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

There's this company too - they do rigid-sided birthing pools

I'd really recommend a good strong pool as large as poss for leaning against & for range of movements (ie NOT an inflatable one). we went for active birth centre one - seem v professional and great pools.
i did loads in it from sitting on the step to conking out on the side, squatting, lying down, moving from side to side, it was lovely and much more roomy & comfortable than a bath..

It is actually statistically safer to have a baby at home than in hospital, even if it's your first. I had my first at hosp but wish I'd stayed at home.. as soon as I got anywhere near the hospital my contractions slowed right up, nature's way of preventing me from giving birth in an inappropriate place! I had DD2 at home and it was SOOOOOO much better! I laboured for about half the time and flt so much more in control of what happened at home, important during labour I think because there's nothing worse than feeling out of control at a time like that. We bought some plastic sheeting from B&Q and covered it with towels on the floor and I gave birth leaning over a comfy armchair. I think the hospital pretty much provide everything you need. I can't over-emphasize how much being at home actually helps you cope with the pain. I didn't have any pain relief with either of my girls but I definately coped better the second time. A normal healthy pregnancy is not an illness and there's no reason why a woman in those circumstances shouldn't have her baby at home. I'd urge anyone to have faith in their body and go for a homebirth!

Good post baglady.

Hi, I'm planning a home birth with pool and am hoping to give birth in the pool. Only problem is I'm not sure about where exactly to do the placenta bit. I don't want to do it in the pool and as the pool is going to be downstairs I really can't imagine the thought of walking upstairs with the cord hanging out of me. Lying on the floor next to the pool might be an option but it's not exactly the most flatering position in the world. I suppose the sofa is also an option or maybe our bean bag - just don't know. What did the rest of you do? Any suggestions?

p.s. had DS in hospital and only remember the midwife giving me an injection and then her saying that it as all in one piece (gas and air has it's uses )

I wouldn't worry too much about 'falttering'. I think dignity is a little hard to achieve at this point in time.

As for the placenta - IME that's the easy bit. You've just done the hard bit. You'll probably find you can play it by ear. All four of my placentas took quite a long time to come but I wasn't bothered and I refused the injection as unecessary.

TMI ALert !!!!!
I delivered two of them squatting over the loo, with the midwife holding a mixing bowl under me. Then cling film over the top, transfer to fridge.
For all of mine dh dug a hole, put the placenta in and planted a tree or bush on top.

My older kids loved to look at the placenta and give it a poke before it went into the ground.

You probably know that if you can get the baby to suckle soon after he/she emerges, that in turn makes the womb contract and helps with delivery of the placenta.

All the best with it.

Quick tip (based on experience!):

If planning a home water birth, make sure that even the slightest irregularity in the function of your hot water supply is checked out, before you go into labour and discover you have no hot water.

Although, keeping dh busy boiling water on all available hobs, and using a borrowed urn, does mean that he's unlikely to have time to bother you!

this threads making me broody

will definatly have a home birth next time after reading this

Most helpful tip from both my homebirths: as you go into labour, make sure the geyser is turned up to its max temp - that way, the hot water will last longer.

The best snack to have on hand is honey - eating is not that easy, but you can tire easily so honey is the best ready source of good energy - you just need to be given a spoon pretty frequently.

Give yourself a glycerin suppository as you go into labour - its not comfortable to do later on and it makes it much easier than going to the loo as things get more intense.

If you do end up using a hire bath, then "test drive" it BEFORE labour - have a candlit bath with hubbie (there is certainly enough space for two!) We ironed out a few glitches with the bath both times, by trying it out first - much better than having to improvise at a time when you need external factors to run smoothly.

Have LOADS of spare towels handy and get at least one radiator heater to use - great for heating up towels on.

Good call fairi. A warm towel to wrap the baby in.

on the placenta issue - I had both babies in bath then delivered the placenta outside: 1st time with a waterproof disposable towel from the midwife underme on the sofa; the 2nd time, I squatted over the same on the side of the bath (found that easier). I had my entire family at both births and at that point, they were so taken by the new baby that all the spot light was off me then - so there was no worries about how it looked.

yes spidermama - exactly that - it apparantly helps baby's breathing too

Did you have summer babies, Fairi?

TC's due in Dec and I'm due in Jan - don't fancy my bum touching snow as I deliver the placenta! LOL!

my first was in winter and second in summer. We had the heating up from the beginning of labour. We used my lounge for the bath - which is open plan with the kitchen and stairs. For heating we used two of those wall panel ecnomy heaters (which are also great for warming towels on - and you leave them on all the time) which just take the chill off the room - then we used those portable oil fin radiator heaters which we used to make it comfortably warm.
You are pretty hot in labour, so its not a big issue if you have been comfortable in the room leading up to the birth - my temp stayed the same until I was being stitched.