Homebirth Question...

[ruthmollymummy]

After 8 and a half months of not being able to finally decide its all going ahead for a home birth. DH would rather I was in hospital and has asked a question I can't answer - where will I be giving birth!?

We're in a small two bed flat. Got an amazing bed which cost a bloomin fortune so don't want to get it messy! A big enough living room but all I have to make it comfy is an old duvet... fancy being in the bath for a while as I found that relaxing in hospital last time...

So because men like action - what can I do to homebirth-proof the house and convince him its a viable and sensible place to deliver?

I gave birth on a futon mattress in the living room - covered it in a plastic backed picnic blanket and an old sheet. This time I am planning on using a blow-up air bed as I can inflate it quickly. The midwifes take away anything that you want incinerated. Just get something to go in your bed for afterwards - pampers bed mats type things.

oh picnic blanket is a good idea, soft on one side and plastic on t'other.

I had some value shower curtains from asda which were good and loads of old towls.
The pampers bed mats are great too.
Didn't find it that messy though and the midwifes are great at tidying away afterwards.

did you mind the crinkly plastic-ness of a shower curtain underneath you LGoRed? Am worried that plastic + laminate floors will equal everyone falling about the place!!

I used some of that plastic sheeting you get cheaply for DIY. To cover the sofa and floor.

bed had curtain under sheets (though I ahte our matress so that could have been the way to get rid of it!)

I was.. wearing incontinence pads, my midwife shouted 'I heard your waters pop...but where are they!

all absorbed amazing.

Anyhow gave birth 2 mins later against sofa

no mess,

lovely bath after, (dried and dress by midwife, and cup of tea and toast then tucked in bed with DS2 snuggled against me)

10 x better experience than DS1 and that wasnt bad anyhow!

Camping taupaulins here! They're absolutely massive! (But easy to store before-hand as fold to nothing.) Also got through a lot of old towels (but even these came out OK after a hot wash). Have heard that getting that plastic-backed table cloth stuff you can buy by the metre is good for covering sofas/beds (similar to the plastic-back picnic rug I would think).

Mess was limited as I was in the birthing pool and all was tidied away and cleaned up very effeciently by the MWs.

Good Luck!

I gave birth on the leather sofa. The midwives bought pads to go under me and managed to position them so well that there was only 2 spots of liquid on the sofa even though my waters broke while on there.

We put a huge plastic sheet on the living room floor (laminate) and put an old duvet over so it was comfy.

DP was worried about the mess but there really wasn't anything. The midwives took everything gross to be incinerated and even loaded the washing machine up for us. He found it much better this time because he wasn't just sat around in hospital like he was with DS, he was making the midwives tea and toast, watching TV etc.

thank you purple flower - DH feels slightly better about getting to have the telly on!!

I think its all just such unknown territory to him but I've also promised him time on his laptop (his safety blanket!) and lots of cold pepsi and french fancies to make staying home sound better than hospital!

I've found a sheet on the b&q website thats plastic on one side and soft on the other.

And pampers bed mats are on the shopping list now too.

Feeling a little more prepared now thank you all!

Towels, diy-style protective sheet, mats.

Oh and one more thing I need your collective wisdom for...

Does my house have to be spotlessly clean every day from now till the main event?

I had cheapy decorating sheets for B&Q covered with a large old duvet cover so I didn't have the plasticky feeling. This was in Living room leaning aginst sofa. Also had a large cushion to kneel on.

It was great. My DH wasn't sure but he loved it

I gave birth in the bedroom.

I used incontinence pads, i put an old quilt cover and a shower curtain down, after having the baby, I piled the whole lot in a bag and binned it all, all mess cleaned in 5 minutes.

I then went for a bath while the midwife held new baby, then went downstairs and introduced her to her brothers and sisters while I had tea.

Lovely

All of the above good advice.
We also got an offcut of carpet (about £10/15) to put under the pool as out kitchen floor is slate (read cold & hard). Could good for non-pool situations too.

Good luck

There has been some great advice on how to cover stuff her, but let me add my 2p... I made a 'nest' by sewing two shower curtains either side of an old thick duvet, so that it was a plastic-coated duvet. Then I put an old duvet cover on top so it wasn't plastic and crinkly - just a comfy (yet waterproof) duvet that I could take from room to room as I felt the need. It could have gone on the bed, on the floor, on the sofa - wherever I wanted it. As it turned out I had DD2 in the pool so I didn't need it for the birth but we covered the sofa with it when I lay there after the birth cuddling DD2 and watching everyone else clean up!

I hope your home birth is as lovely as mine and wish you all the best!