homebirth - how long were the mws in your house for?

[ja9]

obviously can't predict how things will go, but just wanted to get rough idea...

A couple of hours? Mostly after the birth - it takes them a while to do the paperwork. I had DD at 3:45am and I think they went before 5:30, having arrived about 3am (well the 1st midwife did, the second one turned up sometime after the birth and I barely saw her).

I'm trying to remember. The main midwife came round for a chat and to check all the stuff was there when I was in early labour, so that was about half an hour or so.

She came back when contractions were 3 mins apart (I think...it all goes a bit hazy in my memory now). I'm pretty sure MW2 was called when I got to 10cm, and then only stayed for about half an hour afterwards (long enough to have a glass of champagne anyway). MW1 stayed for maybe an hour or so afterwards and popped back for about half an hour later in the day.

I certainly don't remember them being instrusive or wishing they would bugger off!!

First time from 10am - 4pm? something like that, ds born at 2.30

Second time, dd born at 10.15pm and they were gone by midnight.

Second time they came at 2, went and came back again at 4 when it was getting serious.

She came at 7am and was gone by 11am but was back again in the afternoon just to check we were ok

WCL - what time was your lo born at?

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i had quite a long labour (it was my first LO) so she came the first time at 2pm, checked me and i was only 3cm dilated so she went away again and phoned me a few times but nothing much had changed, so she came back at about 11pm - 1am and my waters still hadn't gone, but when they did at 4am she returned and stayed til the birth at 7.30am and then maybe for 2 hours after - allowing for stitching etc.
The second mw came for the last 2 hours i reckon.
A third mw had to come and sew me up coz my mw was so tired!!
Then the original mw came back in the afternoon to check on me and to catheterise me coz i couldn't wee (having a catheter was fine, i was dreading it!).
She may have left me to it for long periods because i had a doula and she knew that she would know when things were imminent.
It was a long labour but sooooo glad i had my ds at home. All the best!

so is it common for mws to come, examine you and go away again?

My mw came at 7 am examined me and i was 5 cm, she then went and met the other midwives and divvied out the work for the day. She came back about 9 am and stayed till about 2 pm baby was born 1.07 pm. second mw came about 10:30 and went 2 ish.
She came back about 5 pm to check on us.

My mw came at about midnight and I was 8cm so she called the other mw. DD born at 3:30am. and the probably left about 5am I think.

dd - mw1 arrived 9.40, mw2 and student arrived 10.00, dd born 10.10, mws all left 10.30.

ds2 - mw1 arrived 10,45ish, mw2 arrived 12,30, ds2 born 3.00, left 3.45ish.

Think the mw arrived 1:30-ish, second mw arrived 2:15 and ds arrived 2:18. Long(er) 3rd stage meant paperwork completed & all in bed by 4am.

gosh tortoiseshell - that was super quick with your dd. what about the delivering of the placenta and all the paper work? gee whizz!

one last question...

can anyone please tell me when it's finally going to happen for me?

First MW arrived at 2am, second one about 20 minutes later (she knew me and knew I had a fast first labour) DD2 born at 4am, think they left about 5.30am. Another MW (who I also knew) came in about 12ish the next day to check me over then another one popped by about 4ish (as she was so upset she "missed" it all and wanted to see the new arrival). I truly did feel like a person and not just another delivery in a hospital that was in, delivered and back out again.

mw arrived @ 8, dd born 9.15, both gone by 12.30.

ja9 - it WILL happen for you very soon, i know it is absolutely awful hanging around waiting for it to happen and be over, i was well overdue.. bless you. Have to say that going by all the other posts, i had an exceptionally long labour for a HB so lets hope that your labour fits the pattern and is super-quick too! But i'm sure you'll be fine even if its not though..
all the best and let us know when your LO arrives.

Midwife arrived at 7.25, DD born at 7.46, second midwife arrived 8.10 ish, probably left just after 9, but really can't remember. Did get another visit in the early afternoon also.

dd2 arrived rather quicker than expected, home delivery wasnt the plan, both mw stayed for about 2 hours after, that included getting me in and out of the bath, changing the bed, putting the washing machine on and making a much needed cup of tea as well as filling in all the paperwork! Wonderwomen they certainly were! Wanted the next 2 at home after that but unfortunately ended up in hospital. Good luck!

cheritongirl - thank you [weak smile]!

jA9 - it was really quick, and the mw came back about 5 to see how things were going, but I think lots of the paperwork was done back at the hospital, the placenta came out really fast, and there wasn't much clearing up at all! It was quite surreal - I'd woken up at about 6.30 thinking, that feels interesting, contractions only really kicked in about 9.00, so it was very fast, and once they'd gone, we were back to normal, except we had a baby!