Home birth - how did you spend the time right after birth? :)

[littleraysofsunshine]

Whether at night, in the day, with family, alone, eating great food (cooked for you of course) bathing in your own bath, etc

What did you enjoy most about being in your own home whilst giving birth and right after?

I had a home birth with my son i loved that my daughter 3 years old at the time was able to be with me afterwards (had to be woken up) but had a cuddle with her new baby brother at 10min old!!!!
It was clean and infection free!!!!
I now love that i can sit in my lounge and say my baby boy (now 2 1/2 )
Was born here!

The best bits about being at home:-

Just me and DH in our bedroom where our baby was made, watching her come into the world.

After the calm birth of my DD, my lovely DH bring me the best hot buttered toast on the planet - washed down with a builders mug of hot, sweet tea.

My older DS (3) climbing onto bed next to me - touching my cheek as I breastfed his sister and asking me if I was alright.

The absolute pleasure of having a glorious shower in my own en-suite.

Getting back to the bedroom to find DH had cleared up all the mess and had put fresh sheets on the bed.

Heaven.

Sounds so peaceful!

Awww that has made me all tearful (damn those hormones!). I had as blissful MLBU water birth last time but would really love to do it at home with this one. The thought of no drive home afterwards and climbing into our own bed sounds wonderful.

I loved having everything I needed right there and not having to worry about not forgetting hairbrush etc. I loved sitting on my own sofa afterwards and phoning my mum on the landline.

I enjoyed the fact that dc4 was born at 4pm, whilst her siblings were at play dates. By 7pm, all six of us were in the living room watching Britains Got Talent and eating Pizza.

I cuddled brand new DD on the sofa while waiting for placenta and stitches etc.

DP and the midwives did the tidying and then DP made the best tea and toast I've ever tasted in my life .

Then the fabulous midwives left and we all went to bed where DP promptly passed out (long labour with midnight arrival) and I sat up in bed all night with DD in my arms and pure adrenaline, ecstacy and pride coursing through my veins.

Pregnant with DC2 now and utterly terrified of reliving the pain I felt that day but want the home birth experience again too.

Had to go to hospital for some stitches (that I didn't actually need once I got there, looked worse than what it was until it was cleaned up and in better light) but had a shower and got dressed first, then went there in an ambulance (MW insisted) but it was all relaxed and leisurely, had the best tea and toast in a private room and cuddled DS2 and then got a taxi home, ate pizza and watched The Voice!

Dd born in birthing pool in living room, cuddles then a lovely shower in my own bathroom, midwives had my bed all ready for me and dd to climb in. DH brought me tea and about an hour later we sat eating the best cooked breakfast ever in the clean and tidy (thank you midwives!) living room .

These all sound so lovely!

nothing exciting ds was born at 10.27pm

had paradmedics in my home after my ds was born as midwives didnt make it to the birth paramedics turned up minuites after the birth
midwife turned up and sat their in the living room with her for 2 hours after birth

With DD, 1st HB at 4pm. Had a long bath and then straight to bed in clean sheets, my patents visited with flowers. Then my DD just slept all night while me and DH just starred at her, partly in wonder partly just terrified.

2nd HB at 4am, long bath and then the midwives literately tucked me, DH and DS in bed. We were soooo tiered we were all asleep before the midwives had left:)

My DD2 was born in a very quiet bedroom with me, DH and two midwives while my oldest two slept through it all! She was born at 4.07am so we had lovely cuddles in the bed with tea and toast, the MW left at about 5.30am and at 6.30 DH woke the DC and told them to come and see the new baby - DD1 said "I'll come if it's a girl" - she was five at the time and had mean adamant she did not want a brother :)

I had a shower in my own shower with all my own stuff, and then got into the big bed and my mum brought a Chinese takeaway round.

At another one after I got into bed, the midwife was leaving and she knelt down by the side of my bed and told me I had done brilliantly, it was a transverse delivery. She probably is the best midwife in the world, she sent us a card afterwards saying it had been a 'pleasure and a priviledge' to attend our birth. I was so lucky to have a midwife who had had a hb herself, but having had hb I can understand why that would make you want to train as a midwife.

I had a bath on my own afterwards, it was really good to be able to sit calmly and quietly in the same place I'd been labouring a couple if hours before, and just gently reflect on the whole thing.

Then got into my nice comfy bed, DH brought baby in for a cuddle and feed, then we put her in her crib and we ate fish & chips in bed and had a glass of bubbly to celebrate

It was just all very relaxed and special, I knew the midwives would be back the next day for a visit, but this really was our time.