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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

HOMEBIRTH - be honest, just how much mess and goo and cack should we expect?

33 replies

MadreInglese · 11/04/2011 14:39

DD was born in hospital many moons ago and as I was mostly away with the fairies on gas & air and laid flat on a bed immobile as attached to monitors and with all the cack being cleared up for me I have no idea how much fluid, blood, etc was lost.

With DC2 we'd ideally like a homebirth and tbh I just assumed with plastic sheeting and all that malarky that all the mess could be fairly well contained, even if I wanted to move about the house - until a friend recently blessed me with her attempted homebirth "OMG the MESS" story and she's got me wondering. Tbh I didn't really give any thought to the mess that might be made.

DP works on a farm so won't be grossed out with the whole thing but it has got me thinking about what we'll have to clear up later.

Any stories good or bad please?

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reikizen · 11/04/2011 14:45

Personally, there was very little and it was all contained within an old sheet on the bed. Professionally, the worst was a woman who just kept pooing when pushing and it all got mixed up with the liquor and went down the cracks in her laminate floor! Those disposable sheets you can buy for toddlers beds (pampers do them) are great and similar to the inco pads we use in hospital, very absorbant.
Generally much less than a hospital birth in my experience.

flimflammery · 11/04/2011 14:51

Really, it's the least important thing. After giving birth in your own home, where you're in charge, the MWs (possibly with some help from DH) clean up the mess, but you're too busy lying on your own sofa with new tiny one to even notice. You just put down old sheets / plastic sheeting / towels beforehand. For ages after my homebirth I would notice a tiny splash of blood on the door frame and it would make me feel quite proud! (is that weird?)

HighFibreDiet · 11/04/2011 14:52

I have had two homebirths and I'm planning another. There was very little mess and the midwives cleaned it all up. We used the plastic dustsheets you can buy in DIY stores, covered with old towels and sheets, and the midwives supplied inco pads as well. But really it was no problem whatsoever. We are still using the sheets that I laboured on - no-one would know any blood had been shed on them!

Original poster

MadreInglese · 11/04/2011 14:53

Poo in the laminate cracks?! I am simultaneously retching and stifling a giggle at the though, poor woman!

We have a combo of laminate, carpet and tiles depending which room I'll end up in at the crucial moment - on that note I think the tiled floor (bathroom) may be the preferable choice

OP posts:

HighFibreDiet · 11/04/2011 14:55

Reikizen, pooing when pushing isn't very common is it? I thought most women would have pooed out anything in their bowels earlier on in labour?

Madre, go for it! I agree with flimflammery that it's by far the least important thing about having a homebirth. In fact I am surprised by your 'friend's comments. Maybe the fact that it was only an attempted homebirth meant the midwives weren't around to help clear up the mess when she or her dp got back?

Original poster

MadreInglese · 11/04/2011 14:55

No it's not hugely important but I was just wondering

I will ask the midwife at my next appt what they provide and what we need to get, I'm 33 weeks now so just starting to think about the practicalities really

OP posts:

Restrainedrabbit · 11/04/2011 14:55

None! I've had 3DCs and 3 HBs The house was cleaner when the MWs left than when I started labour. They clean up before they go and are very good at ensuring they cover whatever you are on at the time.

sausagerolemodel · 11/04/2011 14:55

I went to the pound shop and got several plastic mattress covers for the sofa and floor, the rest was contained in the inflatable pool (which Mum cleaned out, bless her!), and lots of inco pads/pampers absorbent pads. Is a pool an option?

reikizen · 11/04/2011 14:56

I know! Flimflam, you are not weird. Just lying in our bed sometimes make me and DH well up with how lovely it was for DD2 to be born there (and that was 4 years ago!) I'd put up with any amount of mess for the absolute treasure of a memory her birth was. (Lovely warm glow emoticon).

HighFibreDiet · 11/04/2011 15:00

I completely agree about those proud feelings. Ds2 was born in a rented house a few streets away from the house we ended up buying. I think the boys used to get fed up with me pointing it out every time we walked past. But we've moved half way round the world now and he still knows the address of the house he was born in!

Original poster

MadreInglese · 11/04/2011 15:02

Yes perhaps the midwives travelled to hospital with her so the mess was left for when they got home, I'm not sure.

A pool might be a possibility, something I need to discuss when they come to do their home assessment thingy in a few weeks.

DP certainly wouldnt mind clearing up (he clears enough poo and afterbirth every day at work, although none of it mine!!), it's just good to be prepared for the level of cleaning up required I guess! I definitely remember pooing at the later pushing stages last time and wouldn't really like the thought of poor DP having to clean that up by himself but if the midwives lend a hand that's a relief. Thanks ladies, you have put my mind at rest

OP posts:

MarieFromStMoritz · 11/04/2011 15:05

None. Oh, except 2 mugs and a biscuit plate that the midwives had with their tea

The midwives took everything with them. That said, I covered the bed and floor with plastic decorators' sheets.

naturalbaby · 11/04/2011 15:08

I had all 3 of mine at home - 1st 2 in water so all the mess was very well contained and easily cleaned. ds3 was too quick for that or anything else - the plastic mat was folded neatly waiting at the side when my waters went all over the carpet! we had a pile of old towels so the mw's helped mop up and took them away in yellow bags so saved us extra washing. that was it really. i had no idea how much mess your waters make when they go everywhere cause they went in the pool before. the pool was great but was quite a bit of work for dh to put up, fill and maintain the temperature. well worth it for relief during labour though.

vezzie · 11/04/2011 15:09

I had a home waterbirth and was taken to hospital afterwards for repairs to a third degree tear. DP cleared everything up and said afterwards, "you often hear the expression "bloodbath", but you never really expect to see one." He said it was like a shark attack had taken place in the dining room. It was mostly all in the pool tho - except for the towel newborn dd pooed on, bless her.

My sister, on the other hand, had no pool, said there was no mess, the mws cleared everything up without her really noticing.

I am jealous - would love to have my second at home, but can't. good luck, it will be wonderful.

Original poster

MadreInglese · 11/04/2011 15:17

my waters last time were crochet-hooked while I was strapped to monitors lying down so I don't know how much there was

@ shark attack! Is he accustomed to blood and gore in a normal day's work vezzie or was it a big shock to him?

Tbh I'm just looking forward to feeling much more in control this time round

(but I do hate the dining room carpet and want to rip it up and have instead the original 1910ish tiles that are underneath so perhaps I could steer any mess in the direction of that particular room )

OP posts:

HighFibreDiet · 11/04/2011 15:21

oh yes sounds like a good excuse to get rid of dining room carpet!

Boosaphena · 11/04/2011 15:28

I had ds in a pool at home, once the water was pumped out dh folded all the pool liner up with all the poo (!) bagged it and put in the bin. That was it. Now if we're going to talk about the mess a bloody newborn and my visiting parents made, that's a different matter...!

camdancer · 11/04/2011 16:44

For both my homebirths, my DH made me a nest on the floor of the spare bedroom. It had layers of plastic shower curtain, old curtains that we could just throw away and old sheets. I think we had a few old towels as well. By the time I got out of the shower, my DH and the midwives had just bundled it all up and thrown it away. It contained all the mess and just disappeared. The worst thing was trying to get to the shower while I was still bleeding a bit and yucky. I think we just threw away the towel I wrapped myself in.

This time, we have a very old king size duvet that my parents were getting rid of, so it'll be really soft and squishy. Been collecting things for a while now!

Don't let the mess put you off. Having a homebirth really is a blessing. Being in your own shower, your own bed and your own home makes up for any potential loss of a nasty dining room carpet!

cara2244 · 11/04/2011 21:19

I had an unplanned homebirth and we used every towel in our cupboard! They all washed fine at 90. That was it except a little stain on the carpet (of which I am most proud as that is where my son was born) and that has faded now anyway.

Highfibre have you ever had a water birth? I am thinking about borrowing a pool and setting it up somewhere in the house.

CatIsSleepy · 11/04/2011 21:23

not a lot
the midwives sorted it as far as i remember...we had old shower curtains and an old duvet on the floor-they copped all the mess and were binned.

MarshaBrady · 11/04/2011 21:25

Mine was flood type messy but an industrial strength tarp thing meant that after it was rolled up and thrown away, not a spot.

Staceroo · 11/04/2011 21:26

OP our mw said all we needed was a shower curtain!

Also discussed possibility of a pool, but as we have suspended wooden floors it may be a no go, unless I want to do it in the conservatory where we've a concrete floor! May be a little cold in November though!

Only other thing I was worried about it what to do with the dog when it all kicks off... and thinking we should probably warn the neighbours so they don't call the police when they hear me screaming!

EggyAllenPoe · 11/04/2011 21:31

three HBs not really much mess. gave birth on bed with mattres protector and decorators sheet over that. Midwife took all other mess away in binbag.

never used a poo as didn't want the faff and thought it might slow labour.

EggyAllenPoe · 11/04/2011 21:32

poo = pool.
fraudian slip.
lots of pooing in labour. not much righ at the end, but still some.

SoupDragon · 11/04/2011 21:37

The pool i had contained it all. No mess whatsoever.

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