Giving Birth

[Lumpy]

I am due my baby 2 weeks on saturday and have started to feel a bit nervous about labour (as Im a bit of a wimp when it comes to pain) - does anyone have any advice re pain relief/best positions for childbirth - I was ok until I started reading the baby books - agghhh...HELP.

Pupuce, I was absolutely dreading my second birth - I'd been induced with the first and went from nothing to full-on labour in about 1 hour. I didn't cope at all well with the pain (until the bliss of the epidural). So when I phoned the midwife to come & check me out when I thought I was starting with my second (had never experienced going into labour naturally - though it was wind for the 1st hour!), imagine my amazement when she told me I was 9cms, and unless I wanted to give birth in the back of a car, I should forget going to hospital "let's do the show right here". I won't say there was no pain, but it was certainly manageable, and I was so calm that my eldest (then 29 months) stayed in the room & was there when her sister was born - it really was magical. My point (after the ramble down memory lane), is that you really don't know (as others have already said) how it's going to be the second time around, so just try to relax & go with the flow.

I kept upright,on my knees, and kept moving. The midwife encouraged me to have a shower when I was 9cm dilated. She showered my tummy with warm water, as I held on to the top of the cubicle. I had no pain relief apart from bellowing very very loudly, which really helped! It was a very painful walk across the room to the shower, but the baby arrived very soon after that.

I thought the Real Birth Show gave a very positive glimpse of home births. Both the women seemed to cope with the pain really well and watching them has made me keen to try water next time. What struck me was how important good support was in terms of coping with the pain. Both the women shown had midwives to hand who really seemed to understand what they were going through and they seemed to be in control at every stage - very different from my first birth which was in an NHS hospital although lacked any pain relief.

Thought Zoe was a terrible choice as host though. She didn't seem desperately knowledgable or interested for that matter.

oh yes, I remember all that sleeping on your left side. It did nothing for me though, someone did mention sitting in a particular position may be helpful, but sorry can't remember what it was! You are lucky being close to Helios, very envious. I also think that Zoe ( I've had a baby ) Ball was a rotten choice for that programme. She seemed totally scared stiff by the very idea of a homebirth. She really annoys me anyway, so she had a bad start to convince me of her sincerity and concern.Good luck Pupuce, thinking relaxing thoughts.( cor isn't that the useful thing to say! )You know what I mean.Just try .

Out of interest, how many people who planned on having a Home Birth, ended up having to go into hospital whilst in labour, is it particularly common?

Ems, I would be interested in the replies you get to your question, as I would like a home birth but my hubby is worried of complications and getting to hospital in time.
I had a water birth, although my son wasnt born in water as it made me so relaxed I had to get out for a while and thats when he decided to be born. But I loved it in there, it really helped with back pain. When we decide to have another I will be asking for the pool to be booked.

Ems and Joe

I read in a magazine that for first time mothers 40% of home birth end up in hospital - mainly because they can't cope with the pain. This doesn't mean to say that they are wimps (I ended up in hospital myself during my first home birth) but it can be so long and overwhelming (my labour was posterior and I had already pushed for 3 hours when I agreed to be transfered... had to push another 3 hours in hospital without any pain relief but they gave me the famous drip to accelerate contractions).

As for the safety aspect... well first of all you are only "allowed" a home birth if you are a no complication case to start with. My experience of HB was that I had the BEST midwives in the area with me - extremly experienced. 1 of my friends who was transfered because of complications was fine and never in danger though they really didn't want her to continue at home.

I have written on another discussion board on this site that a lot of women (I do not want to generalise) who go for home birth are very well prepared (read a lot, discussed it a lot), know what they want, have good support and have less reason to worry. Based on what I hear of hospital births, staff can be "worried" (maybe because it isn't going fast enough - at home you can take as much time as you want/need/can cope with,...) and make you worry... which is probably felt by the baby. At which point you might get a distressed baby and I am sure you know where that leads to !

I have read several times that HB are as safe as hospital if not safer. But I recognise that not everyone might want to go for one ! and the NHS isn't resourced to have that many anyway as you need 1 with you full time and a second one at the end. I am told that in hospital they might let you get on without one for a while.

P.S. The midwives who do HB on a regular basis tend to prefer it (that's my experience) because it ususally is a much more relaxed and natural affair.

P.S. 2 - still no baby so I am surfing.
Did I mention that I have excrutiating back pain when I walk - hence I want this baby now so the pressure can be relieved (I hope!)

Pupuce, thinking of you. Best wishes ...

Thanks Winnie !

I think I would have been transfered if I had had a HB with my son. I became very tired, I had been awake for nearly 36 hours by the time he was born (I think thats why I became so relaxed in the pool it was all warm and relaxing) other than that no complications. I only had gas and air but it was 4 large bottles and 2 small but only upto the last stage. I will definitely be asking for a water birth next and maybe my husband will change his mind about HB. Good luck Pupuce and hope you dont have to wait to long to meet your little one.

Ems and Joe, I planned a home birth for my first child, we live 10-15 minutes from the hospital. I had a water pool etc at home and had the whole first stage there. It was fantastic and I felt really in control. When I was fully dilated the midwife discovered that the baby was breech so I had to transfer. Had to try not too push whilst getting out of the pool, packing a bag (!), getting dressed and getting into ambulance! But apart from that and the disappointment I felt, it wasn't trauamtic.

Ended up with a caesarian...This time (as seasoned readers of these boards will know) I planned another homebirth - persuaded the reticent medical establishment to allow it post-caesarian - then ended up having a bleed at 34 weeks so changed to 'mothers' suite' and ended up with another fairly chaotic delivery!

Ems, my sister opted for home birth with her first child, complete with birthing pool (Pupuce - your observation was correct where she was concerned - she knew exactly what she wanted and had read a veritable library of books!). Everything went well in the early stages, but before she could actually be bothered to get in the pool some complications arose (don't remember what exactly) requiring her to be taken in. Thank God is all I can say as, what with all the puffing and panting, she somehow managed to puncture her lung. The minute my nephew was born she experienced dreadful pain across her chest and her vitals went haywire. Luckily staff realised what had happened and within minutes she was being attended to by a thoracic (think that is how you spell it) surgeon.
Fortunately the puncture managed to heal itself without the need of a chest drain and she has suffered no long term damage - but I don't know if that would have been the case if she had not received help so quickly.
I am all for home births - but would never have considered one first time around. As it is I will have to have a c section next time (next time... like that's going to happen!) so it's not a choice I will have to make. To be honest I don't think they are a great idea with the first baby - you have no idea how you are going to react with the pain and there is no birthing history to go on. Plus if 40% of first time mothers opting for home births end up going in I presume they are doing so mainly by ambulances that could otherwise have been attending emergencies.

Willow2 - I don't know how many go by ambulance - I did because I was in second stage but my friend did not... I think it varies at what stage they transfer you.
Speaking for myself only - I never considered a hospital birth once I found out I was pregnant with number 1 up to the point that I had not even prepared a bag (my bag is ready this time - hoping I won't need it!). While I agree with you that I had no way of knowing what I was in for, the midwives who were following me during my pregnancy did talk me through quite a lot of the scenarios and I was a low risk person... so it felt like this is really what I wanted : no medical staff (at home, the midwife feels more like a support person than a "manager" of your birth), my music, my furniture, my food (which I didn't touch!) .... it just felt completely natural to me.

With my son I was advised against a home birth because he was our first.

Thanks to everyone for their support....
I delivered Amy last night (almost 24 hours ago) at home, in water.... it was my second labour and I was a bit anxious but it was all over in 5 hours. The pain was as bad as the first time but at least this time it went 100% according to plan.
Baby is doing great and her brother (20 months old) can already pronounce her name (he only started pronouncing his last week!!!!) and has given her lots of cuddles.
Thanks to Mumsnet members for their words of encouragement!

Pupuce, congratulations to you and your family! Great news! Glad it all went well.

Congratulations Pupuce!

Well done, enjoy. I dont know about anybody else but I am really getting broody all these babies being born and others falling pregnant. Mmmmm Ill have to wait for a little while.

Message withdrawn

Pupuce,
Congratulations! Glad it all went according to plan as well. How big was Amy?
Good luck.

Well done, Pupace. Glad it all went swimmingly!

PS Has anyone ever counted how many 'mumsnet babies' have been delivered so far?

The baby was 7.1 lbs...quite a good size I think !!!!!!!!

Nice size....Not too small but not leg crossingly too big...

My second was 8lb 13oz....I dread to think what the next is going to be! Oooo just the thought of it!

Hmonty, am trying not to think of the birth! But I was pretty quick last time (6 hours) and doc said I'll be even quicker. Help, what if I'm wandering around Sainsbury or somewhere!!and what do you do with your other little ones if you've no family local to look after them in an emergency. I have visions of him toddling around the delivery room while I try not to scare him!!!

My dates sound the same as yours (around 7th April). You're the only other pregnant person I know at the moment. A virtually pregnant friend at any rate!

I can sympathise with you on that one Lil - my first baby arrived in 2 hours and 20 minutes flat and I have also been warned that no. 2 is likely to be even quicker. I am not stopping work until 2 days after my due date so am vaguely concerned at the possibility of giving birth on the premises!.

Would be very interested to hear from others who had very quick births first time around as to what happened with subsequent births.