Home birth - tips for 2nd time lucky?

[Milliemuffin]

I'll keep it short but basically with DS I was at home with the midwife (and DP) in the pool (1am) as planned, in alot of pain, on the g&a and baby was right there but I didnt feel when to push and even though baby was right there I just couldnt do it, couldn't feel anything other than pain so we transferred in (5am) and 1hr later after episiotomy & forceps DS was pulled out weighing 8lb. I'm about 5ft 5 and 8st 11 if that helps. It wasn't a long labour so I wasn't exhausted I just couldn't push!

We're planning another home birth but as well as the tens / hypno cd's, is there anything I can do other than pelvic floor exercises to improve my chances of a successful home birth?

Sorry things didn't go to plan last time. I'm not sure if there is anything in particular you can do, but you might find that things naturally go smoother simply because this is your second DC.

I had hospital births for DDs 1 and 2. With DD1 I had an epidural, episiotomy and rotational forceps (after about 12 hours) as she was OP and wouldn't turn. In contrast, my labour with DD2 was about 6 hours and I gave birth naturally with only entonox.

Lets hope so, thanks for replying xx

Just like you I didn't get a real urge to push and when DS1 was born the midwife had to tell me when to push as I just didn't know myself but DS2 was born naturally at home without intervention.

I used natal hypnotherapy CD from NCT which I thought was really helpful,as it really relaxs you, empowers you and instills confidence in your ability to give birth, but also to accept it if your plans have to change.

Also in the last two months or so of pregnancy I practiced optimal fetal positioning to get the baby in the best posible position for delivery.see www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm for details.
Its essentially avoiding lying on your back or leaning back, leaning forward as much as you can and keeping your knees lower than your hips when you sit.

The other thing that I would definately suggest is that you keep mobile during labour, walking around as much as you can, and especially staying upright to let gravity do as much work. I've read that walking up and downstairs is especially effective, but I can't comment on that myself.

I hope this helps everything goes as you want.

Thankyou BGM, I was in the pool for about 2.5/3 hours on all fours so maybe that had something to do with it, will definitely try and move around a bit more and will add climb stairs to my list of things to remember.

Thanks again xx