Homebirth stories/tips?

[ceestar]

Hi everyone!

I’m 40+2 and have planned for what will hopefully be a home waterbirth (with an open mind... its my first baby)

I’d love to hear everyone’s homebirth stories/experiences and if anyone has any tips or things they remember that they were great/would have done differently at the time...

I dont have any experience but im 37 weeks (2nd baby) and also planning a home water birth so will be following this thread with interest!
Congratulations and good luck with it!

I've had two home births, neither in water though as I labour too quickly to fill a pool.

They were both great experiences, very relaxed. I don have a hospital birth to compare them to.

I don't have many tips, but have lots of tea and biscuits in for the mw's. Have everything you need to hand, packed in a bag to take to hospital if needed.

I've had two home births.

The first was unplanned - woke up feeling v strong contractions, called hospital who told me to stay home and would send mw out to examine me. Between then and mw arriving 40min later, my waters popped and I felt the need to push. Mw arrived and straight away could tell that I was close, sent DH to get her emergency kit from car, she examined me and told me to push, DC2 was born two pushes later in the middle of my living room, mw had been in the house less than 10mins. I had a graze but aside from that we got set up in bed and just chilled out. DC1 got to meet their sibling within minutes which was lovely. Ambulance arrived with the gas and air around half an hour after baby made their appearance! 1h 45m labour with no pain relief and a healthy 8lb 3oz baby.

Homebirth 2 was planned but not a water birth. Mw dropped off their kit when I hit 38wks. DH had made up our own from a list the mw provided - tarp/jugs to measure blood loss (yak!), spare towels and blankets, pillows, lots of random stuff lol and we packed a hospital bag just in case. On d-day (40+11) woke to my waters going and contractions again right away, called hospital who said that the on call mw had to pick up a second mw but they'd be with me as soon as possible. Went and woke DH up who ran around like a headless chicken half dressed sorting out the tarp. Mw arrived and sat down to have a cuppa. DH pointed out I was pretty uncomfortable and one of them examined me and it was all systems go (deja vu anyone?). DC3 was born 15mins later. Quite a bit larger so I required some stitches so we had to go to hospital for that but we did get some lovely snuggles first whilst they did their paperwork and a quick tidy up. Again older DC got to meet sibling within a few mins. 1h 40m labour with no pain relief though had G&A during examination, healthy 9lb 9oz baby! He did have to get some oxygen when he was born as he was in shock but that had been dropped off with the mw kit beforehand.

Just make sure you have a bag packed for both you and baby in case you have to go to hospital and plenty of biscuits. Large flat surface for their scales too actually.