11:34am
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I don't think midwives usually have gas ... but if you go to a birthing centre, rather than a hospital, you can get it there. IMO, using a big warm birthing pool worked better than gas anyway.
If you're into trying the natural methods, there's hypnobirthing, rocking on a swiss ball, hot showers, heat packs, using movement & different positions, breathing exercises including singing, keeping your hands and mouth open & loose ... there are so many ideas out there. I'd be interested in hearing what helped for everyone else. |
Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 02 May 2011 at 1:08pm
| I was told the reason they can't/don't carry gas is that if they do have it they have to store it (usually in their home) which requires a locked door, temp control, inspections etc etc - more hassle then its worth for many m/ws. Not sure thats true though but it makes sense to me! |
Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 11:11am
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Well I got my homebirth was an awesome experience, with a slight twist at the end lol:
Austin's birth story We went to bed at 10pm on Sunday the 8th, and Chelsea woke up at 11pm and midnight, but I managed to resettle her quickly each time. I woke at 1am to go to the loo, got back into bed and felt a little popping feeling down low in my belly. I thought "ooh I wonder if that was my water breaking." But then decided it probably wasn't and I was going to be pregnant forever but then started feeling quite wet! So back to the loo where more and more came out. Called out to DH that my water had broken. Started getting contractions right away but they weren't painful or regular. I timed a few and they were anywhere from 3-6mins apart lasting 30sec - 1min. Told DH I was in early labour but it could still be a while. He got up and cleaned the bathroom, said he was nesting
Contractions eventually started getting more painful, so went out into the lounge and turned on the heater. Rocked on swissball thru contractions but they were getting more uncomfy, so got down on my knees and leaned over the swissball instead, which is when I noticed the pressure feeling in my bum. My MW had said to ring her if I started feeling that because being that my 1st labour was only 3.5hrs it could be a short one again. Told DH to ring MW, he didn't want to though - think he was in denial. I kept asking and he kept saying to wait, so said fine I'd call her myself, which is when he realised that maybe it was time to ring her afterall. That was around 3:30am. MW lives over the back fence so arrived at 3:50am, and student MW turned up not long after. I just continued leaning over swissball, and breathing and squeezing the student mw's wrist during contractions. Chelsea woke up at 4:20am so DH was busy trying to keep her occupied and rang my mum to come over to look after her. She arrived at 4:50, about a minute after I started pushing. I was still kneeling and leaning on swissball (now with waterproof stuff underneath me!). Got my bloody show at this point too, along with a whole lot of meconium! Midwife asked me to concentrate on pushing to get the baby out asap. Soon I felt something come out and asked if that was his head. She replied that no, he was being born bottom first! I pushed some more and felt a huge relief so asked if it was over yet, but no that was just his legs, head still inside. She said I needed to push whether I felt the urge or not, so I pushed and she pulled and out came his head at 5:04am, Monday 9th May. He was given oxygen and was breathing on his own within 2mins. Placenta fell out 5mins later! I ended up with a 2nd degree tear so a few stitches but all good and am not having any pain. Milk came in during the 2nd night and he is feeding like a champ, and just got weighed this morning and has put on 120g in the 4 days since he was born ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 11:26am
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WOW!!!!! go you- you champ- Breech home birth!! Fantastic Rachel what a fantastic birth story
Have been wondering how you were going- that is such a delight to read
Welcome Austin!
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Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 11:49am
| Well done Rachelsea! He's beautiful! |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 12:11pm
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Awesome Rach!!! Congrats! ------------- |
Posted By: bubbles04
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 12:27pm
| my first baby is due 31st august 2011 and im planning a home birth with my partner and mum present |
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 12:28pm
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Awwww Rach. Great birth Story -------------  
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Posted By: notenufchaos
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 1:20pm
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wow that is an awesome birth story, ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> DD 1-25/05/2008 DD 2-2/2/2010 |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 1:50pm
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What an awesome birth Rachel! I take it you didn't know he was breech? (I bet you are glad you didn't know!). Well done you ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 2:49pm
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Thanks ladies!! Haha yup T-Rex, you are correct on both counts he was head down and fully engaged at my last MW appt (the Monday before) so no idea when he turned! And so glad in hind sight that we didn't know or it would have turned out a lot differently! ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 3:13pm
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Fantastic birth story Rachel, glad everything worked out ok and what a cheeky boy coming out breech! Just as well you didn't know! But well done for having a home birth! :) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 13 May 2011 at 3:30pm
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Great birth story Rach!
I guess it goes to show that just because baby is breech doesnt mean c section is safest, if this babe is breech I will still have my VBAC... and now I can tell any OB who doesnt want me to that my friend had a breech HB -------------
+1 May 09 Angel
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 28 May 2011 at 4:59pm
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bump for any more Homebirthers
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Posted By: JPP
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 12:07pm
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Hi all, I'll be giving homebirth another go this time around. Tried with last child (#3) but ended up being sent to hospital after 12 hrs and meconium in waters.
2nd time a charm for me I'm hoping lol. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://daisypath.com">
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Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 1:29pm
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I've managed to convince DH to have a Home Birth
He was really worried because its our first but a good chat with the MW helped him out. Lucky for us they bring EVERYTHING including the pool (we just have to pay for a liner)..... I keep wondering where we'll put everything because our house is SUPER tiny.... Ordered more firewood yesterday so DH can keep the fire going As much as the MW supplies pretty much everything - what has everyone else provided?? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 1:49pm
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I'm supplying the pool and hiring the califont from the home birth assoc. I've also bought a tarp to lay down under the pool so it doesn't matter if I hop in and out all drippy or splash or whatever. And a hose so we can have the pool quite far from the taps.
Other than that, food and drinks - might even bake some muffins or something for the MWs, depending how organised I am. Clothes and nappies for the baby. Plenty of firewood to keep the room warm. Also, this time we'll run the dehumidifier as well. Last time all the fruit in our fruit bowl went mouldy cos we made the room so humid with the pool of hot water! We are also going to get a survival blanket to go on top of the pool to keep it warmer for longer. Oh, and a sign for the door saying get lost to visitors, cos I have a couple of brothers who like to drop in unannounced in case I've been baking ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 3:14pm
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Haha on your brothers T_Rex!! Yea we've kept the Homebirth pretty quiet so NON of DH's family will stop by 'just in case' - we are on a main road so it'd be easy for them to stop in, mind you we can hide the cars out the back if we need to!
HA DH just threw out his survival blanket - but I think the pool the MW has already has a cover...DId you need extra towels or anything? Hmm hadn't thought about a dehumidifier, we've already got an HRV which helps but can imagine a warm pool of water might be a bit much in one go! Will add that to my list to borrow off mum ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 7:32pm
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We get a bag of linen from the hospital that has towels, absorbent waterproof pad things (great for lining the bed with afterwards cos no maternity pads can keep up in the first 24 hours), and non-absorbent waterproof dropsheet type things. I think that's all - I've got mine sitting in the spare room but haven't really rummaged it yet, other than to grab an absorbent thingy for my bed in case my waters break at night (they did last time). Best bit is afterwards, we just throw it all back in the bag and the MW takes it back to the hospital to get washed there
Haha, yeah, my brothers don't know I'm planning to homebirth - they'd stay away if they did! But they might let on to other people who wouldn't be so obliging, so pretty much no-one knows really. My brother did show up towards the beginning of labour last time, but boy did he beat a hasty retreat when he saw the sign ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 8:29pm
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I have bought a pool kit from H2ohbaby so it had everything in there really... just got an extra reducer attachment for the hose fitting so I can screw it onto the shower fitting in the ensuite and use that mixer. Fingers crossed our hotwater cylinder handles it as otherwise it'll be boiling water on the stove! Our HC is pretty big though.. so hopefully!
Already have the pool blown up as it took us half an hour when we were blowing it up to check for leaks and we were knackered so we decided it was best to leave it blown up and just top it up LOL Other than that, I have made a birthing mat in case I want to birth on dry land, a bucket for bailing extra water out of the pool or puking into, a heater for the room, ice cream container for the placenta, lamp with very low lighting ability, wheatbag, pump bottles of water chilled in the fridge and have been keeping on top of the towel washing in case we need to use some as extras on top of the big bag of hospital linen we have here- plus my towels are way softer than those pieces of sandpaper masquerading as towels from the hospital! Thanks for reminding me T-rex... I need to make a "bugger off" sign for the door ;) now all I need is a baby!!! waiting waiting waiting! |
Posted By: Looey85
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 9:28pm
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Hi all..
I'm almost 17 weeks pregnant with my first and am planning a homebirth :) I'm thinking about an h2ohbaby pool as well so would be interested in any experiences using these (Kupukupu, I'll be watching to see how you get on! Yay that you're almost there!). |
Posted By: Pepi-bebe
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 9:35pm
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Kia ora,
It's early days for us, but I've always wanted a HB, so have got a fantastic midwife from the Homebirth Aotearoa website, she also works at MotherWell in Mt Eden which is essentially a holistic health centre. She's got 14 years experience and is a trained acupuncturist :-) Plus she's very relaxed, down to earth and funny. Additionally, I will also have a Maori midwife there who, with my partner will probably birth the baby, and provide massage etc for pain relief and laughter too - the MW is our medical backup should anything go wrong. I'm also planning a waterbirth, so will be talking to her at our next (16w) appointment about how to get that organised. It's my first birth, and I was hoping to be in the country, North of Auckland on my parents rural property which is where we will be moving once baby is born, but my Mum and partner were not enthused about me HBing there, so we will just keep renting till it's born - due 11th May, so guess we'll pay rent till till the end of the month. The landlord lives next door in suburban Auckland, so may let him know about what we are planning with a gift of some ear plugs for Xmas. Most of my friends think I am insane wanting to HB with my first, but I helped deliver my god daughter and she was nearly delivered at home without a midwife! I think birth, and pregnancy are so medicalised, when they don't always need to be. I figure if I am fit and healthy and there are no obvious problems, then there is no need to go to hospital. I have picked a very experienced MW though! I'm also only having the 20 week scan and am happy with my midwife leaving me to it till 16wks before seeing me again. She only tales 2 clients for each month, so I am thrilled that she has picked me as one of her two. She likes that I want to do it all natural. (But would deliver me in hospital or Birthcare if needed - eg if my landlord freaks out lol.) I'm also considering having my 83 year old grandmother come and stay too as she used to be a Karitane nurse, loves babies, but has never seen someone else's birth and I know she has always really wanted to be present at one. This would be her first great-grandchild, so pretty special if she could be here. I haven't told her yet that I'm considering it as she's just getting her head around the fact that I'm going to HB. She told she me approves of waterbirths though - but was concerned my bath might not be big enough lol. It's neat to read the comments on here as in my due thread I think there is only maybe one other woman considering homebirth. Kia kaha kupukupu, pepi must be on their way real soon! -------------  Oct 11 & Mar 12
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 20 September 2011 at 10:55pm
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Hi looey and pepi congrats on your pregnancies and welcome to the wonderful journey of HB. My 1st and 2nd were HB too so this will make 3 HBs. I got same reaction from people too and funny thing is I still get it this time! I just don't bring it up generally lol everyone has an opinion and I don't nessicarily need to hear it hehe
Will deff let you guys know how the h2ohbaby pool goes. Was reluctant to pay so much but so badly wanted waterbirth this time. The pool is a really decent size and depth and seems comfy but will keep you posted :) emptying it will be the challenge but have told hubby that's his problem not mine hehe Pepi, that would be cool if your nana was there! Such an amazing thing to be part of. My 2 other munchkins are planning on being there for this one- they are 9yrs and 6.5yrs old and it's their idea and they are well able to handle it so it should be a neat experience! We'll see anyway lol Better go get some sleep (well try anyway). So lovely to see this thread back up again! Can feel a little lonely as a HBer sometimes! |
Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 9:21am
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Right on my list - 'Bugger Off' sign.....
Do you guys plan a meal or something for the support people (I'll have 2 people there plus the 2 midwives) - I'd just feel a bit stink about DH or my friend having to stop to make something up. What have you made your birthing mat out of Kupukupu? The MW suggested a tarp on the floor - but would be rather uncomfortable considering we have polished floors Agree with you on the whole birth being mecialised Pepe - except for a couple of close friends everyone thinks I'm nuts, just lucky DH is pretty supportive i guess. If people want to be really traditional back in the WAY olden days everyone had them at home with no Dr or Midwife present (Just visited the Katherine Manfield homestead in Welly - the grandmother delivered all the babies there!) ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 9:39am
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I planned a HB for my first too (didn't get it due to complications, but nothing to do with the homebirth). It's a perfectly ok thing to do as far as I can see!
I've got an h2Ohbaby pool too. Used one for labouring in with DD before the hospital transfer and it was awesome. I've got in blown up now too Kupukupu - I actually find it quite comfy for just hanging out in reading and stuff, lol. I didn't get the birth kit, just the pool, but I have most of the other stuff anyway. The other thing you'll need is an icecream container or something to put the placenta in. I'm a bit upset at the moment that the main route between me and hospital is closed and not looking likely to open in the next few weeks, so instead of being 25-30 mins from hospital, I'm now more like 45+ and the detours are pretty gnarly roads unfortunately. So really hoping for a smooth homebirth now! At least by planning to stay home hopefully I won't have to make the trip in labour at all! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 10:30am
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Just lurking, T-Rex, is there the option of going through to D'Virke? or do they not do births there? ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 10:36am
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Stink about the roads T-Rex, road works are always at the wrong time! And I could imagine that the MW might be a bit more cautious in when she'd transfer you because of the extra distance to travel?
Got plenty of icecream containers - DH eats a tub of icecream every 10 days  (piggy I know), and we save them for dog food anyways (we make up chicken & rice for when we can't get mutton)
ha Icould even sterilise a stainless steel bucket to put 'extra bits' in, wonder if the MW would appreciate the joke? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 11:03am
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Hey all!
Just on the water birth thing, I came across these Q&A's by Michel Odent ( http://www.waysofthewisewoman.com/dr-michel-odent-notes-obgyn-studies.html - linky ) and he talks about water births and using pools in labour (sorry it has a bunch of random questions so you might need to scroll down/skim read some of it to get to the water birthing parts) But one of the questions was: Regarding waterbirth, I have two questions: 1. Is there a point at which it is too early to get in the pool? 2. Is it really possible to get so relaxed that labour can stop? Answers: 1. Entering the bath too early is the most common misuse of the birthing pool. Originally we introduced the concept of birthing pool in a French hospital in order to replace drugs when the first stage is long, difficult, very painful, and when the dilation of the cervix is already well advanced. It is essential to understand that immersion in water at body temperature makes the contractions more effective during a limited period of time, which is in the region of an hour and a half. Helping the laboring women to be patient and to avoid entering the bath too early is a new aspect of the art of midwifery. However, in some cases, a bath can be useful to stop the contractions of a painful pre-labor, and therefore to make the difference between labor and pre-labor. 2. When a woman is so relaxed that apparently labor stops, it means that it was not labor, but pre-labor. In general the release of adrenaline (which induces the opposite of a state of relaxation) inhibits the release of oxytocin (the hormone necessary for effective uterine contractions). Has anyone else heard this before? about the 1.5-2 hour limit type thing? I thought it was quite interesting, but hadnt heard of it before (ive heard of the stalling of labour and stuff tho) -------------
+1 May 09 Angel
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Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 11:17am
T-Rex, what a pain with the road  fingers crossed it is a smooth HB so no need to think about a transfer <3
hehehe, I haven't hung out in the pool- should give it a go I'm just terrified our stupid cat will try to jump at it with claws out! hehehe
Crazycass- a tub every 10 days? hehehe me and kids clean one up in 5 days LOL Its my Achilles heal- will have to stop buying it soon when I try to loose some of this weight! For the birthmat- the first 2 I got some polythene and sewed an old sheet on 1 and a sarong on the other and then turned it inside out... much like making a large pillow case? Then I stuffed them with folded news paper for absorbency and I may have used an old duvet as some extra padding in the second one? Then you sew it up. Doesn't have to be the flashest thing in the world and the MW's will chuck extra towels over it during the birth too to make it more comfy and absorbent. I got flash with this one as I found some handy single bed stuff in the linen cupboard we wouldn't be using again since the kids have got king singles now! So... I sewed together a waterproof mattress protector, an old queen size padded mattress protector doubled over and a Single bed sheet. So this one is lovely and soft and I was able to up-cycle stuff we would have given away or thrown out! YAH. The birthing mat comes in handy, especially if you birth on dry land- you can put it on the floor or on your bed etc then it just gets bundled up and thrown out, no mess. If we birth in the pool this time, then I can use it as the first point of transfer- so they can lay it down wherever I go and sit or lie first when I get out of the pool and it will catch any fluids. |
Posted By: Kupukupu
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 11:32am
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emmi- (love Odent) hadn't heard the time limit bit but do know not to get in the pool too soon so that it is effective. And that MW's will get women back out of the pool if it is working against her and to get the labour going again.
***edit to add*** what he said about labour and being too relaxed and labour stops- that has to be taken in context as well- if it is late stage labour and there is a pause then that can naturally be part of the labour (and doesn't mean all before it was pre-labour)... labours can have natural pauses and rushes as baby moves into optimal position or has a rest. This is where an experienced MW comes in handy and they can know the difference. My #2, I appeared from the outside to have my labour kind of dragging a bit so was asked if I wanted to hop in the bath, yes please. Hopped in and was able to relax fully into the contractions and go with them and they became much more effective. About 30mins in the bath and I hopped out (As I couldn't guarantee I could keep my bum under water during birth) and she was born 20mins latter so I 100% know that the water helped me at that point. Felt sooooo good! |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 21 September 2011 at 11:53am
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Emmi, I know some MWs have a rule that you aren't allowed in the pool until they get there - maybe that's the reason? I'm not sure. For me it meant I could snooze between contractions comfortably, which was a godsend given how long I'd been in labour. I just made sure DH was there to stop me drowning, lol. I think I was in it for 3-4 hours maybe?
It's one of those things I guess, if it works, great, if not, get out and try something else. I have heard getting in the bath is a good way to tell if you are in labour or pre-labour though. A&Cs mum, Dannevirke have a birthing unit, but it doesn't offer any more in the way of facilities than a homebirth MW - they ambo their emergencies to Palmy too, so I may as well stay home and save having to travel to Dannevirke and then all the way back to Palmy. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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