what do midwives do to prepare you for homebirth?

[currycrazy]

i am 34 weeks pregnant and would like a hospital birth for various reasons but as my dp works sometimes a few hours away at a time and only one friend to fall back on for a lift and help to look after my dd i might need to admit defeat and have baby at home if everything backfires.

i rang the midwife and asked if this were to happen do i just ring for a midwife to come round and she said it would be best to "prepare" for a homebirth and they usually do this at 37 weeks?

she said i need to speak to my midwife about it who is currently on hols.

does anyone know what the whole "prepare" thing means?
are they going to turn my living room into a hospital?

They will do a home visit to make sure you have the facilities they need ie enough space, running hot water, electricity etc. They will also check that there is sufficient access for an ambulance in case it is needed and draw a map/take directions for their office for any midwife that happens to be the one called on the day.

That was it for me. They gave me a checklist of things they like to have available to them (bucket, towels, old duvet, desklamp, kettle etc) and went on their merry way.

Some midwifery teams deliver a 'kit' a couple of weeks beforehand so that it's there ready for them but mine didn't do this.

Really it's the midwives who need to prepare, not you or your house. They need to know how many women they have planning it, where they are, familiarise themselves with any potential issues etc.

It's a good idea for you to prepare yourself though. Have a look at the homebirth website. Think about what you want, where you'd like to labour, practical concerns etc.

When it happens though you can just phone your friend to sit with dd and get a taxi if dh isn't there. Would that work?

Mine delivered stuff a few weeks before DD - oxygen, gas&air, emergency kit (although I think not all of the kit as they usually leave as there were so many HB's at the time it was all out). Wasn't piles of it, we just had it in our spare room. As has already been said, apart from that you just need plenty of old towels to hand and a birth pool if you want it.

showofhands,thanks for the taxi idea,that is another option..........is it going to be hit and miss if a taxi will be prepared to take me? thanks all for replies!

Many labouring women use taxis. If you ring round in advance you'll get a good idea of the companies' policies. Many will be happy to do it.

Keep enough cash for the fare to hand nearer the time and the number for a company that's fine to take a labouring woman. Or several in case it's rush hour!

Much the same as has been said in my area, mine deliver the kit once you hit 37 weeks, just a couple of boxes with the gas and air and all the delivery gubbins. Good idea to have an old shower curtain or something to spread on your bed/wherever you want to deliver.

We didn't have a car when I had ds, we were told by the MW to phone an ambulance if I was having a hospital delivery! I decided it sounded like far less stress to just plan a HB

They probably just mean notify them so they can sort out the rotas and for you and them to get together the stuff that might be needed just in case. There's some info here on things you might need. Some areas drop stuff off in advance and others don't. I've lived in both. Here they don't even want to do a home visit particularly.

In my case, it meant that the MW brought a huge list of things for me to sign that I 'consented' to, such as "I understand that my MW might not be trained in water births so I might not be allowed to get into my own pool in my own house with my own body" etc. I was not impressed but I signed.

Ah yes TPL, my MW last time round tried that. I didn't agree to everything. Mind you, at the not being trained for waterbirth, that's appauling.

My MW gave me a list of things to have on hand, and they'll bring the rest with them when I go into labor. (Haven't had the baby yet!) The only thing they've left with me is a stack of paperwork.

Yes Grendle I was shocked too. In the event the MW who turned up was trained, or at least she didn't tell me she wasn't! She was only with me for half an hour before the birth anyway and all she did was listen to DS2's heartbeat, tell me she needed to do a vaginal examination which I refused and catch DS2 as he came rocketing out. I had no intention of doing anything I didn't want to anyway, regardless of what they had asked me to sign.

My midwife came round for a chat and to make sure we had enough room etc. She also:

• arranged delivery of homebirth kit and gas and air.
• asked us to have something to cover the floor (got old duvet and shower curtain plus old towels)
• went through procedure for what we should do when I go into labour and what they then do (go to hospital to pick up tubing for gas/air and various drugs to deliver placenta and deal with bleeds)
• went through list of reasons may need to transfer to hospital.
• answered any other questions.

She was particularly reassuring about having other children in the house, saying she's often at births where younger siblings are present. They usually pop in and out to see their mum and are fine. I don't think your house will look like a hospital - my birth kit is locked in a cupboard upstairs and is in a large holdall on wheels. Also have a fetching placenta bucket! Hoping mine will happen this week. Good luck!

Just wanted to add - don't worry about taxis! I got one to the birth centre when in labour (hubby didn't drive at the time and I was in no fit state to drive myself!) It was fine, although the driver did seem to be going quite fast - probably scared I might give birth in his car If a taxi refuses to come to you you would obviously have to call an ambulance or ask a relative/friend to take you. Good luck!

My MW dropped off paperwork and some drugs to keep in the fridge, and ran through a checklist of things like is mobile reception good, parking, land line, ease of finding house etc, and like others have said, suggested things to have available.

I had a taxi lovely man wife had had 10 kids and have to say he was better than the mw . The taxi firm knew I was in labor as I discussed it before hand and the owner came rather than some young lad who would have been scared.