Is there a home birth thread on MN?

[WestYorkshireGirl]

I've been trying to find a home birth thread on the talk boards but not having any luck. Is anyone else planning for a HB imminently? I am hoping for a home water birth in around 2 weeks with an independent mw and it would be great if anyone else was also in the same position or had recently had a HB.

yh 4, DS1 was 2 weeks late and induced.

DS was 40 weeks on the dot and DD 39+5.

I've been niggling for 2 weeks too, i just know a good sweep would set me off, was 2cms a fortnight ago and baby is deeply engaged!

had the MW round and still 2cms :( she said shed do a sweep but i didn't feel anything - she didn't do it very well :(

I know what you eman about not reading into things, theres been so many nights ive thought 'ohhhh....' only to go to bed and wake up next morning like 'grrrr'

Another dissapointing morning.

Is a lovely day though, sun is out, shopping is due and am going to chill in the garden :)

You need to arrange soemthing where it is vital you don't go into labour...it's the only way.
I hate that end of pregnancy feeling when it feels like if you sneezed... and yet nature refuses to Get On With It.
Fingers crossed for you both.

Well DH is being a chaperone on a school trip Friday, hes the only helper going so it would be a bit of a disater if he missed that, but don't want to wait that long!

who knows?

lol. But only if you like cheese....

no loopy :(

Can i add myself? Due bub no 5 but living in oz now. Have been lucky enough to be accepted onto a homebirth program through the public system (they are not keen on it as a whole here) This will be my first HB

oopymumsy EDD 5/5/11 DC4 (DDs 3,4 & 6)
newyearsday EDD 8/5/11 pg1(ds1)
spiggy EDD 11/5/11 DC3 (DS 4, DD 2)
gingerwench EDD 12/5/11 DC2 (DS almost 3)
Twit EDD 5/7/11 DC5
HighFibreDiet EDD 17/7/11 DC4 (Ds1 9, ds2 6, ds3 3 end June)
LadyGoneGaga EDD 24/7/11 DC2 (DS 3 in May!)
SelinaDoula EDD 28/7/11 DC2 (DD 8)
Fatbottomgirl EDD 1/8/11 DC4 (DD 7, DS1 6, DS2 4)
cjdamoo EDD 8/8/11 DC5 (DS12, DS 9, DS 8, DS4)
gogoNagano EDD 12/8/11 (first baby)
MrsArchchancellorRidcully EDD 16/11/11 DC2 (DD 2.5)
Marthamay EDD 24/11/11 DC2 (DS 12months

Totoros has had her baby!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/1212608-I-just-had-a-baby

keeping fingers crossed loopsy- it sounds promising to me, def call the mws though given what happened with the last one- and Totoros! Am only 1 day over and I'm already fed up- I was convinced he was going to be early. Still I have made the most of the day- dropped the kids off at nursery and went back to bed. I've only just woken up. I'm booked for a sweep at 41+0 but hoping I won't need it. My mother has started her daily phone calls and answers her home phone with "Is he here yet". If I go much longer I think she'll explode

Hello cjdamoo, whereabouts are you in Oz? Feeling very jealous of that public homebirth you're going to have. Have you discovered the joyousbirth forum yet? I joined recently and there's loads of great advice and great people, with larger families too.

and congrats to totoros and loopy :)

Congrats Loopy and totoros, so pleased for you both.

Bumping because I'm in a bit of a state... have copied this from my post in the July antenatal group:

anyway my bad news is that it looks like I do have gestational diabetes and have been booked into a clinic for Thursday morning with an obstetrician, dietitian and endocrinologist. I have the values for my blood sugar levels, so I know that they are not just making a fuss about amounts slightly over the limit. Nevertheless (having googled) my values are closer to what would be called 'impaired glucose tolerance' rather than out-and-out diabetes.

I'm about to do a search of mumsnet and then probably post in pregnancy asking for good news about managing GD purely with diet. I really don't want to go down the insulin route especially as I know after that they will want me to have the baby in hospital and regularly test the baby's blood glucose levels too. Even my independent midwife is already saying that I might have to consider a hospital birth.

oh and I really wish I could take someone with me to this appointment but my midwife works full time about 45 mins away, dp will be taking the boys to school (hopefully) and I don't really know enough people around to ask them to come and fight my corner. I can be very strident outside of the hospital environment but don't tend to stand up to specialists as much as I could when I'm actually at appointments.

don't know much about GD but wanted to offer a bit of handholding. After dealing with consultants and hospitals for various relatives for most of my life my few top tips are:

Take a notebook and write down what they are saying (so you can research it afterwards). Ask what alternatives are available, what risks and benefits are for each option. Then at the end of the appointment, if you are still not sure, you can say "thanks for that, you've given me a lot to think about, and I'll need to talk it over with DP, shall I call to let you know what course of action I want to take or do I need to make another appointment?" It'll pay to talk to your mw beforehand so you have an idea of what options she thinks are viable. If they don't mention something she has suggested (or your research finds) then you can say "but what about..." One of your questions can be about your concerns about going to hospital and how they can be addressed if you decide that a hospital birth is the way forward.

Calm, interested in what they say and firm about your concerns will get you a long way. You only need strident when you have all the information, have made your decision and are still having problems Think of it as a reconnaissance mission rather than jumping straight into full war....

Highfibrediet
Have you seen this link?
www.homebirth.org.uk/gd.htm
S x

spiggy and SelinaDoula, thanks so much. I will definitely take my notebook and aim to remain calm, receptive and firm. And I will work my way through those articles from the homebirth.org.uk site.