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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Home Birth Planned - Overdue

294 replies

LuckySalem · 11/01/2008 08:41

Hi all,

I'm currently 41 + 1 and hoping to have a home water birth.

According to my hospital they will only allow you to go Term + 12 which will take me to Tuesday.

I've had a sweep yesterday and apparently the "Presenting part (head) is still high" my notes say 3 above spine. Also in my notes on my 20wk scan (was 20+1) it was reading I was 19+6 and 19+2 depending on different measurements.

I'm absolutely petrified of having to go into hospital to be induced. What rights do I have to refuse the induction and still have a homebirth? Can I use the fact that at 20 weeks I was possibly only 19 and therefore now only actually 6 days over?

Thanks all

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lulumama · 11/01/2008 19:38

have you tried the visualisation?

Original poster

LuckySalem · 11/01/2008 19:40

I was sitting in bed before trying to imagine what a contraction would feel like and that I would be having baby tonight but I don't think that's what you mean

Lulu - Are you a doula? Can I ask you a couple of questions?

OP posts:

lulumama · 11/01/2008 19:44

well, visualisation can be anything connected to the birth that you want to focus on in a positive way

for me, my first labour stalled at 2- 3cm and never got any further,and i had a c.s, so when i was pregnant the second time, I visualised my cervix opening, all very pretty and gentle and lovely. like a flower blooming ! and the baby moving down and out vaginally. all calm, all normal and no stress.

yes, i am and yes you can !

Original poster

LuckySalem · 11/01/2008 19:47

Thanks hun

I've not had any braxton hicks (unless I can't feel them through my slightly flabby belly) is this something bad?

Also I've not really had a show as such but had a big gloop of clear stuff this morning (I heard it was always pinky) could this be the show or is it more likely to be the gell the MW used for the sweep yesterday?

As for the visualisation thingie, I'll try that later when I'm in bed and DP is doing his usual snoring beside me routine! lol

OP posts:

lulumama · 11/01/2008 19:49

I never noticed any BH in my first pregnancy. sometimes you have them and don;t feel them

have you been having any raspberry leaf tea or tablets?

what was the texture of the gloop? a show can be clear, and then it can be bloody as labour gets nearer.. but clumps of snot like mucus are usually a show

it means the cervix is thinning and starting to dilate

lulumama · 11/01/2008 19:50

make the visualisation personal to you and your needs

belgo · 11/01/2008 19:51

luckysalem -
a show can be 'clear' in colour - it's certainly a step in the right direction! Not all women feel braxton hicks, even if you are having them.

Try and relax - enjoy these last few days before your baby is born. It won't be much longer, and whatever way it happens, it will be an incredible experience, and you will have your baby at the end of it.

Good luck

Original poster

LuckySalem · 11/01/2008 19:52

The mucus was (TMI really sorry) sticky and lumpy. Stuck to my fingers real good (lol)

I bought some raspberry leaf capsules yesterday and it says I can have 6 a day so i'm trying religiously to eat 6 a day.

The MW is coming tomorrow for another sweep so i'll try and get more out of them. They normally come and check blood pressure, urine etc, heartbeat and go. My notes say i'm 4/5ths but I wouldn't know that if I didn't read cos i'm too much of a wuss to ask them anything. lol.

OP posts:

NoIHaventChangedMyName · 11/01/2008 19:56

luckysalem, your hospital does sound strict indeed. When I was induced I had a pessary, then an hr or so of monitoring then I went off for a long walk for a couple of hours. Back for the second pessary 7hrs later - not required as 3cms dilated and able to have ARM, which really started things up for me. Only slight niggly pains up till that point. DD born 2 and a quarter hrs later. The reason I found it a positive experience was that the midwife got to know me when I was in early labour and a sensible human being. Not like with DS when I think I was already going into transition and they seemed to think I was nutty drama queen (didn't believe I was in established labour, gave me two paracetamol as pain relief then found I was fully dilated an hour later - not wanted to check before as SRM). This time the midwife could see as I changed and anticipated my needs so much better.

As for staying in two days, as long as you are happy that you are managing with the BF (if you want to), and the paediatrician is happy with baby then there is normally no need at all to stay in? Seems a crazy waste of money to stay, let alone anything else. Good luck - I hope you have a lovely home birth in the next couple of days, which leads me to something else - the stuff I have read about going into labour says that you should be relaxed - so try to put it all out of your mind, enjoy the last few days of pregnancy (ha bloody ha I know) and hopefully things will happen for you.

lulumama · 11/01/2008 19:59

sounds like a show to me ! good stuff

4/5 means baby is starting to engage, 1/5 in the pelvis, and 4/5 palpable above the brim , a bit high as MW said, but contractions will move the baby down.. without the pressure on the cervix things might be a bit slower but as i said earlier, a lot can change in a few hours o r a day when in late pregnancy....

lulalullabye · 11/01/2008 20:06

I had a clear gloopy thing the day before I went into labour at 42wks. The day I started had period pain at 6am and a very slight bit of spotting and had dd2 at 13.15 at home in the pool with midwife arriving 10 mins before.

Keep your mind focused and move around, walk, bounce and visualise that you are not going to be induced.

Fortunatly I had independent midwives who thought 42wks + normal time to give birth.

Original poster

LuckySalem · 11/01/2008 22:04

Lulu - My notes before said 3/5 engaged and then on Thurs 4/5ths I thought it meant 4/5 of head was in, is it the other way around is it?

Notes also say 3 above spines?

OP posts:

lulumama · 11/01/2008 22:08

does it say engaged or palp? my book with the drawings of the stations that indicate descent is not to hand at the mo, but - 3 is still high, but on the way down, + 5 is head about to be delivered....

BITCAT · 11/01/2008 22:28

Well it is completely your choice, if you go into labour then they must come out to you anyway, no 1 can force you to go to hospital. Some women can go over 2 to 3 weeks and be fine, but do you want to take that chance, i do understand where you coming from cause i didn't want to go to hospital and i certainly wouldn't of wanted to be induced. As long as you have a normal delievery ie no c section then you can leave whenever you want they don't keep you in for that long nowadays. Anyway hope it happens soon and you get the birth you want, hopefully as i am typing this you are in labour. Good Luck, good health to you and baby

lulumama · 11/01/2008 22:36

off to bed now, lucky, so will check back in tomorrow. you should have a good rest. x

kittywise · 11/01/2008 22:38

I went three weeks over with my last 2 births and they were both at home with no probs.

They cannot MAKE you do anything, they cannot refuse to come to you at home, BUT they can scare the living daylights out of you!!!
Hope everything goes just fine, I'm sure it will

joedar · 11/01/2008 22:40

Not sure if this will help and haven't read the full thread.

I had a planned home birth and at 8ish days over I was going to be induced.

My midwife gave me 2 spoons of castor oil and I was in labour within 24 hours.

She tells me in al the women she has given this too 2/3rds of the time it works.

But I did spend alot of the first 12 hours on and off the loo, but didnt need the induction!!

Not sure how you would feel about trying this or what your midwife thinks.

But it worked for me.

Good luck though.

Original poster

LuckySalem · 12/01/2008 09:07

Midwife is due today to do a sweep so I'll ask about castor oil as I'm not too sure on it's safety (there seems to be alot of different opinions)

I've not left my birthing ball (apart from bed) since yesterday morning (back on now) and baby does feel VERY low this morning so hoping that has helped.

Lulu - Doesn't say whether it is engaged or palp but i'm going to make a list of questions to ask MW when she's here so I can make sense of what's going on (I think i'm a control freak and most of my worrying is cos I'm not in control of this)

OP posts:

NatalieJane · 12/01/2008 09:29

Jen (Hi btw and hi Lulu )

The castor oil can make the baby do a pooh (meconium) it isn't very good for that to happen, so try not to be tempted by the castor oil, besides the way it is supposed to get you going is obviously it makes people go to the toilet (trying to think of the nicest way to put this!) and the movements from all the shitting ( lol I give up) is supposed to mimic contractions and get you going. You have had 4 curries this week and not seen the toilet once, so it may not even work!

Birthing ball did it for me, I counted to 3000 got into bed, bang waters broke and two hours later he was born.

Still got corssed and crossed fingers for you lovey xxxx

Original poster

LuckySalem · 12/01/2008 09:30

I'd heard stuff like that (meconium) thats why I was going to speak to MW first.

I've got some pineapple so ill just keep eating that! lol

OP posts:

lulumama · 12/01/2008 09:34

castor oil basically irritates your bowels, which can stimulate contractions... it can also make the baby pass meconium which is , and it can leave you sat on the loo , getting dehydrated , with bad pains.. so yes, it can work, but it can have nasty side effects!

pineapple - you need to eat around 7 fresh pineapples to get the enzyme effect needed to ripen the cervix!!!!!!!!!!

I would ask the MW lots of questions and ask her about the strict hospital protocols, really explain how you feel about having to go in

NatalieJane · 12/01/2008 09:35

Lulu always puts things better than me

Original poster

LuckySalem · 12/01/2008 09:38

So 1 slice of pineapple a day is not going to do anything then lol

No castor oil.

Have started with my questions. I really want a dark quiet relaxed atmosphere (wanted candles but doubt they'll let me have that) so i'll start with whether I can do that and work my way to the no medical stuff (unless they REALLY need to obviously)

OP posts:

lulumama · 12/01/2008 09:39

good ! let us know how you get on!

i don;t put them better, NJ, just different ! how are you doing now?

Original poster

LuckySalem · 12/01/2008 09:43

I will do don't worry! I'm going to be strong lady with LOADS of questions.

Have also decided that I'm not going to let them induce till Thursday at the earliest (that would be 2 weeks past due date) That must be safe (I'll even go in for monitoring if they need me to)

OP posts:

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