Next midwife appt = here to do my homebirth paperwork. Ideas of what i need to ask please!

[nannyl]

Im 34+5 and have been officially "allowed" an NHS homebirth so long as baby stays put until 37 weeks etc

My next midwife appt is at 36+2 when midwife (and a lovely student who I have seen 3 times so far and has asked to attend my birth) is here at my home... where we do all the paper work etc.

Im planning a water -hypno birth, (and have my pool etc) and will use TENS in the early stages. I hope to then manage with just gas and air, but will have pethidine here just in case. This is my first baby.

Im sure there are lots of things i need to ask, but my mind is blank.
If anyone has any ideas, or things you wish you have asked, id be very greatful if you could share.
Or any random homebirth tips?

Hey nanny,
My mw's brought a checklist for me! They asked more questions of me than I did - how am I going to protect the floors, what pain relief was I using, did I know that midwives like chocolate biscuits and bacon sandwiches...
make sure they've got your g&a booked for delivery, ask them what the procedure is for getting them out to you (and write it down clearly so your DP can call if necessary, or you remember what to do if your contractions come on quickly). That's all I can think of just now. I'm only on my first baby too (38+2) so I'll keep watching this to see if anyone brings something up I need to call my mw about!
Good luck :)

thanks jennifer

Good luck for your homebirth too

make sure you know the numbers to call and when to call them

ask them what sorts of biscuits they like

and good luck :)

I had my appointment at home at 36 weeks too, it was very quick. She had a form which was a checklist asking things like do you want baby to have vit k, if so how administered, are you aware that if any complications arise we will transfer you in, what happens if the most local hospital is full...mainly straightforward things.
She also asked if I have a downstairs loo (I dont I live in a terrace) I told her I didn't see it as a problem, therefore she didn't either.
She said to make sure we have lots of sheets/towels etc that you don't mind chucking afterwards-said they prefer towels as much more absorbent but whatever is fine. Plastic sheets/shower curtains for floor.
She requested could we have a changing mat ready set up in the room as they put baby on it when its here and that to be aware they will need some floorspace available for their equipment.
Other than this it was just a general chat.

In terms of other stuff, my plan is to use tens machine/hve a bath whilst DP has a list of jobs to do (which I have stuck on the wall) put boiler on boost, dismantle table, put plastic sheets on floor, blow up pool etc etc.
I have some calming oils to burn and candles to light. Hvent thought about music yet but if I get bored may make a playlist. Stocked up on drinks/snacks. Have packed a 'hypothetical hospital bag' which is by the door with carseat just incase.

Just remembered another thing, we hve a lamp that you can angle just incase the midwife needs to use it to look at my you know...or incase I need to be stitched and they need more light.

Jenifer I am also 38+2 today! Good luck all hope you get your homebirths

they'll come with a check list of stuff for you to get. We had tons of plastic sheets and old towells etc but in the kit are so many inco pads we didn't end up using any of our stuff.

The other number you need is the Birth Centre at the hospital you're registered with in case you're told any midwives aren't on duty to do homebirths or they're tied up elsewhere. DOn't be fobbed off by the hospital saying you have to go in, get DH on the phone repeating the words "Nannyl is hvaing a homebirth. You need to send us a midwife." Don't take no for an answer, they have and will find community midwives for you.

We stocked up on energy food and drinks, not that I could stomach anything anyway but good to have! ALso favourite films, box sets of dvds, we spent the first few hours just watching tv, which took my mind off the contractions a little and made them easier to bear.

Good luck, homebirths are amazing - do have that emergency hospital bag packed just in case you ned up transferring though, make it your aim to stay at home as long as you can.

Thanks.... really helpful

Im packing my hospital bag this week and will pack as if im going and staying for a while.
(hospital is quite far away and the week after my due date we have family weddings 4+ hours away on both sides, so no family at all to bring anything we have forgotten)

Oh yes, OH has been drilled to be a parrot and insist a midwife is sent. Im hoping that having a student who has never done a homebirth who has rearranged her schedule especially to attend my homebirth, may help someone come!

As part of the checklist she should ask you to sign a disclaimer-type thing stating that you understand that you may not be able to have your hb if there are no mws available.

With DD (induction, no hb in the end, sadly) my mw advised me not to sign, as it could weaken my position if, as someone else has said, they say they have no one to send out to you.

With this DC, and a different mw, she really couldn't understand why I wouldn't sign it and virtually wrote an essay explaining what I have explained in the previous paragraph. Anothe rone determined to stand my ground, should I be lucky enough to have a shot at a hb this time.

I would advise doing the same i.e. not signing the form. I just acknowledged that I had read and understood it.

Thanks lindy

Thats very helpful actually. It gives me time to think about exactly how to say "No im not signing that" (rather than being put on the spot and signing it to go with the flow / be polite etc)

Just to reassure you, that form must just be some areas. It was never even suggested to me, so it might not happen. If it is, I would go with annotating it to say that you acknowledge that you have read the form, but that signature does not indicate acceptance of the contents. It will be easier for the midwife if she can prove she had the discussion but you disagreed (rather than having no paperwork to show she discussed it), which in turn should make the conversation easier and quicker for you.