Homebirth questions

[CatDean]

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Our hospital had to have it's floors reinforced to take the pools. So it is a real issue - but some pools aren't that big. It depends on how much water it holds I guess. Maybe position over flooring joists to spread load evenly as possible.

Those mega cheap shower curtains from Ikea, about £2 0r £3 ish? Birthing isn't s messy as people think. Straight forward deliveries result in about 150 ml blood loss - half a can of coke.

The amniontic fluid is another tale - but thats clear and doesn't stain!!

Can't help with the pool, didn't have one. I used a tarpaulin (sp) sheet, but it wasn't really necessary. It really wasn't that messy. Save up some old towels to sit on after you've given birth to save the sofa! Make sure you have plenty biscuits in for the Midwives! Make sure you make good plans for care of any other DC, if you have any.

It was a fab experience, just looked at the pictures tonight of DD2 in my arms 2 mins after being delivered in our dining room! Very special.

Good luck

I have a vague memory of why a shower curtain wasn't a good idea but can't remember why. Anyway, it was enough of a reason for us to get sheets of polythene stuff from Homebase or similar, sort of thing that you would put down if you were going to be painting your walls, for example. Also we covered these with old sheets and duvet covers that we no longer used (nicer to walk on/kneel on but be warned, it is really quite sleepy). And actually I did need them over quite a wide area because I moved around a bit and made a mess in several areas

Midwife is right to raise the concern about the pool. You just have to make that judgement (or pay a structural engineer a fortune to make it for you).

And btw, it was wonderful. Hurt, but wonderful. Wish you all good luck.

Lio - Shower curtains only work if they are water proof rather than shower proof. So the thicker plastic ones are fine but the more material like ones will let fluid leach through.

I've had two homebirths but on dry land so can't help with the pool sorry.

We used cheap shower curtains and bought an Asda basic fitted sheet to secure them to the bed (nice to lie on too), other things I had were maternity pads from Boots (MWs never have enough inco pads), loads of old towels (my lovely friend took them home and washed them all they were meant to be for throwing out) and some very soft kitchen towels. That was about it.

Hospital supplied the rest, gas and air canisters, delivery pack etc

Oh I had to get a presciption from my GP for diamorphine (didn't take it), Stemitil (for sickness) and co-codamol for afterpains.

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Delivery pack - got a tray for the placenta, swabs and cotton wool for any cleaning etc [think poo here!!] and the clamps etc for cutting the cord. Lots of usefull bit and pieces all sterile.

Loads of stuff will decend on you at abput 37 weeks or so. Maybe have big strong man to help with entonox? Weighs a tonne!

I used a cheap IKEA shower curtain covered in towels to make it less slippy when wet, and lots of pillows the first time. That was fine.

The second time we didn't have as much time to spread things out. We used another shower curtain, towels. It was also fine, and there is a little stain on the carpet in the spare room which I love, because it reminds me of the happiest day of my life.

catdean - as treedelivery described, mine was a huge holdall filled with loads of scary medical things, also resus equipment, masks etc, we are only "allowed" homebirths from 39-42 weeks here so a lovely man in a van delivered it all when I was 38 weeks.

With DD3 I did get a few stains on the bed but that was afterwards just with me lying on a maternity pad that moved a bit. MWs clear everything up, cheap fitted sheet is fab over your waterproofs, I spent most of DD3's labour (all 95 mins of it) in the foetal position huddled around my v shaped pillow with my lovely gas and air.

We used a plastic builder's sheet from B&Q. I would advice thick, heavy-duty stuff or you may get wrapped up in a flimsy shower curtain and it could move around and be annoying.

Enjoy your homebirth.

Check with MW, because here in W.Yorks we didn't get any pack. They brought everything essential with them, but we needed to get plastic sheets etc ourselves. Entonox arrived by taxi once I was in labour. I ordered prescription for pethidin to keep in the fridge, just in case. But didn't need it in the end.

Is it your first? When are you due? How exciting

I got a binliner with a few sterile packs containing about 24 cotton balls, a bulb thingy to clear nose and throat a pair of scissors, a couple of cord clips and 1 of those pads.

Which was ridiculous on two levels - 1) why the bloomin great bin bag and 2) did they really think that would be enough to keep everything clean and tidy?

Still it was fun unpacking it and looking at everything!

I used an oilcloth tablecloth on the floor which was great as it wasn't slippy or flimsy like a shower curtain. For the bed I picked up a couple of cheap (disposable?) waterproof mattress covers from Tescos. Having said that, I've had two homebirths and was amazed both times at how little mess there was. The midwives put down their own disposable mats during the actual deliveries, and took them and any mess away with them .

Good luck - this has brought back very happy memories.

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I didn't get a pack (Kent). I put a futon mattress on the floor which we then covered with a plastic-backed picnic blanket and some old sheets. This time I'm thinking about blowing up an airbed so DH doesn't have to lug a mattress in.

I spent about half an hour walking about then half an hour lying on my side with the gas and air (ditto sweetkitty!). It was a wonderful experience which has left me strangely excited about giving birth to number 3

The pack isn't towels and protective stuff - it's stuff to use for the crowning of the head and immediate time after, like gauze that help clear the field to check for tears and lacerations.

You get about 20 balls of cotton wool, 5 bits of cotton gauze etc.

They may bring EVERYTHING in if your up the top of flats, including full resus kit etc. Often that stuff is left in the boot as we can usually tell if we're likely to need it as emergencies tend to have an 'aura'!! [sp?]VERRRRYYYY rare in planned homebirths happily - so let midwives think about all that stuff.

ooo wonder what room dc will be born in. Exciting stuff!

Th epack is usually wrapped in paper and about the size of a shoe box or pair of boots box.

That's how I knew I was FINALLY nearing delivery - when midwife starts rustling with that thing your in business!!

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Have you got reliable lift?

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Yep you're right! It's the entonox canisters, they're a bugger!

We bought one of these pools:

madeinwater.co.uk/pool.html

which I think are about as small as they come. Not ideal if you want your partner in with you or if you're very tall, but otherwise a great choice. I loooooved getting into my pool.

treedelivery- so true! I remember the midwife being really cagey when I asked 'how long to go' etc.. but when she started foraging around in the box, I felt something was about to happen, and it did