If you had a homebirth could you possibly quickly answer these questions for me?

[Picante]

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

1. Which room did you use and why?

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

Thanks!!!

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

11pm, I was nipple-stimming in bed (sorry if TMI!)

1. Which room did you use and why?

Living room, because it's the only room we have downstairs apart from kitchen and loo, and the birth pool wouldn't have fitted in either of them! Birth pools upstairs are a risky business.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

DH and two MWs. Plus the dogs, who I thought were asleep but the little one was apparently doing laps around the pool!

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

DD2 was born at 5:30am, and I stayed downstairs for a while to watch everyone clear up while I fed DD2 . When DD1 woke up at 7am the next morning, I think she was a bit nervous to come downstairs. So I went up with DD2 and they got to meet each other then. DD1 (2.5 at the time) was absolutely smitten!

I didn't plan a homebirth but ds came so fast we got one anyway!

1. What time of day did you go into labour? very first period pain like twinge at 2.30am, ds arrived 6.15am

1. Which room did you use and why?

stayed in the bath as long as i could with dh running hot shower over my back. was lured into ds's room - the nearest and the emptiest in the house at the time - with the promise of gas and air. Wasnt very well prepared, no dust sheets etc and made a bit of a mess but insurance payed to have the carpets cleaned.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

dh slept through first couple of hours. 2 person ambulance crew turned up 5.15am. Midwife arrived 6.10am.

1. How soon after did you introduce any older sibling. Ds is our eldest.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

Went into full labour at 2.30am and gave birth at 4.50am

1. Which room did you use and why?

Bedroom as it all happened so quickly. We'd planned on downstairs if it was during the night so that the noise didn't wake up DD1 (then 26 months) but I never had a chance to get downstairs. I woke up to a loud popping sound (a bit like when you're knees or hips click), had a contraction, decided to go for a wee and got very wet feet as waters burst. Went downstairs to make a cup of tea (labour with DD1 took 12 hours so I thought I had a long time) for DH and me, but by the time the kettle had boiled it took 3 contractions to get up the stairs!

1. Who did you have with you during the birth? DH was with me the entire time. The MW didn't arrive until 4.30am (hospital was v busy so were only sending her to check me before admitting me). She arrived checked me and sent DH out to get all stuff as I was 10cm and ready to push. My mum was supposed to be there to look after DD1 but she didn't arrive until 6am (much to her relief!). DD1 stayed asleep until DD2 had made an appearance but DH gave her some warm milk and shut her door again and she went back to sleep (most unlike her!)

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings? DD1 woke at 7am which was perfect - my mum had cleared everything up, I'd been stitched and had a shower and was tucked up in bed (bliss) with DD2 as if nothing unusual had happened at all. DD1 was more amazed that nanny had magically turned up over night!

Was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, but I'm not sure DH would let me have another baby at home as he was convinced that he'd be delivering DD2 on his own as MW took so long to arrive.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

DS2: Bang on 9pm at night, as I was putting DS1 to bed

DD: had sweep at 11am, had pains all day, labour started properly at about 11pm

1. Which room did you use and why?

The living room for both, with DS2 it was becuse it was the best room for the birth pool and with DD just because thats where we all congregated and I gave birth on the couch.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

DS2: My mum, DH and 2 midwives.

DD: My mum, DH, 2 midwives and my 18 yr old sister (i think I put her off kids for life!! )

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

With DS2 I had him at 3am ish and DS1 came down at about 6:30am,

DD, DS1 came down at about 8am and S2 a whileafter (upon seeing DD DS2 said 'is it a dog?' )

1. Evening. DD was born at 4.18am

1. Living room. Because we had a wooden floor, adn also becuase I came downstairs to say hello to midwife, and didn't move any where else.

1. DH and one midwfe (the 2nd midwife arrived just after she was born) DS2 was also in the room.

1. DS1 was introduced as soon as he woke up.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

DD2 - around midnight, baby born 02.52am DD3- waters broke around 9pm, baby born around 7.45am

1. Which room did you use and why?

Bedroom both times, next to bathroom and I just wanted to be there. Used the end of the bed for holding onto and bearing down.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth? Midwife and DH.

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

With DD2, DD1 (who was two) woke up around 6am and came in to the bedroom to find DD2 asleep in the moses basket. With DD3, they were downstairs watching a video with my mum in charge so all came up as soon as I was stitched up and looking human again. (More for my mum's sake than theirs. But they had been wandering in and out of the bedroom until I went into stage 2 labour).

Ok I am now slightly concerned about the number of paramedics!

I'm planning to have dh, 2 midwives (one of them just before the birth apparently), doula and my sister... that's 6 of us... too many?

1. waters broke at 11.30pm, DD born 5am

1. downstairs living/dining room for birthing pool and also wooden floorboards (only toilet is upstairs, had one trip up there before 'active' labour began, it wasn't a problem, just a bit slow going up and down)

1. DH and two midwives

1. no siblings as first child

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

Had s&s at 2.30. Labour started 4pm. My midwife had told me to ring as soon as I felt anything, but on my way out of the docs, I thought, "it won't be long"

1. Which room did you use and why?

Bathroom, although we had prepared the lounge. Once I got there, I didn't want to move again. I had made such a fuss about wanting a birthing stool and when it came to it, I couldnt even look at it, never mind sit on it!

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

2 midwives and dh

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

Ds born at 11.20pm. Dd was introduced about 8.30 following morning as she stayed with my mum overnight

1. I think it was 6:30am but midwife reckons it was 11:00pm I had ds at 1:45am.

1. I used my kitchen which was large as I had a water birth.

1. I had 2 midwives, my mother and DH.

1. I dont have any other children and my cat sulked for days. We introduced my step kids very slowly about a month afterwards as one wanted to meet him, the other didnt. They love him now.

Had 4 hbs all in the birth pool in the kitchen/my bedroom mostly early in the morning.

Had mw and dh with me, mum looking after dc.

Dc always woke up to see and cuddle the latest little addition.

HBs are fantastic as you are in control and can have a luxury bubble bath immediately after in your own home!

Picante, great thread, hope you don't mind if I butt in with additional qu.

Curious about the room choice. We live in a terrace house, and thought the walls are reasonably solid, I do wonder what the neighbours might make of the noises! (My first time so not really sure how noisy I'll be, but don't want to feel too self-conscious).

How did any of you with adjoining walls deal with this (potential) issue?! Thanks.

"I'm planning to have dh, 2 midwives (one of them just before the birth apparently), doula and my sister... that's 6 of us... too many?"

Have as many people there that you feel comfortable having! That's the beauty of HB!

My first was in a birthing center in the states, about as close to home without being there, and I had 12 friends & family in the room.
It was an amazing experience for everyone involved and one of my friends went on to become a doula.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

waters broke at 10.30pm, started contractions about midnight, ds born at 4am

1. Which room did you use and why?

started labouring in living room, then went up to have a birth and ended up giving birth in bathroom hanging off the sink.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

DH, doula, my mum and midwife arrived with seconds to spare.

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

That was my first, but about to do it again in 6 weeks time, so can report back how the sibling thing goes!

good luck!

1. Went into labour at 1.30 am. Midwives say you will go into labour when your body is relaxed enough and ready. DS2 born at 3.14am.

1. Lounge, more space to move around and for the midwives. Never occured to me to use the bedroom.

1. DH, 2MWs and student MW. DS1 asleep at the time.

1. DS1 met DS2 when he got up, about 4 hours later.

oops - to have a 'birth' should be 'to have a bath'

funny slip though!

bishbosh - I think the last thing a labouring woman thinks or cares about is what the neighbours think!

As long as you warn them you'll be having a baby at home and to ignore any screams or moos, I'm sure they'll be understanding.

There was a women a few doors down who I'm sure was having a baby a couple of nights ago. Lots of crying, shouting and moo-ing. I thought she was being a attacked or something at first!

My neighbour went and sat in the dogs kennel apparantly as he couldnt stand the noise. Bless him!

I was supposed to have 2 mws but only 1 turned up but dh was hands on and so was my mum so doesn't really matter as long as everyone is up for it and expects it to look like an axe murder has taken place.

I know my dc walked in on their way to school and saw quite a lot of blood. But they knew it was part and parcel of the process to get their little sibling as they had leafed through the nhs baby book amongst others and their bond is especially strong.

yep, you really wouldn't care about the neighbours by the loud stage. i apologised to mine after, and they claimed they didn't hear a thing (maybe they were just being polite).
as i keep saying, you could have brought santa clause into the room and i really wouldn't have noticed during labour. the intensity of the experience just takes over everything.

Ah yes that reminds me to post a note through nextdoor's letterbox! Although they are students so hopefully will be away in August anyway!

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

about midnight. Gentle enough for me to stay in bed and finish my book for the first few hours, intermittently wondering if I really was in labour. Got serious around 5am.

1. Which room did you use and why?

living room-it's the biggest room and our bedroom is right next to dd1's. Had birth pool but didn't use it in the end-spent most of labour standing up/walking around, gave birth on all fours leaning on a pile of cushions

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

one or two midwives, and dh

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

dh took dd1 off to stay with some friends of ours at around 6am when it was apparent she wouldn't be persuaded to go back to bed. She ended up spending the whole day with them and came back at around 6pm (dd2 born at 10.30am)

i keep getting ds to practice mooing noises with me in the hope that he won't be too freaked out by it all.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

6am/6am/8pm (last one threw me a bit)

1. Which room did you use and why?

Dining room as the right size for birthing pool and could be dedicated as birthing room for a week or two before the big day.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

Independent midwife and DH.

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

Next morning.

1. What time of day did you go into labour?

Was labouring during the day (had a show at lunchtime and just kind of carried on from there). Called the midwives about 9.30pm and had DS2 at 23:40

1. Which room did you use and why?

Bedroom. Was comfortable, just enough space for one midwife either side and I think we decided it'd be more contained and comfortable. I had him on my side on the bed, as I say with one midwife either side and DH up the head end! Was also then nice and handy for the lovely bath the midwives ran for me straight after.

1. Who did you have with you during the birth?

DH and 2 midwives (although it felt like one barely had time to get her coat off as we'd left it a bit late to ring with hindsight!)

1. How soon after did you introduce any older siblings?

DS1 had spent the night at Granny's (cos we had the labouring day to sort it out) and came back at breakfast time when she couldn't contain him any longer (or herself I expect!)

How did any of you with adjoining walls deal with this (potential) issue?! Thanks.
We had adjoining walls and neighbours bedroom next to ours. I actually don't think it was an issue, because I was so comfortable in my environment, there wasn't a lot of screaming. Yes, some noise being that I'm not a Tom-Cruise-thingamy but not a lot at all, probably no more than kind of talking level. They certainly never mentioned it anyway! I think the only neighbours who guessed were a couple down the road who work shifts and saw a couple of extra cars parked out front late at night.

Great experience ladies, enjoy it - I certainly did and would actually go through the whole day again at the drop of a hat. (NOT something I said after DS1!)