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 . . .

Ahhh - Many Congrats Boobz - look forward to hearing the birth story when you're up to it!! Take Care .

Wow much quicker this time boobz, congratulations!!!!! Look forward to the pics soon....meanwhile relax and enjoy the newborn experience again.

xxxxx

Congratulations! Well done & welcome to Constance

Hurrah boobz! Welcome to little Connie!

Many congratulations Boobz. A beautiful name too.

Thanks everyone! First photo of Connie up on my profile... birth story later this evening when everyone is in bed.

Yayyyyyyy!!! Boobz! Well done darlin'! You've been through so much lately, we're all proud of you over on the March Mums thread! Congratulations. Will check for pics soon. Oooh and a home birth you brave thing (I was always too chicken!) Am so pleased for you!. xxxx

just making sure i congratulate you in every possible way boobz...she's gorgeous
xx

Whilst I think of it, can I ask if any of you bought your MW gifts as a thank you and what they were??

Congratulations so pleased for you all and looking forward to hearing birth story.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

beautiful baby

xx

good question, justbeme. I've been wondering about that.

So here we are: Boobz?s birth story.

DH and I got some action in on Monday night, to try and encourage the baby out, and straight afterwards I got mild period type pains which came and went during the night, but nothing to get excited about. At noon the next day I went for a MW appointment and she did a vigorous sweep (at 39+6, which was early but we wanted to maximise the chances of getting baby out with DH still in the country!) and I started cramping later that evening. Woke up on Wednesday morning and we went out for the dog walk as normal at 8am and by the time we got back to the house at 9am, I definitely started to suspect I was having mild contractions. By the time we got to soft play with DD, I had the tens machine on and was having to stop what I was doing to have each contraction, but they were totally fine at this stage. Got some funny looks from the other mums at soft play: me with a tens hanging around my neck and leaning against chairs every 10 minutes!

We got home around 11:30am and the cleaner arrived (oh good ? a nice clean house for baby to arrive in!) and we went out for another long walk with the dog and DD ? the dog barks at the hoover otherwise, so we have to get her out of the house on cleaner days. Ctx were now every 7 or 8 mins and I had ramped up the tens to 5 out of a possible 15 in strength.

We walked for about 45 mins and the ctx suddenly started to come much quicker ? maybe every 3 or 4 mins, and quite a bit more intense. We got caught in a down-pour ? very atmospheric, DD and the hound wondering what on earth was going on as I had to stop walking every 3 mins to lean on a post or a garden wall! Eventually got back to the house at 1:30pm and we decided to call the MW as they were getting quite close together now and I was starting to need to moo through each one.

MW came at 2:30 and examined and I was 4cm ? woop woop! Compared to last time, it took me 3 days and nights to get to 4cm, so the relief was immense! She said she would stay, and a student MW was with her, and I was her first homebirth! She was really lovely ? very relaxing but enthusiastic at the same time. DH took DD to a friend?s house and then the Ctx started coming at a rate of knots and I asked whether I could have gas and air but was gently encouraged to try a bit longer without, so I didn?t have any until I got in the pool at about 4pm. Chugged my way through it, and then suddenly we ran out and the next canister that was dropped off was faulty (!!) so I was told I?d have to wait until the second MW arrived before I could have any more. An hour passed with maybe 15 ctx in that time, and I screamed the house down ? giving DH and the MWs evils that I was having to cope on my own. All the ?I can?t do this ? please help me? moans came out... poor DH was not allowed to leave my side for that hour, but when the second MW arrived at about 6:30, I got my gas and I chilled out a bit (still howling though!) Waters went in the pool, got out and was examined and was 8cm... didn?t get back in the pool at this point.. was about 6:50 when I started to want to push, which I did (and was a lot easier than with DD!) and out she plopped at 7:06pm! Quite a lot quicker than the first time around, thank the lord!

Placenta delivered with injection 5 mins later, and Connie was feeding within minutes (and fed for ages!) so all fabulous in the end. I was still shell shocked when she arrived, despite being much more awake this time around.

DH went and got DD from our friend?s house and we all piled into bed together, but in the end, DH and Penny slept in one bed and me and Connie in the other for our first night ? which was lovely.

DH was amazing, again, and Connie is a little star (a bit of a puker) but a total darling ? we?re all smitten!
A little video has been put together by DH (no gory bits, promise) which is the first 18 hours of Connie?s life. Hope the link works (it might take a minute or two to buffer).

Connie's birth

Hope that wasn?t too long and detailed... thanks for everyone?s support... you all rock.

Congrats boobz lovely to hear you got your second homebirth!!
wishing you and your gorgeous family all the best for the future. xxx

Just watched your vvideo, brought a we tear to my eye. You look amazing and what a fab feeder connie is perfect latch.
well done you are an inspiration.

totally beautiful
very inspiring. thanks for sharing. feeling all enthused now. x

Wow Boobz, congratulations to you and the family.

I'm sitting here crying! Just watched a bit of your video, and remember your epic labour last time. Massively pleased it went so well for you. Penny looks so pleased with her baby sister.

18 weeks here tomorrow, and am hoping for a shorter birth myself after last time too!

Congratulations

{grin]

Wow, had a wobble today re HB but your story and video was so inspiring, together with that and a pep talk from DH I am now back on track. Thank you and congratulations.

xx

Thanks guys - was a special day! Hope you all get your amazing homebirths too xx

very moving video boobz, congratulations again and enjoy your beautiful family, and gorgeous dog too!!

xx

How's everyone else doing? Justbeme, Ships, Smurf and Unrequited... any signs? Still here - following your progress - any news at all?

Connie is a voracious cluster feeder, in the early evening... keeps me glued to the bed from 5pm til 10pm, and has started to wake up a bit more to feed through the night too! But is a good napper during the day so I'm getting time to spend with Penpots as well which is good. I do feel like Connie is getting a bit of a tougher deal - not as many cuddles as Pen got first time around... but we're getting into a routine and seem to be coping! Still dreading DH going away in 10 days leaving me with Pen and Connie on my own - eeek! Lots of lovely friends around here to help though, so I should manage..

Updated list!

Due

Justbeme, DC#3 due 30 May
Shipsladyg, due June 6th
Smurf26, DC#2 due 8 June, planned home birth
Unrequitedskink, DC#2, planned home water birth
Wheredidmyfeetgo, DC#3 due 28 June, planned home birth, Wiltshire
Hippopo, DC1 due 9 July, planned home water birth, North London
Heather1980, DC#3 due September, planned home birth

Arrived

Happyfaces, DC#1 arrived 12 January, induction at 39 weeks due to Cholestasis, Cambridgeshire
Motherofsnortpigs, Humphrey Peter David arrived 20 January at home (very quick labour!)
MamaLazarou, DC#1 arrived 20 January, transfer due to transverse lie.
Bellaballoon, DC#1 arrived 24 January at home.
SouthWestWhippet, Francesca arrived 30 January, transfer due to established labour not kicking in
Raindroprhyme, Seth Cooper arrived 1 Feb, transfer due to lack of midwives (nice hospital birth)
Comeonbishbosh, Iris Anna arrived 3 Feb at home
Verylittlecarrot, Boy arrived 6 Feb at home
Heth1980, Girl, arrived 12 Feb in hospital due to pre term arrival
Twofalls, Polly arrived 26 Feb at home
intravenouscoffee, James, arrived 2 March at home
Mad4mainecoons, Holly Eleanor arrived 13 March, lovely home birth, Cornwall
Caitni, Richard Walter arrived 16 March, by C-section
Donttrythisathome, Bay Amaryllis arrived 18 March, transfer due to lack of progression
PrincessTweetz, Jude Allistair Charles arrived 23 March at home, Coventry
Opalfruity, Baby girl arrived on time 28 March, lovely home birth
Bettymum, Alexander arrived 19th April, transfer due to lack of progression but lovely hospital experience none the less, Berkshire
Flybynight, Flora arrived 1 May, lovely home birth, Leeds
rlp, Thomas Henry, arrived 8 May, lovely home birth
Morethemerrier, Girl arrived 17 May, at home. Details needed!
Boobz, Constance Ella Reed (Connie) arrived on due date, 9th June, lovely home birth, South London

Oh, and flowers for the MWs...

Am hanging on in there still... mores the pity. Had a frustrated naughty girl's cry about it yesterday. Luckily DH was very very sweet and understanding about it - but still can't help but feel that I'm "doomed" to a medicalised birth. Must try to stay positive and relaxed....

Have tried the nipple twiddling thing yesterday and this morning and actually felt a few small contractions - but nothing's come of them since - despite being at it for nigh on an hour twice!!! But at least I now know what a proper Braxton feels like. Doing "that which got me into this in the first place" with DH only sseems to make my bump feel tight. Sigh.....

Got a sweep tomorrow afternoon so hopefully that will encourage things along.... assuming I haven't pushed BP up again by fretting about it all.

Right - must think better to feel better. I'm sure there's a big link between the mental, emotional and physiological and I wish I could "switch" mine into birthing operation. Perhaps I need to go and weave some lentils, light a candle, burn some clary sage and repeat the mantra "My body is ready to release my baby"... or I could just watch trashy telly and eat chocolate hob nobs.... Hmmmm

Here I am!!
Im now the proud Mummy to a lovely Baby Boy - born on Friday 11th - 12 days overdue , weighing 8lb 9oz!.

Basically I had contractions on and off since the wednesday. On friday they had been getting regular for 3hours and then stopped half an hour before I was due to be seen at the hospital for a scan and monitoring. I called the HB midwife, who said I should go in to be monitored. Once in hospital, I just knew they wouldn't let me out and typically after an examination, they said I was 3-4 cm and my waters were bulging and if I went home, it was against medical advice as I had too much liquor and I could get a cord prolapse. We phoned the HB Midwife, (who was on holiday) and she came into delivery suite at 1400. Labour was put down as about 6 hrs, I managed with Hypnobirthing techniques until I think 7 or 8cm and then it got too much so asked for gas and air. I still tried visualisations etc, but there is no way this was a pain free birth and I would not have been able to "Nudge" the baby down!!!! Put it this way, I was as High as a Kite in the end and all I could see was bright white lights.....but, he is beautiful and at the moment still "Nobody" according to DD2, as we haven't even got round to discussing a name yet. I don't know where the time is going.....

I'm here too! I've been meaning to get my birth story on here for nearly a week now! My beautiful baby boy arrived last Weds 9th June (so he shares a birthday with Connie Boobz) at 5.30am - very suddenly and almost without warning!

I did have the homebirth I wanted, and it was wonderful, but not at all as I'd visualised it. I woke up at about 2.45, not quite sure why I'd woken, but decided to go to the loo as I was awake - and felt a little 'gush' of water as I sat down that definitely wasn't deliberate! So I was all excited but thought I'd better go back to bed as I thought it could be a good few hours before anything really happened. I should, at that point, have put on the hypnobirthing relaxation cd, but I didn't want to wake DH too early, and as I say, I thought I had ages! I had maybe 3 ctx over the next hour - very bearable and low level, and after the third I decided to wake DH and tell him I didn't think he'd be going to work that day! I decided that I was getting uncomfortable and would use the hypnobirthing techniques to try and relax. DH got up, and went downstairs to start pumping up the birth pool, and called the maternity unit. While he was on the phone - or maybe just before - things suddenly kicked into high gear - I started contracting every 3-5 minutes, quite intensely, and although I tried to use the cd to get into a trance-like state, there simply wasn't time to do this between contractions.

I have to admit, despite the hypnobirthing, the ctx were bloody painful, and the only place I could cope with them was sitting on the toilet with my arms braced. After each one I had the overwhelming urge to lie down and doze - and I think if I'd had the time I would have been able to go into deep relaxation - but no sooner did I lie down than another one would start and I'd have to go trotting back to the bathroom. I don't know how many contractions I had but it can't have been that many when I became aware that they had 'changed' - they were no longer as extremely painful, and I realised with a shock that I was bearing down! I feebly tried calling DH but he had the pump on downstairs and couldn't hear me (there was a 'comedy' situation with the birth pool where DH thought that the groundsheet was the pool liner and came upstairs to tell me that I'd bought the wrong size - and then popped back sheepishly 10 minutes later to admit that actually, he was an idiot. So he had to bail it out and start again, while I was desperate to get in it. We should have just run a bath!).

Fortunately DH came back up to update me on the pool situation and discovered me mooing on the loo, went a bit white and said - 'I'm going to find out where the midwife is!'. I had the bathroom window open and could hear her coming down the path - have never been so relieved in my life!! She popped her head round the bathroom door, took one look at me and said 'stop pushing! You'll have that baby down the toilet!'. Anyway, long story short, she managed to coax me (unwillingly) back to the bedroom where she examined me, said I was nearly 10cm with a lip, ran back out to get her case of equipment, came back, and then she was brilliant - just told me to do whatever my body told me to do, which was the nicest and most reassuring thing to hear at that point.

Her co-midwife turned up a couple of minutes later, and within 20 minutes our son was born - me kneeling by the side of the bed (which DH had to lift over to the side so that we could all squeeze in!) - his cord was left to pulsate so they passed him up to me through my legs and then helped me manouevre back onto the bed and lay him on my stomach for the next half an hour. The only unpleasant bit of that was getting the shakes really violently - and poor DS wailed every time I started shaking. The placenta was delivered naturally about 2 mins after the cord was cut. I actually have no idea why they decided on a natural third stage, I'd have gladly had the injection, it was quite uncomfortable! But apart from that I was on a MASSIVE high all day, we spent nearly the whole day in bed, and I'm still reliving the whole thing a week later! I would never have believed I would give birth in 2.5 hours and definitely think that being at home and relaxed had something to do with that. Although painful in parts I wasn't remotely frightened during the whole experience, and that can only be a good thing. Oh and I did need a few stitches afterwards but to be honest it was worth it for the gas and air.

Shipslady - poor you, I hope something is happening for you by now - I did a mammoth cleaning session in the 2 days before, I think that kicked something into gear?!