your top tips for preparing house for homebirth!

[Gemzooks]

am 38+2... had DS in hospital with epidural, now in Holland and trying their traditional homebirth ways..

is there anything I have forgotten or has anyone got any great tips for things to make it more comfortable? We have quite a minimalist flat, floors are like hospital floors which is good cos easy to clean but it is a bit sterile in our living room!

I have:

doula
homebirth kit, (midwife brings 'birthing stool')
birthing pool, buckets etc
TENS
raised bed
isotonic drinks, snacks for midwife, old towels, loads of plastic sheeting, iPod/motivating CDs, lucky birthing T shirt, Holland T shirt to get midwife on-side, lots of old pants, sani pads, hospital bag just in case, camera, baby clothes and blankets.

does anyone have tips for somehow making the room more nest like, or for preparing a box of comfort stuff? I know I'll be in too much pain to care but I just want to find ways to feel cosy and motivated.. or any other practical tips... much appreciated!

One thing I would advise is to warm up the baby clothes on the radiator before your dress the baby, because newborns lose heat very quickly, and my ds became cold. Make sure your house is very warm.

Also an anglepoise lamp for extra light for the midwife if they need to do any stitching (hopefully not).

Maybe an old duvet or old shower curtain to give birth on, something that you won't mind getting blood on.

Good luck!

Champagne!

-- Big fluffy dressing gown to wrap yourself up in after the birth (have bought a luxury one from John Lewis as a treat).

-- Candles instead of overhead lighting?

-- Hot water bottle to warm baby's moses basket or cot.

-- Home made Shepherd's pie on stand by for post birth feast for you, DH and midwives.

birth ball is fab imo

It sounds like you've got it covered tbh.

Good luck, hb's are the best

In case you deliver out of water, arrange in advance to be able to lean over the back of your sofa. With hindsight it would have been the perfect height. DH is very fit, so coped supporting me for a 40min pushing stage but would have been nice to exhaust him less .

Old cushions to kneel/ sit on. We had slippy floors so put IKEA rug underlay under them to stop them moving about which was vital. A old sturdy shower curtain is better than a cheap thin one.

Sweet and savoury snacks.

Think about somewhere calm and light to be stitched too, perhaps away from birth area.

thanks all! Some good tips!

I have the ball, been bouncing on it loads.

hadn't thought about lamp, might have to hop up on the kitchen table as we have a good lamp above!

shepherd's pie is a great idea, been doing loads of batch cooking recently and really sick of making massive quantities of everything, but remember how much you need a good feed after giving birth.

the midwives already said we had to get a metal hot water bottle, haven't got that yet..

Now all I have to do is read ALL the birth books again. DH claims that reading the Twilight vampire series is not good birth preparation, but that's what I feel like doing instead!

i second some "mood" lighting - whether its candles or clourchanging led based lights, and the big fluffy dressing gown for yourself. I had a pool but also made a really comfy "nest" on the sofa with cheap waterproof mattress covers covered in old but soft towels and blankets. Snacks for yourself too as you will need energy. water bottles for rehydration (with straw or drinking spout so you can sip at any angle. do you have a sieve to remove any, er, "debris" from the pool (i.e.poo!). does the pool have soft/inflatable base so that kneeling is comfortable? do you have pillow/cushions in case you want to kneel out of the pool? My dh prepped loads of music bit in the end i didnt like it and preferred to watch comedy boxed sets on dvd. you sound well prepared - good luck...and enjoy!

I have requested some old cut off of carpet from a friend who is replacing theirs - free and easy to dispose of to go under the shower curtain to make things a bit more comfy if kneeling.

1. Yoga mats on the floor can't be damaged and brilliant for kneeling.

1. Bendy straws, so someone can hold the drink while you sip.

1. Ice lollies or ice to chew on. Not creamy or rich. Frozen juice in cubes works well.

Good luck!

The main thing is to keep the place tidy so you/DP don't have to have a frantic clear up when things start moving.

Apart from that, having a home birth is about it being your home environment, where you are relaxed. It doesn't have to look like an alternative therapy centre

I've got ready a box of stuff that I might need which my husband might not readily be able to find, similar to what others have said - lip balm, straws, massage bar, fruity sweets, camera and batteries, flannels, Rescue Remedy, hair ties, torches (in case of power cut!)

this has been a useful thread though thank you, given me some ideas I hadn't thought of.

Cover your bed with a plastic sheet under your cotton sheet even if you are not planning to give birth on the bed. I had a water birth but had forgotten how much you bleed after, bed was covered in blood even with pad and protective cover!

Defintley cover any non washable surfaces with plastic sheeting ie sofas, carpets etc.

Have an old duvet to hand that you can sit on/lie on etc and throw away after.

Good luck!