Home birth essentials and pain relief advice please?

[Tyson86]

Hi, i have had the yes for a home birth, im only 24 weeks on friday but want to get the stuff i need early so i can relax.
I want a birthing pool and was wondering can i have gas and air.
Also what are tens machine like, do they actually work. This is dc#2 and dont want to much meds this time round.
What other meds can they offer you at home?
What else will i need?
TIA

You can have g&a at a homebirth, the mws will bring it with them when they come out to you. Not sure about pool as I didn't have one.

In some places you can get a prescription for pethedine, but you would need to check this.

I had a tens machine both times (hired from Boots I think) and found it really useful. I didn't use any other pain relief. They are a bit of a love/hate thing and I know some people want to rip them off and throw them across the room.

Other stuff - old towels and sheets to protect the floor, I had a washing up bowl to do unmentionable things in, a torch, and a packed hospital bag just in case (also so you have all your bits close at hand when the baby is born and you need clothes/nappy for them)

Oh and choc biscuits...

Hi there

I had a homebirth (first baby) 16 weeks ago. It was totally amazing - fast and furious but I loved it and can't wait to do it again. Being at home made me (normally total wimp) really relaxed. So relaxed in fact that I prsumed I was in early labour and we didn't end up calling midwife until 10 mins before I started pushing!

I bought a la bassine pool (never used off ebay) but didn't end up using it as the birth was fast. A friend has since used it and had a magical birth - she said it was super comfy and her daughter swam up to her.How amazing!

I hired a tens machine from here: www.newroadclinic.co.uk/hire.htm but I didn't get on with it. Foudn the shocks strong and distracting though they did take the edge off the contractions. I know a lot of people do find it helpful though, and it's so cheap from that place it is worth having in case it works for you. Advice is to put it on as soon as you feel anything as it works better if you use throughout.

At home you can have gas and air and, if you request it in advance, pethidine. Pethidine (in case you haven't had it) is useful if you are having a reasonably long first stage and need a rest before you are near to full dilation- it doesn't numb the pain, but chills you out so you don't mind. I asked for it to be brought, but was pushing by time midwives got there.

Things I'm glad we had to hand:

• birthing ball - I swear I went in to labour at 37+4 and had a quick labour as I spent the month before the birth, and first hour of labour on the ball

• jug - for Dh to pour water of bump during contractions while in bath - the only method of pain relief I ended up using

• clary sage and lavender essential oils and oil burner to burn in labour. Supposed to speed up contractions.

• natal nypnotherapy CDs. Amazing.

• tarpaulin to protect floor - get 2 - one for under the pool, one for area around the pool in case you give birth/deliver placenta outside water

• bucket: they ask you to get your mop bucket to sit of to deliver placenta in to. Mind was square therefore uncomfy so wish I'd had a round one

• waterproof mattress protector in case you give birth on bed and a few old sheets to cover sofa etc

• food to eat in labour, glucose tablets, energy drinks

• lots of towels: for you and baby

• someone around after you have given birth apart from DH (think about hiring a doula). We did hire one, but as DD was early she wasn't available. I was fine during birth, but afterwards midwives had gone after 2 hours (which was great) but I then had to get myself in and out of bath on own, clean myself up etc. as DH was looking after DD. I wish I'd had someone on hand to help me haul myself in to bath, make us some food etc.

• inco pads: if waters break at home and to sit on afterwards

Other tips:

• remove nice cushions/towels/blankets etc. You won't care when in labour and midwives/DH won't either and they will end up getting used. My expensive cushions have unidentified stains on them. Only I know that midwives used them to prop me up when they were giving me a couple of stitches afterwards

• don't tell anyone who isn't supportive - it's just too tiring. I didn't tell my Dad (doctor) at all and only told my mum 2 days before

• if you can go on an active birth course with DH I found it very helpful

• if you are worried about the pain, be reassured that women who have home births rate pain much lower on a scale of 1-10 than those in hospital. I certainly am not a brave person, but managed this, my first labour, without any pain relief. Being at home and feeling relaxed really helped

Good luck!

Thanks i never thought of the washing up bowl. Will def try a tens machine then.

Obviously you can't use a tens in a pool but both are good options.

I had a la bassine. It was brilliant.

Midwives will give you a checklist.

No pethidine allowed here, g&a only.

Oh yes, loved my birthball, spent most of my labour on it 2nd time round, helps keep you upright which I htink in my case definitely speeded things up.

I had my mum there both times (as well as DH) and she was fantastic for post-natal support.

rebecca thank you very much, alot of advice. The mop bucket freaked me out abit lol. I will have my mum and dh here dh throughout and mum after the birth. Love the idea that the mw's leave after a couple of hours.

MW round here don't bring gas and air so check that. The do 'visualisation' and that is it because 'women who do homebirths do so because they don't want any intervention at all' apparently.

Borninthecrap your not fro Northampton are you?

Nope, I'm in an even crappier LA!

Now i look silly, noticed your whole name after i posted I thought LA was meant to be great?

Tyson best bit is we still use the mop bucket as a mop bucket - I just has special significance!!!

Have a look on the homebirth UK website, it's full of advice, birth stories, links etc. I've spent hours on there, it's great.

The waterbirth page on there is v useful and there are links to a few hire companies. There's one that does an inflatable one for £80 which is v cheap.

I would definately look at some hypnosis/ relaxation techniques. It really helps. I loved the hypnobirthing course first time round, am giving natal hypnotherapy a go this time. In either case, you can either go on a course (expensive) or just buy the CDs/ books and DIY (cheap).

Finally, you could read a few books on childbirth/ homebirth. It's good to be prepared and also gives you confidence. There are loads on Amazon but, being a bit skint, I've been getting them from e-bay or the library. Would be happy to recommend a few if you're interested.

It's lovely being at home, even if you end up transferring, as I did. Am going for a home birth again this time providing all is well.

If you don't fancy the mop bucket... you might also want to see if you could deliver the Placenta on the loo?

I did this - the midwife grabbed the stainless steel bowl part of our weighing scales and put in the toilet bowl. As a result, the whole thing was very unmessy.

I suppose the stainless steel aspect of it meant it was unbreakable and hygienic in that it could be thrown in the dishwasher... but I haven't been able to look at the scales in the same way since!

good luck!

Wildstrawberries - a handy hint about the weighing scales bowl! Though I think I would be tempted to buy a new one

We were given a list by the midwives of all the things we needed. We never used all the washing up bowls and buckets and I still don't know what they needed them for!

The most essential thing we had was a plastic shower curtain to go over the bed/floor for the messy bit - which everything just got bundled up in at the end and thrown away. Although I didn't even notice the mess and it all vanished astonishingly quickly!

Also worth getting a halogen heater (very cheap from places like Wilko). I gave birth in February and the midwives were very keen to avoid the baby getting too cold once he was born and having to transfer to hospital for that reason. The house ended up boiling but it was worth it.

I was prescribed pethadine (about 2 weeks before I was due) which I had to go and ask a GP for seperately as the midwives cannot supply. We didn't use it but I was glad to have it there. I never liked the sound of the side-effects for the baby, but do wonder if it would have made things easier? I had paracetemol throughout - although I doubt it made much difference!

Tens machine was useless in my opinion - I hated it and took it off after a few minutes. But it is so personal it's probably worth hireing one in as it might just work for you.

Midwives had one cannister of gas and air and were very, very keen for me to not to use it too early - they didn't even bring it in from the car! In the end I ended up not having it beacause I was worried about having it too early and by the time I could have done with it I was beyond asking... I won't make this mistake this time (December) and will make them bring it in and get some more if it runs out!

Birthing ball was essential too.

Oh, and remember to warn your neighbours. I never got round to telling mine we were having a HB and I think they were a bit worried at first!

p.s Is the bit about the mop bucket really true?! I lay on the bed to deliver the placenta and then it had all vanished by the time I had got out of the bath... no buckets mentioned!

Yep - totally true. They said it was so they can make sure they have it all contained so they can examine it afterwards (to check none has been retained. I was quite surprised too! I guess different MWs have different ways of doing things.

natal hynotherapy cd! i didn't even use the G&A. the maggie howell one. i started using mine at about 28 weeks. listened to it lots. birth was lovely. no pain. unlike dd's epidural birth which HURT.

and yes, i found being at home helped so much. i was 3cm at 5pm MW appnt, started regular contractions at 8pm and when MWs arrived at 1am i was 8cm. i think it really helped me progress just getting to stay at home and bed in rather than move to alien environment,

good luck

I delivered the placenta in the pool whilst I was still in it snuggling and feeding.

well, different people do this different wys ...

i walked to give myself something to do between contractions..up and down the room. didn't try the G& A (though it was there, and they will let you send to the hospital for more if you run out (though your probs don't want to send your birthing partner on that errand too close to the birth!) som epoeple find it more of a hindrance than a help....

the only stuff you really need is..towels to wrap baby in once born, (and there are alternatives)

Thank you for all the advice, i bought 2 blue shower curtains from ikea yesterday on offer for 99p, how many should i get? I don want to end up with not enough

My HOME BIRTH PREP LIST:

FOR THE HOUSE for labour:
Waterproof nonslip floor covering
Birth pool
Electric pump to inflate pool
Hose and tap connectors to fill pool
Large torch
Large hand mirror
Sieve
Water temp thermometer
Rubber ducks
Towels for mopping up
Big bean bag
Kneeling mat
Food for midwives + us
Drinks for midwives + us

FOR ME for labour:
Midwives mobile/ personal contact number
Midwives pack

NOTES
BIRTH PLAN
Something to wear for labour
TENS Machine
Spare batteries and pads for TENS
CDs + CD Player
Candles
Face Flannels
Digital Camera (charged)
Video Camera (charged) + tripod
Black bin liner bags for dirty clothes and towels
Homeopathy Kit for labour

For Baby:
Changing mat for baby to lay on
Towels
Nappies
Vest
Baby-gro
Moses basket

For after labour :
Bright lamp for inspecting my bits

Maternity pads and big knickers
Disposable cleaning cloths, Bin bags, Anti-bacterial cleaning sprays

Pressys from baby to siblings
Pressys to baby from siblings

ps 4 shower curtains will do it.

Two for on the floor under the pool with a bit overflowing each side. Then one for a chair and one for a sofa xxx

Good luck with your hb - was a fab experience for me.

I used:

2/3 shower curtains plus a large sheet of thin clear tarpaulin from B&Q. I had a pool so needed a larger area to protect!

Several old towels and curtains to cover up the plastic and so you don't slip coming out of the pool.

A few old cushions thrown about on the floor.

A pack of bed mats that you use when toilet training - handy for the mw to throw over anything uncovered I happened to stumble upon when waddling around in the final stages!

A bag of stuff for me after the birth - keep handy so it's all ready and you're not asking dh to get it! I had maternity pads, clean pants, dressing gown and slippers in mine.

The same for baby - nappy, baby-gro and blanket.

Plenty of tea and chocolate biscuits for the mw's - they drink A LOT!!

Some bacon and rolls for dh to make up for him and mw's - my dh disappeared just as my waters broke to make a snack for everyone! He said it made him feel more useful being in charge of refreshments!

Keep your hospital bag packed and ready just in case.

Good Luck

Two shower curtains were enough for us - but we didn't have a pool.

Good luck!