Right - homebirth imminent, getting my crap together, but a bit vague on what I "need"

[Piffle]

37 wks today which here means anytime I go into labout from now I can have my homebirth!
No hb packs given out here.
m/w just said oh some extra sheets, dark towels, bit of decorators plastic to protect wherever you give birth and the the floor,
mattress protector etc

I have an adult spacehopper doubling as a birth ball.

What else should I plan for?

My DD (2.9 at the time ) was upstairs with her Auntie. DH went to get her within 5 mins of DS being born and it was wonderful. She then went bed as normal, slept like a log and her first words when she came in to us in the morning were 'Where is our baby'

Not sure how old your others are but this book was great. It prepared her for any shouting but there wasn't much in the end!

Sorry, just read that your DD is 4, book would be very relevant I think.

Ooh, good luck piffle!
I am sure I saw a list on the homebirth website - or ask Cadders or TeeCee - both have had HB's.

lol @ space hopper.

kettle, towels. that's all isn't it?

good luck piffle

Hi Piffle - how exciting - it's all getting close!

As Gingerbear said, I had a home birth 2 weeks ago - it was great!

Other things you might want to have handy (on top of what the midwife told you):-

I'd double the number of towels you were thinking of having available,

A hot water bottle for wrapping towels around that are gong to be used for the babay - I had one of those microwave wheat things that worked really well - also good for early labour for your back

Have a bottle of tcp or savlon antceptic liquid handy - handy to sterilize things and you if they need to give stitches

a bright light (angle poise lamp or torch) for the same reasons as above.

cheap shower curtains are great for protecting the floor and your mattress.

Don't forget lots of packets of maternity pads and and easily accessible collection of your oldest skankiest knickers

a bucket suitable for being sick in

ummmmm, will think some more - it's alla bit of a blurr at the moment!

Good luck to you - have a wonderful experience.

just looked on La Bassine website - £55 for their birthing pool - are you thinking of one of those Piffle?

I would love a homebirth, but I am too scared cos mine will be a VBAC

Oh good luck!

Just wanted to add my tip - make your bed up with fresh sheets, then cover the whole lot with plastic dust sheets (Homebase and the like sell them in packs of 3 - I also put one over the mattress for the early days). Then cover the plastic sheets with old sheets and towels that can be binned. Afterwards, while your in the shower the MV scoops the layers from the plastic sheet up off and puts them in her yellow bag, and you slip all lovely clean and fragrant into lovely fresh sheets, with your bundle of delight while being waited on hand and foot.
Ahh, lovely. Can't wait for mine.

Oooh, really wish you all the best. xx

I dont want to put a dampner on things, hb are the best, but have a small hospital bag packed just in case. I had to transfer to hosptal with ds1, packing a bag whilst having contractions every 2 mins was not fun, dh was too busy panicing to be of any use!

The list I was given is here (sorry if it's difficult to read, the formatting seems to have got lost).

Good advice, Bigcar, not a dampner at all.

m/w already told me to pack a transfer bag so done that
Means all post birth stuff for me and baby is in one place too, so useful that way.

I'm going to boost the heating when it all kicks off, lay towels and baby stuff on the radiators to get it warm
AS for waters...

Well ds born in his caul TERRIFIC mess as m/w broke his bag after he came out. Sloshed everything 10 meters behind me. looked like a murder scene
m/w said whatever you do, don't look behind you, so of course I did and nearly fainted.
Waters with dd broke as she crowned, very similar mess, so am def having plastic sheeting in abundance but will lay old sheets over it for traction control

DS (13) could help although he has said that he'd rather leave the country than be in the same room at birth time...

I am hopeful my mum will be in situ, if not we have two friends who will come over. in any event ds can cope with dd outside of the birthing room easily.
I've not torn before so am hopeful can avoid 3rd time as well.
Phew

oh gosh it's all very real

Arent teenagers wonderful? OMG your sooooo embarrassing mum, dd1 favourite saying at the mo. Well, i reply, i do try hard dear! Good luck Piffle

Add Champagne to list of essentials.
I had a wonderful image of me and the new baby curled up in bed with a cold glass in my hand. I put the bottle in the fridge as soon as my waters broke (a bit earlier than yours!!). After the birth all I wanted was a HUGE omelette and a mug of hot chocolate
It may work differently for you.

Good luck, hope you get the sort of birth you want.

DVD's for the other kids? chocolate biscuits.
oh, and know where youre phone is! we had to hunt for the darn thing.

mothers...
bought some sknaky old red duvet coveers and sheets for a few quid from the 2nd hand shop to cover things with

She gets them out and exclaims these are too lovely to get dirty

hehehe at your mum piff!!

I like halva or something which gives a quick burst of energy when you need it. A spoonful of honey.

It's also a good idea to make sure there are enough nibbles for the midwives. They need to be looked after so they can look after you when the time comes. You don't want a grumpy hungry mw who has watched you prancing around throughout the first stage with her tummy rumbling do you?

I don't know if 3rd labours tend to follow your previous ones but tbh
I only would call the m/w when in established labour. I only called m/w with 1st when I was in transition as wasn't sure if I was in labour or not til then - well actually mum called her.

But will have lots of toast/bacon/cake/tea/fruit around

I do go fast or have in the past ... never felt need to eat or drink anything during labour as was too busy on the job.
Hmmm

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yep 3 mins apart feeling a bit like I'm about to lose it a bit.

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If your mw isn't supplying incopads for after the birth, get in a supply of pampers change mats. Great for sitting on while in bed during the first few leaky days. Foxybrown's idea good too re sheets, but the mats will save a lot of laundry while your house is busy.

I had 2 home births; both better by far than my 2 hospital births.

yes, would definitely make sure the mw has lots of incontinence pads with her.
Also, we went to the hassle of getting an anglepoise lamp but in the event the mw raced to her car and got out a big torch coz i was in a birthing pool and the lamp wouldn't reach in there!
And i of course second the champagne..
all the very best to you

incontinence pads sounds so GLAM!

Are they easy find in the shops then?