Plans for toddler during a homebirth

[Naschkatze]

Can anyone who has had a homebirth for second or subsequent babies help? I want to make sure we've covered all eventualities in terms of what will happen with DS1 (21 months) while I am in labour. I'm certain that pregnancy brain means I've not thought of something.

What did you do with your other child(ren) when labour started? If it was nighttime, did you leave them be? What was the plan if they woke up/you were still in labour in the morning? Did you have a second person helping as well as your birth partner?

What have I missed?! Baby due in 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel anxious I've not covered something.

bump
I suppose it isn't a totally homebirth specific question... Anyone?

Mine slept through the birth of DC 2 and 3.
With DC 2, no1 was 2 1/2 years. Next time they were older. I had my dp and dmum here just in case but didn't need to leave the house. Then we woke them up to see the baby when we were ready, and they went back to bed after a cuddle.
Dc4 is nearly here and the plan is the same this time. Having a second person around to take them out or keep them fed whilst you labour is essential, even if you don't actually use them. I still did dinner bath and bed with them all whilst labouring, kept me busy and moving around.
Good luck with the home birth.

I had my mum staying just in case. Both mum and ds slept through the birth.

You will need to have someone else there in addition to your partner, or accept that your partner might not be able to be with you at all times (at the toddlers dictate, not yours!).

If you need to transfer to hospital during/after the birth, you will either need someone else there ready to stay with the toddler or accept that you'll go to hospital on your own. In a transfer situation they are unlikely to be able to wait an hour while you ring a relative and get them to come round ....

The plan is for my mum to be available and on DS duty particularly in case of transfer but I was just wondering how other people managed it. Circumstances mean that DS can't easily stay at my mums so he will have to be brought back at bedtime. I'm really hoping it is nighttime and he sleeps through the whole thing.

@headlesshorseman Good luck with DC4!

My grand daughter came over to mine when the second birth was going on at home , everyone was happy, Mum was not distracted when she had an important job to do

I'm wondering/worrying about what to do with DC2 due in May, it'll be a hospital VBAC and DD will be 2 and a half. I'm hoping to do a lot of first stage at home if hospital are in agreement.

My labour with DD was intense from the get go (contractions every 5 mins, lasting about 2 mins, unable to do anything but moan basically, none of the pottering about the house I had planned!) so if this one follows a similar pattern I don't think I'd want DD anywhere near as it would be scary for her.

DPs could come and help, but I really wouldn't want them to see me in labour either! Not sure what to do.

If you were in labour in the day, were your other children at home too or elsewhere? If at home too, how did they cope with you being in labour?

Re labouring with kids around - some people seem fine with it, I personally can’t do it at all.

During my second labour, DH took DD (then 26mo) out in the morning; when he brought her home to swap over with MIL my contractions pretty much stopped. As soon as she left the house again contractions ramped right back up. I went into hospital to give birth that time.

My 3rd labour was a planned home birth. It all happened very quickly and both older kids (age 2 and 4) were in the house. MIL was looking after them and thank goodness as I really struggled being near them; I was in a LOT of pain from the get go and I needed to really go into myself as it were.