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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Home-birth? Messy nuisance or life affirming experience?

35 replies

212VIP · 19/08/2013 12:33

DS3 due in Feb.
First two were super quick so opting for HB, hopefully.
Have heard mixed reports that its either totally amazing experience, or else its messy and you're straight in at the thick end of tidying up after yourself...?
Anyone share some realistic experiences with me please?

OP posts:

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DoItTooJulia · 19/08/2013 12:35

I loved mine, but it isn't for everyone. The reason I came on was to tell you there was NO mess at all. The MWs dealt with It all.

The best bit was DH Didn't have to leave us once he was born.

SoupDragon · 19/08/2013 12:36

DD (3rd child) was a home waterbirth. No mess - MWs, parents and XH sorted that out whilst I was upstairs in my own bed with a screechy red faced banshee snuffly newborn

SoupDragon · 19/08/2013 12:37

From a shallow point of view, I was ridiculously pleased to discover DD has our home address as Place of Birth on her birth certificate.

pootlebug · 19/08/2013 12:39

Well I've had two so it must have been worth it to have a second one at home. Not much mess anyway, I cleared none of it - I just had a shower and curled up in bed with the baby. Midwives take most of it away.

Home water birth x 2 and I would definitely recommend it.

StarlightMcKenzie · 19/08/2013 12:41

No mess.

Well, it was a promising start anyhow. Waters broke conveniently on the loo, birth of baby and placenta in pool so pool contained everything until dh let go of the pipe he was holding on the tap to see head born and there followed a backflow to the kitchen

by the time I had completed first feed house was spotless.

Hawkmoth · 19/08/2013 12:44

The midwives clear up! I've had two.

Not sure it's a massively life-affirming experience as such, but I enjoyed it more than in hospital, got better care and feel very proud that my babies were born in my hometown.

I felt that people thought it was a bigger deal than the reality... I just got on with it and never thought it was anything particularly special. I mean, it's just nicer to be able to be at home and get back in your own bed afterwards!

LaRosaBella · 19/08/2013 12:48

I had my baby at home 5 months ago. The actual birth was amazing, I loved being in a familiar environment and I think that's why my birth was so easy and quick (6 hours start to finish), but there was a lot of mess in my case!

I had a water birth which was amazing, buy i llost a lot of blood and had to go into hospital and have some transfusion. It was fine not an emergency dash or anything but my poor mum and sister ended up having to clean up and they said it was like an abbotoir in the living room!

cottoncandy · 19/08/2013 12:50

I had my DD at home after a quick hospital delivery with DS. It was brilliant and no mess at all - the MWs cleared it all away. My DH was completely paranoid about the carpet getting messed up but it was fine. It was so nice to sit on my sofa drinking champagne within 3 hours of delivery!

ChutesTooNarrow · 19/08/2013 12:52

Absolutely no mess at all if you're prepared. I had birth pool which came with a groundsheet. I used bath mats to make a path from pool to couch, I covered the couch in three layers of towels. I had baby in pool then got out onto couch where I buried myself and baby under more towels for a feed and wait for placenta. The midwife had a container to deliver placenta into.

If I had cared more about my carpet and couch then I would have bought cheap shower curtains to put under the towels. It wouldn't have been needed though, there really was no mess. Just a stack of towels to chuck in washing machine which obviously my dp sorted out.

It was life affirming btw

princesscupcakemummyb · 19/08/2013 14:53

intresting replies on here i am planning a home birth with dc3 due early november i to wondered about the mess etc

StarlightMcKenzie · 19/08/2013 15:06

Delivering the placenta can be messy. Do it in the pool is my advice.

Charlottehere · 19/08/2013 15:11

Dd3 born at home in a pool in our fron room. Best birth experience ever. Since had DS in hospital due to complications....just can't compare sadly.

Charlottehere · 19/08/2013 15:13

Doula and mw cleaned up. Must admit my bed was a bloody mess but that was after the birth.

littlemonkeychops · 19/08/2013 20:15

Had a homdbirth for DD2, as others have said the MWs dealt with the (minimal anyway) mess.

Totally amazing for me, the MW pretty much observed quietly from the corner while i (with my DHs help) laboured my way. Still painful but so empowering, was a wonderful experience!

Best of luck :-)

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 19/08/2013 20:17

MWs cleared it all up I saw no mess at all. Having had one if each a home birth is definitely my choice if ever there's a number three.

Tiredtrout · 19/08/2013 20:21

3rd dc born at home 3 months ago, my older two were involved throughout. Was my favourite birth

thisisyesterday · 19/08/2013 20:24

I have had 2 homebirths and they were both amazing!!!

the midwives will clear it all up for you! honestly. I have never, ever heard of anyone having to clean their own mess up afterwards and this is after years of hanging around crunchy parenting forums

it's a great experience, it really is.

we had 2 or 3 99p shower curtains from Asda to cover the floor, although we didn't really need them in the end as the midwives tend to follow you around throwing inco pads under you wherever you go lol.

wouldyoupleasemove · 19/08/2013 20:25

DD1 MLU water birth. Good experience.
DD2. Home water birth. She was born in our dining room.surrounded by roses and candles while I listened to Radio 4 cheered on by DH and two amazing midwives. DD1 at the neighbours and trotted.back to.meet her sister when it was all clean and I had a shower (DH held baby, one MW helped me the other cleaned up). Truly life affirming

pettyprudence · 19/08/2013 20:38

No mess! I had a cheap shower curtain under my bedding plus mw had inco pads everywhere - even laying a path for me to walk to the shower!

mw and bff changed my bedding and bunged it in the wm while I had a shower and I got back in to a lovely clean bed for lovely new born snuggles and toast

wickeddevil · 19/08/2013 20:49

The mess is gone quickly. I used old bed linen on a blow up mattress, and it all went in a bin bag while I was in the bath. A bath that my DH ran and helped me into rather than a health care assistant. It was so much more personal and peaceful.

Meanwhile DD1 and DMIL got new DD 2 dressed and had a cuddle themselves.

After the bath DD2 and I went to bed for a cuddle and a feed to recover. I spent the whole afternoon gazing at her, without the incessant distractions that you have in hospital.

Just wanted to say what a positive experience it was.

Good Luck.

Crocky · 19/08/2013 20:56

Gave birth to my second dc on my bed on a plastic backed sheet that the midwife provided in the pack. Only had one midwife in attendance. My mum helped me into the bath afterwards while my dh had a cuddle with the baby and the midwife cleared away. Was straight back in to bed cuddling lo and ds was able to meet her as soon as he woke up the next morning. He slept through me giving birth.
I don't plan on having any more but if I did I would def opt for another home birth.

LaRosaBella · 19/08/2013 21:20

I think the only reason my sister and mum had to clean up was because me, midwife and DP had to go to the hospital.

Hawkmoth · 19/08/2013 21:23

Hmm. Perhaps I will find it more life-affirming when I can think a bit more clearly about it. DD is only eight weeks and it all happened very quickly. Must stop doing myself down.

Original poster

212VIP · 19/08/2013 21:52

That's brilliant. Just what I was looking for! Thanks everyone! Really looking forward to it now.
Cheap shower curtains and old bedding to be chucked seems a plan.

What are inco pads tho..?

OP posts:

wouldyoupleasemove · 19/08/2013 22:08

Also OP. Two of my friends were due just before me with second DC. One planned HB ( all went fine) and one was Definately going to hospital ....
Second friends baby came rather fast and her DH caught it while MIL on phone to 999 ..(all also fine thankfully)... Her house came off the worst for mess because they hadn't got any supplies. Her MIL.recovered from the shock of seeing her fanjo by cleaning up for hours in the middle of the night and all her nice towels were ruined...
We had a laugh about it

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