First time home birthers and their support squad

[jollyjoanne]

Not a homebirther personally but wanting to offer support to Boobz and others who are going for a home birth . . .

Wow we really are growing this list!

Happy, I know you?re probably really busy feeding and looking after your baby and everything, but you HAVE to come back and tell us all about it! We don?t even know if it?s a little boy or girl?!

How are the rest of you coming along ? Bella?s absence makes me wonder if you?re in labour Bella ? no news since Sunday? Can?t wait to hear something...

...and Boredgirl, MotherofSnortpigs and Southwestwhippet.... and of course MamaLazarou... any news on your sides? I am checking daily and looking for live labour threads ? you?re all at home (or supposed to be!) so there?s no excuse not to keep us updated (at least in the early stages).

Welcome all newbies to the thread.. I?ve added you on Southwestwhippet, Verylittlecarrot, Opalfruity, and Heather1980 - hope I?ve not missed anyone.

Have officially requested to start mat leave on March 1st from work (I get 7 months paid leave) so in theory will have to go back to work in October when LO is only 4 months old, but I am so pissed off with work at the moment, I just need to get out of there as soon as possible. I?m pretty sure I will be looking for a new job during mat leave anyway, so I?ll try and save a couple of month?s salary to enable me to put off going back to work until 2011...

What names are you currently thinking off for imminent arrivals, everyone? We?re thinking of Marianne for a girl, and Dashiel (Dash for short) for a boy... (I know I know)...

Due

BellaBalloon, DC#1 due 12 January, planned home waterbirth, London
Boredgirl, DC#1 due 15 January, SW London
Motherofsnortpigs, DC#3 due 18 January, Oxon
Southwestwhippet, DC#1 due 18 January
MamaLazarou, DC#1 due 24 Jan, planned home birth, Kent
Verylittlecarrot, DC#2, due 2 Feb, planned HB
Raindroprhyme, DC#3 due 2 February, planned HB, South West Scotland
Comeonbishbosh, DC#1 due 7 Feb, planned home waterbirth, Sheffield
Sunnybump DC#1 due 18 Feb planned home water birth, NE Scotland
intravenouscoffee, DC#2 due 26 Feb, planned home birth, E Mids
Caitni, DC#1 due 2 March, planned home waterbirth, North London
Heth1980, DD#2, due 4 March, planned home birth, Birmingham
Mad4mainecoons, DC#2 due 4 March, planned homebirth, Cornwall
Opalfruity, DC#1, due 28 March, planned hypo-waterbirth, Newcastle
PrincessTweetz, DC#2 due 28 March, planned home birth, Coventry
Bettymum, DC#2 due 7 April, planned home birth, Berkshire
Toady, DC#4 due 17 April, home birth, Torquay
Boobz, DC#2 due June 9, planned home waterbirth, South London
Wheredidmyfeetgo, DC#3 due 28 June, planned homebirth, Wiltshire
Heather1980, DC#3 due September, planned homebirth

Arrived

Happyfaces, DC1 arrived 12 January, induction at 39 weeks due to Cholestasis, Cambridgeshire

Absolutely no news this end, waiting desperately for my sweep on Thursday. I can't bear it much more! I know it's so far only 4 days overdue, but a day can be a very long expanse of time... I've actually decided that the best thing to do is to not be at home for most of the day, in the hope that it'll encourage little lady to arrive - any other suggestions welcome, though (I have tried ALL the old wives' tales).

Really don't want to have to be induced, but I'm totally not feeling as if she's on her way any time soon.

We're still arguing about names, but my tops are Claudia, Amelie or Imogen. He, for some reason, likes Scarlett . I think he has a crush on Johansson.

Boobz, I promise, the minute something happens I will be on here for lots of real time updates - I'll probably need some advice!

Hey Boredgirl, glad to see you're still about - but sorry to hear you're not in labour! I did a million and one things to bring on labour - no idea if I would have gone into labour on my own, but I did start havin contractions at 39+6...:

--Breast pump
--Reflexology (which was lovely - more of a foot massage I think than actual medical reflexology)
--Walking the dog for hours
--Bouncing on my ball in front of the telly

Oh, Claudia is #2 on my list! Was #1 last time but then we went with Penelope instead on the day - not sure why! Still love Claudia.. but Scarlett's pretty too!

Should be in bed really, not MN-ing. DD still poorly so bound to be up in the night puking.

Too many exclaimation marks! Gah.

Tried it all, nothing's working. sweep tomorrow so I'm pinning all of my hopes on that! Desperate not to have a proper induction as I won't be allowed my homebirth, but I'll do whatever they think is safest at this point.

Penelope was one of my absolute favourites, but got totally vetoed. No idea why. Do you know what you're having this time round?

Sorry to hear DD still ill, I have to say, I'm not looking forward to all of the interrupted nights - I love my sleep!

Don't know the sex - we're having another surprise! I was tempted to ask at the 20 week scan in a couple of weeks, but have decided it was fun not knowing last time around, and so we're doing that again. Also, DH can't be at the scan, so it wouldn't be the same anyway...

DD seems a lot better this morning - crawling around all over the place. Hope this is the turning point.

Am finding it hard to motivate myself for work. I work from home, have a sick baby with me all day, and know I am leaving in 5.5 weeks, so I'm really struggling. Also, we're going away for a week skiing (was booked before we knew I was pregnant, so I will most be snow-shoeing and sleeping rather than skiing) which is in the middle of Feb, so really only have 4.5 weeks left! Feels good to know that...

Where is Bella? Me thinks she might have a baby in her arms by now...

Hi y'all!!! here I am. No baby yet! But had various stages of the delightful snotty bloody show yesterday and what may have been warm up contractions during the night. Mainly at the top of my bum and feeling like I needed to do a poo. needless to say nothing since I got up - which was nearly an hour ago so trying not to get too excited. Have gone back to bed but have the tens next to me. le bebe still pretty active but not sure if that means anything. I have an appointment with the MW tomorrow anyway so that's good - think i will let her have a root around and see what she reckons! DP working out of town today but don't think he needs to be here. Another feeling I have had is that my knickers are digging in across the front when they're not. Does anyone know what i mean? Anyway am feeling quite excited so hope that thunderbirds are go. THe house is all nice and tidy too so would be happy for strangers to take up residence for a while, which is not always the case!
Hi to those who have just joined the list. Can't believe how it has grown in just one short week!
boobz the end bit of work is just the worst but how cool that you are off skiing in a month and then on maternity leave! I am of you since you will have proper quality time with DD and be able to prepare before you are too knackered and the size of a Mr Man
bored keep on tweaking. You have plenty of time before you have to worry about being put on a drip. I have started trying to select my fave pants to wear on the basis that they will inevitabley get ruined!

ps think i beat you on over use of exclamations but am letting myself off because I might be about to go into labour

Hi All,

my MW came round to do my birthplan yesterday and now im REALLY excited at the prospect of having a homebirth!

she is sooo supportive and lovley and i now feel super confident about it.

so glad i found this thread so i can read so inspiring birth stories as new babies arrive.

we were told the sex at our 20wk scan ( girl) but im trying not to build up on it in cqase they were wrong. so far our favourite name is holly.

Congratulations Happy

Rather disappointingly I've been advised today I won't be able to have a homebirth this time as bubs is going to need monitoring closely when he gets here. This should have been communicated round the medical team from the start but they didn't speak to each other, and this has only come to light cause I've been asking awkward questions and generally making lots of noise about getting answers

On the upside, it's better for safety, oh, and anyone want to buy an unused birth pool kit (with all accessories including sieve!) that just arrived today too? I need the money for bras now the baby's head is fully engaged in optimal birth position!

God not long now Bella - how exciting! Am getting phantom contractions just thinking about you and Boredgirl and the rest of you.

It IS lovely to think I will get a proper couple of months off with DD all to myself before I get mahooosive and DC2 comes along. But I am daunted about having to go back to work so quickly. There's a chance DH's job could take us abroad from Sept this year, so fingers crossed that happens (and then I can be a SAHM - lush).

Mad4 - glad it's all coming together for you. DId you say you had your first baby at home? I can't remember...

Sunny - that's a real shame - can I ask why the baby will need extra monitoring?

Hi Boobz, good idea finishing early, how anyone manages right up to the end I don't know! Good on them though!

He'll need monitoring because I'm on Fluoxetine/Prozac for long term depression - it's the only thing that keeps me anywhere near normal. Unfortunately it means he has about 30% chance of having withdrawal symptoms - which will be lowered by reducing my dose as I did on Monday (recommended by my Psychiatrist who finally saw me and read the research that had been sitting on her desk for 3 months, grrrr).

Sorry to vent as long as he gets here and is safe that's the main thing.

hi peeps - sacrum 'waves' 'sensations' 'rushes' etc starting to pick up a bit more i think but still nothing enough to make me want to put on a tens. just baked some raspberry yoghurt muffins and am generally feeling quite excited. it's like the master hearing the 4 knocks. I know it's coming just not quite when. Anyway I will update you all again in the morn if I still can (i expect i will be able to)

wonder when it will get to horrendous pain level. Boobz did yours jump suddenly or was it a slowly more painful thing?

Hi ladies

Ooh Bella exciting!! Sending labour vibes your way m'dear but it sounds like things are going well so far . And that baking sounds lovely . Such a nice snack for keeping your strength up in labour

Happyfaces congratulations! Glad to hear your LO arrived safe and sound

Boredgirl really hope things start for you soon - I imagine every day must feel so long once you reach your due date. Our hypnobirthing teacher told us to think of a best before date, rather than being too fixed on the due date (ie best before 2 weeks after the due date/42 weeks). Of course, that's easier said than done as I am on major count down to my own due date...anyway, enough rambling - I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for labour updates from you . Hope you don't have too long to wait to meet your baby.

Sunny sorry to hear you won't be able to have the HB you wanted, but I agree that the main thing is getting baby out safely so if that means hospital then so be it . Sounds like you're finally getting the answers you need as well, which is A Good Thing (even if it has taken the various health care professionals a while to get talking!)

Boobz sounds like a good plan to go off on maternity leave earlier as you'll have lovely time with your DD before the next LO arrives. It must be hard when your DD is so young anyway, juggling everything. I'm working until 36+3 weeks, but I have holidays saved so my "official" maternity leave start date is 38 weeks. But then my aim is to spend as much time with baby and my job is relatively easy going, ie desk bound (and er, my work productivity is currently comedy low - just showing up at vaguely the right time seems like an achievement these days ) My maternity cover has now started though, so I've been acting all enthusiastic about work just so she gets a good impression! Feel like such a fraud though, as would happily be off work now!

Just had the midwife around and all looking good although baby's head isn't engaged yet. I'm only 34 weeks though, so she doesn't seem bothered by it...so I'm not bothered either! I'm quite excited, because our next appointment is the one where she runs through how the birth will go, what we need etc. Quite exciting!

Big waves to everyone I've not mentioned. Any news from MamaL? Maybe her baby's here . And Southwestwhippet?

Hi Boobz

nope first baby was hospital birth but just G&A and totally straightforward.

fingers crossed for the same luck this time.

Bella - how exciting, thinking of you and hoping all is going well.

Hi boredgirl I feel your misery as I am now 40+2 feeling generally miserable and frustrated - I don't like being so out of control and just having to wait helplessly for things to start.

Still, on the up side have been having many many quite uncomfortable BH over the last two days... hopefully this means that things are getting moving.

Bella hope it is going well for you.

Glad to see everyone checking in... and Bella, you're properly kicking off now! Great! I had a ridiculously long latent labour (0-4cm dilated) so I don't think you should use my experience of pain as a benchmark... in a nutshell, I was more worried about the exhaustion rather than the pain towards the end, as I hadn't slept in 3 nights due to constant (but bearable) contractions. Pain ramped up A LOT when my waters went at 7cm, but had access to G&A then, so actually they were easier to cope with than the contractions at about 4 or 5cm when I was just coping with TENS and breathing, IYSWIM.

Sounds like it's all for the best then Sunny, but I know you must be disappointed... I hope it all goes well and you still have to come back and tell your story.

Ok then, shameless plug for little Penelope, born on this very thread!

Penpots the model

what a great group, wish I could be pregnant again and join you all. If you want to prepare for your birth (home or hospital) there's a new site, positive-birth, with loads of fab downloads, including 1 to induce labour. There's also a free download on the homepage and they've got a 3for2 offer for the rest. Sounds good!

Hi all,

So, just off to see MW for sweep #1 follwed by a long walk. To starbucks.

Kiki, will def take a look at that site, thank you!

I hope everything has picked up for you Bella, very exciting and I hope to be able to join you fairly soon - of course will keep updates coming.

SW-whippet, it's horrible at first isn't it. But I must say that being overdue has been getting easier with every day. Not sure why, but the initial 'excitement' of the due date and immediate disappointment when I realised it wasn't an appointment DD would be keeping has sort of subsided now, and I'm just carrying on as normal. Obviously would love for her to come at any point, I'm just not as frustrated as I was at first, IYSWIM.

Must run, don't want to be late for MW - wish me luck!

hi everyone - how funny bored that we had appointments at the same time.
I had a fairly restless night. Contractions were really picking up but my tens wasn't working properly because the stupid COW who rented it to me and promised me about 6 years of battery life in fact gave me about 3 hours or something. I only realised when put in a new one this morning that you don't have to spend the whole time fiddling around with it if it has a fresh bloody battery anyway this morning things have definitely dropped off so i am going to have an hours R & R and then get things going properly again - moving around and especially nipple tweaking - i swear - it makes an amazing difference!
here's for a more productive round 2. For those who still have time i would really recommend relaxing your body when one part is tense. there are instructions in the hypnobirthingbook, wish i had done them. i find it really hard when a full on surge comes not to tense up all over but am getting better as this lonnnng phase progresses... xx

ooo Bella - your beginning stages sound like mine. Very good idea to get some R & R whilst you still can...

Bella sorry to hear about your TENS nightmares! Hope it's all working well for you now. I ended up getting electric shocks from mine after I'd had it on for about 3 days - it certainly distracted me from the labour pains .
Hope everyone else is well today! Sun is out here, which is nice to see.

Sorry if you are still waiting, but I did it!

Felt a bit funny Tues pm, so sent DH to do the monthly supermarket run while I dug into the emergency chocolate.

Slept all night Tues, although DDs were up and down like yo-yo's. At 7am DH declared I would have the baby today (Weds) and decided not to go to work. At 8.30am we were woken with cries of 'It's snowing!'. DH is amazingly intuitive sometimes - would have panicked if he had gone off to work.

MW came and had a little poke at lunch time and I had a snooze most of the rest of the afternoon. By 5pm I knew the baby was coming so called MW and friend to look after children. At 6pm I took a couple of paracetamol and DH suggested I got in the bath. Hot bath on body, cold flannels on face and neck, digging a comb into my hand was ok for stage one. Rolled onto my left and baby rotated HUGE contraction as MW was getting G&A from car. Supped on G&A to get through the pushing. Waters went at 7.36pm, baby born in the bath at 7.47pm. DDs admiring within seconds - and then we discovered it's a boy!

Humphrey Peter David 7lb 4oz.

Delivered placenta onto a birthing stool in the sitting room. Little tear (rupture of previous vaginal scar - nice!)

All in bed by 11pm, very civilised. Couldn't have been better. DH being amazing,DDs completely in love with their baby brother. Soooooo happy!

Congratulations to you and your third little snortpig! What a lovely story . Gives me hope that I really will be able to have a homebirth.
I love the name you have chosen for your DS, it's great.
Big hugs all round.

Congratulations! It sounds amazing and very moving (every birth story I hear at the moment makes me cry). What a fantastic name, too!

So.... sweep earlier brought with it a bit of a show that has continued most of the afternoon though seems to be lightening now. Had lots of period-like and back pains, and have been on two walks, but nothing more serious is happening so far. On the plus side, I am 1-2 cms dilates, cervix is soft and little girl is 2/5 engaged, and midwife seemed really confident that the sweep would get things moving. I don't feel anything other than occasional BH though, and no idea what else to do to get things moving. No energy for a third walk, so sitting here with a lovely cup of raspberry leaf tea!

Bella, sending lots of good vibes your way. Suck a shame about TENS palaver but hope it's all going more smoothly now.

Motherofsnortpigs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's an AMAZING birth story - so inspiring for all the other first timers on here - see - it can be as easy as that. However, I rarely use those emoticon things (not really my style) but for that post I shall make an exception - I am to the gills that you took a paracetemol at 6pm and the baby came an 1 hr 47 mins later. You MACHINE! Your clever DH - maybe you smelt different or something...

So what was it like introducing you DDs? Were they just in the next room or something? I don't know what to do Penny - should I get my friend to take her or should I just have her upstairs whilst I'm birthing downstairs? I mooo moo mooooo-ed last time so much that I really don't think she'd be able to sleep through it if it was in the middle of the night. But I so love the idea of just bringing her in and meeting her little bro or sis as soon as the placenta's out...

Getting into your own bed an hour or so later was my absolute favourite bit last time - I had been labouring on the bed on and off for a few days, so made DH change the sheets before we got in so it was all lovely and fresh. I don't think I have ever slept so well.

So does DH come into his own now? Does he run after your DDs whilst you look after DS? I'm worried I won't be able to look after DD properly as will have new babe stuck to me like a limpet breast feeding.. poor DD - she's had us to herself for such a short time... but then she will get a little play mate really close in age.

Anyway, I digress - BLOODY WELL DONE! And I LOVE the name. I am going CAPS MAD! We want to see photos immediately!

Come on Bella and *bored - we're all rooting for you...