Homebirth??? honest advice,tips and ideas please??

[raspberrysanmurraspberrys]

Hi all, so im 35wks and 5 dys with my first baby,have had no complications except for serve HG for the first 18 weeks,which shold not effect my labour and delievery as it has been well under control since then.

After going to birthing class with my DH, we have asked to be booked in for a homebirth,i hav hired a birthing pool and TENS machine,but still feel torn between the idea of a homebirth or going to the MLU at the hospital?

i like the idea of being at home,surrounded by my familliar things,and am hoping that it will increase the release of oxytocin to speed up my labur and also think that im likely to feel less like a "patient" at home and more empowered,but as it is my first baby im not sure what im getting myself into? any advice on what i should be dong to prepare for a home birth??

I had a homebirth with DD2 and it was lovely (well, as lovely as a birth can ever be!)

We didn't need to do much to prepare, really. Just the pool, if you want a waterbirth (and I can highly recommend it), towels, TENS machine, and the same stuff in a bag as you would have in a hospital bag. Though a box instead of a bag might make it easier to find things.

I covered an old duvet with 2 shower curtains, then put it in a duvet cover to have a 'nest' I could carry about the house if I'd felt the need to wander (as some women do), but didn't use it as I seem to lose the ability to stand upright when in labour! But I was very happy in the pool anyway.

My MW team brought over all the gas and air, oxygen and other bits and pieces when I got to 37 weeks, so that was all sorted.

Other advice.... use lots of the G&A! The MWs told me to be sparing with it as there were only 3 bottles, so I did. But only used half a bottle! I wish I'd used loads more cos it's loverly!

Good luck!!

lol thanks very much! just wondering though did th G&A make you feel sick or vomit??

I had a homebirth with my first (and my second). I didn't have a pool but did spend quite a lot of time in the bath first time round. I also used a birth ball, and had TENS machine. I didn't end up using G&A because by the time I felt like I needed it I was feeling a bit sick and didn't want to put the mouthpiece in my mouth.

The MW will be keeping an eye on you, and if they are concerned they will raise this with you. I found it helped to think of it as labouring at home for as long as possible, rather than being focussed on having to deliver at home. As it happened I did pop into hospital to get checked over with my first birth, as the mw attending at home was concerned about my raised temperature. I went in, was hooked up to monitors (still bouncing on my ball) and then as all was fine went home again.

I had a home birth for DS2 and it was an amazing experience. I didn't consider birthing pools but MW persuaded me into the bath and ended up having him in there, also highly recommend water birth. I too had shower curtains at the ready but didn't use them, MW had everything else. I would have a hospital bag packed ready for any eventuality and most of all with any birth anywhere keep an open mind. First time I was very shocked at the level of pain and feared I might not cope at home 2nd time knowing there would be nothing more than gas and air but the water birth bit made it so, so much better
Best of luck!

Put lovely fresh bedsheets on, cover with a plastic floor sheet (packs of 3 from DIY shops)and then lay old towels and sheets over the top. After birthing, have a shower, the MW will scoop up the top layer and you can slip into a lovely clean bed and gaze at your baby.

Don't buy the MWs posh biscuits too soon - you'll eat them all if you go over due.

Make some floor space - you might want to march around or birth on the floor. I simply didn't fancy being in the water when I had DC1 (in hospital, Dcs 2, 3 & 4 were at home).

Warn the neighbours if they are in close proximity - although I had a window open and didn't care at the time.

Use G&A when they examine you.

A homebirth is a really lovely experience, nothing like having a shower afterwards in your own shower, a cup of tea in your own mug and being in your own bed. I'm convinced that it helps with breastfeeding as well.

Hope it all goes well for you and you have a lovely birth

I had two home water births and they were lovely - very different from each other (first was 20+ hours, second was about 3!) - but both were really positive experiences.

WRT to vomiting with the G&A there's a good chance you'll vom anyway, and maybe poo yourself. Don't worry about it, MW see this all the time. Might want to warn DH though.

Its all part of the process. Leave your dignity at the door

Have loads of towels handy i could not believe how many i went through. Also have a few towels/blankets to wrap baby in straight after as first one gets wet/dirty. Big table or other flat surface for all the midwives gubbins.
If you aren't sure where you actually want to have baby i was told to remember that it is so easy to change mind during labour and go to mw led unit if you decide homebirth not for you but you cannot change your mind the other way. I had ds2 at home 4 months ago and it was fab.

thanks you all for your comments! im made up u all seemed to have really positive experiences with homebirths! an i have warned the DH about the possibility of me pooing myself lol not to wprryed about embarrising myself although i hate vomiting! especially after suffring HG for 20 weeks and being hospitalised 10 times,i no at the time im likely to not cre but the thought of being sick literally terrifies me, hence why im trying to reduce the risk of me throwing up in labour(( i no its just me being stupid really but i cant help myself)

I had a great home birth, amd second all the above suggestions. Especially as Ineed said, we got through lots of towels as I stayed in the pool to deliver the placenta and they kept rubbing DD/covering her with them and changing them as they got soggy. I had everything ready in big sports bags: 1 for me in labour, 1 for me after, 1 for dc etc, so that if I had changed my mind or needed to transfer it would have been easy to scoop and run. It made it all easy to find. Was fab, hope yours is too!

sorry to hijack but just wanted to say how lovely it was to hear your postive homebirth expereinces. I'm planning my first in late Feb and am really looking forward to it. So it's just wonderful to hear people talking postivly about giving birth at home.

I loved gas and air. Toking on it took me back to my pothead days!

But I like to think that my mis-spent youth taught me how to toke in a controlled manner, hence doing very well on G&A, sucking down enough to do the job but not so much that I felt sick!

I threw up with DD1, in hospital, at transition, which I hear is quite common. But not with DD2. Perhaps because I was all relaxed at home and not stressed beyond belief in hospital!

I had two children at home, and although not a waterbirth, I spent some time in the bath. I was amazed at how it seemed to remove all pain!

Yes, wonderful experiences, both times. Would recommend it to anyone who is having a normal pregnancy. It helps if you live near a hospital, just in case, though.

All the very best with your labour. Hope it all goes well for you.

I had 2 fantastic home births. Gas and air is ace, was sick during the change from 2nd to 3rd stage with my first but to be honest I never really noticed! (i have a massive fear of vomit)

Good luck hope all goes well!!

Just to help you out a bit OP - I am very prone to sickness/vomiting and unfortunatly quite phobic of both. During labour/birth with DS1 I never even felt sick at any time, much less vomited. I had lots of G&A too and was worried about it, so it isn't inevitable. Currently pg with DC2 and considering home birth so reading with interest

I had a home water birth with my DD and it was definitely the right decision. :) Loved cleaning up in my own bathroom and snuggling into my own bed afterwards, while my servant DH brought me food and drink on demand.

My labour was very fast, especially for a first timer, and only took 5 hours. I didn't actually get any gas and air because it didn't arrive in time! However I was so calm and relaxed that the pain was never unmanageable.

I didn't throw up or even feel sick in labour, so it's not a given. :)

If you visit your doctor in advance, you can get them to prescribe injectable pain relief and anti-nausea drugs which you keep at the house. Then the MWs can give you them on the day if required.

I didn't need the drugs, but I felt more confident knowing they were there if needed. :) Afterwards I just took them back to the pharmacy.

Don't dally too long if you want to get some in, as the pharmacy will probably need to order them for you. I think it took two or three days for them to arrive.

I would count my home birth as one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was beautiful and so amazing.

I was sick on my stairs, not due to g&a, g&a was great!! Prob had a bit more than I should, but hey ho! why not!

The plastic sheets from b&q are great, and old sheets too. After I gave birth the mw put the plastic sheet on the sofa with sheet over so I could plonk myself down and not slip off!

I didn't have any internals either with my home birth either, the mw was just amazing and could see what was going on just by watching. Just like it should be really.

Cant't rave about home births enough (as you may have guessed!)

I'm afraid I was sick both times, but the second time was sort of ok because I knew that it meant I was in transition and about to have a baby (to look at it in a positive way!).

In my first labour I was surprised how much I wanted to move around and this was much easier at home. I paced around the living room, marched upstairs (good for getting labour moving), lolled in the bath, whatever I felt like at the time. The thing I remember most clearly from my first homebirth was being in the living room pushing DS out and hearing the sounds of the neighbours kids having a major football match in the front garden - we did have the curtains closed but all the windows were wide open.

Hi raspberry! I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and booked for a homebirth. This is my fourth child but will be my first homebirth and I am really looking forward to it! The Gas & Air was delivered last week (I don't plan to use it, but got it delivered just in case as I can't have it if it isn't ordered in advance). The only thing I don't have ready is a big plastic sheet which I am hoping DH is going to get for me today. I have never been sick in labour, had three very fast labours (3hrs, 2hrs and 45 minutes) and because they have all been so quick, I am really looking forward to not having to worry about rushing around to get someone over to look after the children and hurry to the hospital hoping to not give birth in the car! :) When I tried the G&A in my first labour, I tried it because the MW suggested and it made me feel really nauseous so I didn't use it at all after that, didn't have any pain relief for that labour. However, my second labour was much more intense and eventually I used the G&A when the contractions were bad enough there was no gap between them. I don't think it helped with the pain, just made me woozy (but not nauseous). With my third labour I controlled the pain by walking and breathing through each contraction and coped absolutely fine with no pain relief. Hoping this one is the same, I plan to have the baby downstairs so that I can walk freely around the house during contractions.

Hi, I had a HB with my 1st DD, it was a great experience. Well as much as giving birth can be.

My tips:

• Straws are a MUST to help you drink in whatever possition you choose to be in.
• Get some cheap pillow cases you don't mind chucking afterwards. I was prepared with sheets, towels etc but did not think about these and ended up leaning on all my pillows when pushing so when DD was born these ended up getting 'stuff' all over them. Sigh...

-Don't hold back with the G&A, go for it. A free, legal high :)

• I vomited, but strangely I didn't feel sick, it just came and went. Also I bet you'll be distracted by the contractons to be worried about being sick. I was more worried that I would not get it over and done with before the next contraction and it would interupt my breathing.

The best bit was when all the mws had gone, me, hubby and baba in bed with tea, toast and cuddles.

Good luck!

Oh just remembered, I agree with what someone said above about seeing it as an opportunity to labur at home and go in to hospital if you want. I had actually planned to go into hospital but was in so much pain happy that I decided to stay at home and could not face a hellish trip in the car.

I had ds1 and 2 in hospital but both were quick labours and we only just make it there! We had long chats about having dc3 at home. It was wonderful! She has been a lovely calm baby and I really believe her calm controlled birth has contributed to this!
We did find that when we told family and friends our plans they thought we were bonkers esp after ds1 had time on scbu, but my theory was to get things ready for every eventuality and this gave me the most options. If baby was coming fast I could stay put and let everyone come to me including the childcare for the two boys. In the end we put the boys to bed and by morning baby was here! They were thrilled! As it happened I had a longer labour but she was back to back! Dc4 is due in feb and I'm going with the same principles- get everything ready for a home birth and all hospital stuff by the door if I need/want to go in! Best of luck!

thanks ladies! sarahbuff that was really helpful! i hope my labour goes something like yours!

I've had all 3 dcs at home :) and all. In water. was never sick with any of them and I don't know many women who were :) can't recommend hbs enough!!!

I found the natal hypnotherapy homebirth CD really helpful for at home. Water is great but even the shower hot on your back is really nice. I was never sick even with the G&A but had the runs lots. Make sure you eat, my hubby kept feeding me toast and it kept my energy up. I ended up transfering but spent first 16hrs at home and it was lovely. Pack a bag though, I didn't and it was a pain to do when in labour.

Good luck to you raspberry! Hope you have a lovely birth wherever it ends up being. :)