What do I need to do to prepare for a home birth?

[Thomcat]

I'm due 22 December, 2nd child. Ist born in an active birth centre. Had a little girl with Down's syndrome who needed to go into intensive and then specail care. Laboured at home until last second. When I got to the borth centre I was fully dilated and ready to push straight away. Waters never broke, came out whole with baby. From 1st mild contraction to babe in arms was 6 hours, no complications, no pain relief and had her standing up.

This time, I have a one to one midwife who will come to me when i go into labour. If things go as well as they did last time, and things are moving as quick, probably quicker than last time, and as the hospital is about half an hour away, withput traffic, i', happy to deliver at home.

If things are slow and labourious I might like to go into the birth centre and have the water birth I thought I'd have last time.

i'm leaving it open basically.

but if it does happen at home what might I need to do, have ready?

I don't really have the space to get in a hired pool to have a water birth at home.

Did you all have yours in your bed?

Tips, stories etc would be hugely welcome.

Many thanks.

TC x

I think it's an excellant idea Thomcat. I had ds2 at home and it was without a doubt the best decision I've ever made.

He was born onto the bedroom floor, so you do need plenty of old sheets, blankets and towels. You could ask around for any that people no longer want or even scour the charity shops.

One tip is to have a clean set of bedding ready to go onto your bed for afterwards, my midwives made it up for me after they had ran my bath!! They will advise you on what you need to have, but basically it's just clothes for the baby and plenty of old covers!

Also have plans for someone to look after your dd unless she's going to be present!

Finally, 'Fab' Ice lollies. Couldn't have got through it without them!

I've got an inflatable pool from Birth Pool in a Box : £49.99 including postage. It's currently slightly inflated and lurking in the spare bedroom for the off. I gathered the extras myself for much less money than they are advertising (hose, tap connector, sieve etc).

I've also got plastic sheeting (the stuff for decorating, from Homebase) and various old sheets and towels, gathered from mothers.

A bucket, a bowl (in case of vomiting), a hot water bottle, fresh clean new towels, flannels, a small angled lamp... I think those are the main things - plus various herbal bits, food and drink to keep everyone going and something to boil hot water in / on.

I had mine in the living room, knelt over the sofa, with dh sitting on the sofa in front of me. I was clinging to his neck, lol. Our bedroom is really small, and I just felt more comfortable downstairs. We just put down a plastic sheet from B&Q and an old duvet on top. We had a box with these in and a few other bits and pieces ready - old towels, a small bag of stuff just in case we had to go to the hospital. I used a TENS machine and G&A - am now 17 weeks pg and planning on doing exactly the same thing again. I didn't have a pool and won't be this time - too much hassle for us. Go for it, you certainly won't regret it. Lovely to use your own bath during and afterwards, get into your own bed with your new baby and eat your own food.

Thomcat, do think about pools. The smallest one really doesn't take up much room, about the size of a paddling pool IRCC, and I would very much recommend it.

Otherwise all you need really is a plastic sheet. And a hot water bottle was v useful, I found - spent my entire second labour sitting on the sofa with it glued to the small of my back. Torch useful for ahem any postnatal stitching but we never got round to getting one and the midwives used an anglepoise lamp.

got a massive rush of goose bumps thinking about this.
So, so excited.
Thanks.

Any more tips and stories would be welcome. Esp as DP is not hugely into the idea. He's not saying 'no' or anything, he's just not as into the idea and is a bit nervous about doing it at home.

Bucket - yes definately a good idea ( I wee'd into it, because I couldn't face walking to the loo! ) and little pots of jelly in the fridge went down really well. Tea and biscuits for the MW's is a good idea as well. One thing I will be making sure this time is that they bring enough G&A with them - we ran out, which was horrible!

TC, my partner was admamantly against the whole idea, but even he realised, during the labour, that it was all going to be quite straightforward and wonderful. You go for it, honey.

Yes, my dh was unsure - but having experienced a hospital birth and a homebirth now, he is very very pro homebirth - it was a much nicer experience for him too.

TC, have you seen this site?

I'm getting excited too - seems very close suddenly, doesn't it?! Think it's because the weather's getting colder. Or perhaps it's because it's...er...getting close?!

I'm definitely going to hire some kind of pool. We don't have heaps of room, but it's how I had DS and I loved it, so really want to try again - just without the horrible postnatal ward experience again!

Thomcat, would definitely say go for it. Things we did - got a big plastic sheet, which tucked into matress and then on floor, then put towels on that (I treated myself to some new towels beforehand, so that the towels we used went straight in the bin and we had lovely fluffy new ones!). I delivered kneeling against the bed, so onto the floor essentially. The midwives will advise on what you need - we needed a flat low table (used a bench) in case they needed to 'work' onthe baby at all after birth - in fact she needed a little oxygen, so they used that then. But honestly there was so little mess - the midwives were in our house for less than an hour - dd was born half an hour after the first mw arrived, and 10 mins after the support mw came, and they were gone within 20 mins of the birth, having cleaned evreything up to spotless.

One funny thing - the placenta went in a yellow box, which had to sit by the front door to be collected by the hospital for disposal - lots of people asked 'what's in the box?' and gave me a very strange look when hearing it was the placenta!

Honestly it is the nicest place to give birth - to be tucked up in your own bed with your own things and having a lovely cup of tea snuggled up with your baby is wonderful. And it was much less unsettling for ds, as he just went out with some friends to the park for a couple of hours, and when he came back dd was there, but I hadn't disappeared into hospital at all. Will definitely request a home birth for this baby!

Oh the other thing was the difference in pain - with ds had an epidural, with dd was so much more in control, had nothing at all, and no stitches which given that she was 10lb+ says something for how relaxed I was (and lucky too! )

Bin bags too - is one other thing on my midwife's list. The rest of the things she's listed are the sort of things you'd have ready for a birth anywhere, I guess (nappies etc). Others are a matter of personal preference (ice cubes, music, essential oil for burning etc).

There was another thread on here recently about nervous partners and home-birth. Mine was initially wary, but (following full analysis of the facts and the hospital tour...) has come round and is now completely into the idea.

Thomcat - you go girl!

Nothing useful to say, as all the DSs were born in hospital, but I seem to recall that you laboured at home for quite a long time with Lottie anyway, didn't you? So I'm sure you'll be fine.

Hello TC, hope your pregnancy is going well.

I had my dd2 (now 8 weeks old) at home. She was my 3rd. 1st was emergency section, 2nd was 4 hours ended with ventous. Planned a home birth, hosptial wasnt happy but my midwife was very supportive.

Anyway I spent weeks planning, getting together all the stuff I needed and planning on where to do it. Plans rather went to pot when she decided to come in less than an hour, I got stuck on the bathroom floor, ended up giving birth on about the only decent towel I have with just dh for company. And I can tell you that amniotic fluid doesnt half strip floor wax. I had got dh to rewax the floor the month previously as part of my mad nesting extravaganza as well.

I had got together loads of old towels and bedding, plastic dust sheets and inco pads. Tip someone gave me,but I obviously didnt get chance to use it was to make your bed up, then put plastic sheet over it, then put old bedding on it which you can chuck afterwards. Then when its all over you can just get into the lovely clean bedding underneath.

If I think of anything else I will come back. It was a lovely experience, really pleased I went for it (not htat I had much choice I suppose), but afterwards getting into own bed was just heavenly.

Good luck
X

My midwife has told me that the placenta is mine to do what I want with. She can take it away as clinical waste - or I could bury it in the garden... or make this bizarre thing called placental essence which I've heard of (and which mainly seems to be comprised of vodka...).

We ran out of g&a too. The midwives phoned up the delivery unit and they sent a few more bottles round in a taxi! Yes, make sure dh keeps everyone fed and watered.

Also, to reassure him, once your midwife establishes you're in labour they put an ambulance and staff on standby so that in the very unlikely event of you needing quick attention they can have an ambulance there in the fastest possible time. I presume that's what they do up and down the country.'

mmh, can't personally say the homebirth was any less painful than the hospital birth, but the whole experience was tonnes better, definately. It's immediately afterwards when the benefits really show themselves. You're at home! You can do exactly what you please in your own environment.

I don't know if anyone has said this but .... drinking straws. I couldn't have managed without them. You need to be able to get water easily, in between contractions and holding a cup at this point in time is suprisingly difficult.

An anglepoise lamp. Plastic sheeting to put over everything so you can be free to wander without ruining carpets and furnityre. Also throws or sheets to put on top of plastic sheeting for reasons of aesthetics and comfort.

Some quick energy. (fruit juice, halva, honey, fruit).

Candles to make room pretty.

Something which is a good height to lean on for contractions.

Cushions for adapting comfortable labourisng positions.

Ahhhh! This is bringing it all back to me. I'm almost wishing I could do it all again. Almost, but not quite.

TC, my dh was unsure, but now he is a total convert. How I rationalised it with him before hand was how quickly we would get help if we needed it. They put an ambulance on stand by for you and my midwife said they would probably insist on hospital very early on if things didnt seem right.

I second the drinking straws. SOmeone suggested them to me and have to say they were fabulous, you are right spidermama, there is no way I could ahve held a cup at that stage but so so needed a drink.

I remember having frozen apple juice cubes being popped in my mouth.

My dp was the same as Pinkmama's. He is a massive advocate of homebirths to everyone that will listen now. It is mildly embarrassing sometimes but also really sweet. I think it was so much less traumatic for him to be at home with me than it was for all of his friends who watched their wives labour in hospital. It was a lovely experience for both of us and I think with a homebirth the father is really involved and has much more of a role to play.

frozen pureed mango - but make small ice cubes or cut them in half - I remember at the pushing stage all I wanted was a mango ice cube but it felt too big in my mouth and me trying to get the message across to DH that I wanted it smaller must have been one of the more amusingthings the midwife saw that day - it worked though

also, lots of nice big warm fluffy towels for baby. We didn't think of this and I felt like a terrible parent with DD wrapped in a thin, crunchy, hand towel!!!

good luck - it is a fabulous experience. Hope you get to do it.

Be flexible! We put down plastic sheeting upstairs in our living room, but when it came to it I gave birth to DS2 downstairs in the bathroom (it was an upside down house). I was also really glad I hadn't bothered with a pool as five minutes in the bath drove me nuts and I wanted to get out, then refused to move as I was comfortable on my hands and knees on the floor. Don't forget the champagne to celebrate afterwards!

Well said sunny. My dh prepared the room beautifully with sheeting and candles ... only to have tomove it all again when I decided to settle elsewhere.

There's another good tip though. Get you dh/dp working hard too. You don't want him twiddling his thumbs feeling helpless. There's plenty he can be doing at home.

Another tip .... Have food and drinks in for the midwives in case they're in for a long haul.

Ohhh wow, thank you for all your posts, wow. I'm so massively excited now I can't tell you! I get gooses bumps everytime I read a post! Thank you.
Great tips. Thanks everyone who has posted so far.