Being prepared for home birth? What do I need?

[littleraysofsunshine]

Also having a hospital bag just in case ... (Dc3, first potential hb)

I've been coming & going from this thread.- great advice!

I was wondering why paramedics would attend? Is it the mw that informs them or did people call them?

What would happen if the mother was on her own?

Tia...

Littleray - I would say it would be best to leave it and try to get baby latched on, or have skin to skin contact if not, and wait for the mw.

If you are on your own, your body will magically tell you to do the something like the following. Crouch or kneel down near the floor having put down a big old towel or blanket in the action zone, the cleaner the better. Deliver baby gently into your own hands - don't pull, take your time. When baby is out, gently bring him or her up to your chest and put something around both of you so you can keep warm. Have a go at checking airways and double checking some breathing is going on while baby pinks up. Snuffle around baby a bit and attempt to feed. Half an hour later give or take, the placenta will start making its way into the world. Just birth it and stay in one place as warm as possible until help arrives. Never ever attempt to pull out the placenta as that's how to have a haemorrhage. Just birth it gently.

If something is wrong, such as bad positioning, you will sense it and your body may well move position almost of its own accord so you can make a better go of the birth. Go with your instinct at all times.

Hopefully help will arrive before you feel compelled to eat the placenta LOL!

Shall I submit these to the MN recipe page?!

Yum yum

Littleray - Do you live miles from anywhere? Because generally you call 999 and tell them that the baby is coming and the midwife won't make it and they will be there like a shot. I'd be surprised honestly if you had much time to worry about any of it. In my case, I was still in shock that the baby had arrived as the paradmedics bumbled through the door. If you do get to that point, leave the baby attached and await further instructions. Assuming you have your DH with you, despatch will keep him on the phone with them until they hand over to the paramedics, so you wouldn't be making decisions on your own anyway.

Shelly - You need to have called them. I suppose maybe the midwife might if you happened to be on the phone to her as it all happened and for some reason couldn't call 999. But generally, how would she know to send them?

Boffin also makes a very good point. The way to haemorrhage is to panic and pull the cord. Don't do that and you're already doing well!

I think the main thing is to remember that most, if not all, the births you will have seen will have been on TV and everyone will have been in panic mode for the sake of the drama. In actual fact, women left to their own devices usually just pootle along and do it all fairly steadily. You would be amazed. At the end of the day we are just mammals and we actually do know how to do this. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is easy, or even sensible, but obviously it is do-able or there wouldn't be a human race tbh.

Boffinmum Ive delivered 5 babies on dc6!

I meant I will probably be on my own when im in labour but I don't want the mw to come earlier then need be. If im on my own will they do things differently?

I wouldn't call 999 unless I was really concerned... paramedics invading my nice quiet birth! Horrible thought! Main risk for me is post partum haemorrhage, in that incidence I would have to call 999.

Has anyone experienced a pph at home?

Do you mean on your own as in 'empty house' Shelly? I presume that the only thing that would affect is that, if you did need to call 999, you would be an even more urgent case for them.

Hopefully, if this baby turns I intend on having a home water birth. Hopefully like 4 of my 5 dc baby will appear at night so the older dc will be asleep.

If its day time exdp will have the dc.

I don't want him at the birth. No friends locally & can't afford or really want a doula. Im not worried about being on my own but obviously its not the 'norm'.

But presumably you'll call the midwife at some point, so it's mostly if things move faster than you expect?

I think the big thing would be to have a fully charged mobile with the midwife on speed dial so you can call her as soon as you need her, remembering to allow time for her to get there (and find out in advance how long that usually is!).

But if you realise she isn't going to make it, or if things happen suddenly, you call 999 and explain as best you can. They will send someone. Try and ensure that the front door is on the latch.

I agree that you want the MW if at all possible. Paramedic was, shall we say, less than ideal. Though he stormed in 2 minutes after the birth.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Boffinmum thanks for the post below, I felt that way with both my girls, but more so dd2 ( my body knowing what to do) even though I didn't know she was back to back, I attempted to birth her leaning up on the bed but I just knew I wasn't comfortable birthing that way. So I was laid on my side/back ish.. And she came easy.

I know from my last two that when the head is crowning (let's face it-we all know that change in pain from painful contractions to -- oh my god burns burns BURNs lol) so I know to slow down and breathe. But would I need to do that before crowning or just start when I feel that change?

I sound so daft asking these things when I've done it twice before!

I am going through my birth plan Monday so will speak to midwife then.

Also indecisive about who is attending the birth (if given the choice by baby's speed) but hopefully dp (works in the days) so hopefully have a night baby again! And sil has been at last two but I haven't seen her much this pregnancy so not sure ? Or maybe it just might be handy for dp to have support too as he seems pretty uneasy as he missed the last birth so hasn't seen me in labour since 2010.. And that he witnessed the fainting/haemorrhage/cannula/being poked and prodded by male consultant and me crying my eyes out.... So I understand his nervous streak.

Wow I do ramble ever so sorry

Birth is so unpredictable I know, I just want to have some kind of idea how I plan on doing it. As in, if I do stay at home where will I give birth as I don't think its worth getting a birth pool now? Last labour was 1hr so shall I bother???

So when delivery is done, plus placenta. If you don't need to be transferred, what happens? All baby checks? Your checks? Etc how long before they leave you to it?

I bet that's the most overwhelming thing after is that you just go back to being at home.. Just with your added new baby lol

Also asking this as with dd1 I was fine up until two hours After (this is when the pph happened) so sps worry is that when everyone has gone home, what if something goes wrong. Do I call mw again or just 999?

Don't muck about guys. If you have the option of having a mw or paramedics ffs get them in. They can always sit in the corner while you get on with it. But it is not funny having an unexpected complication with nobody there, just because you had some soppy idea about the perfect birth.

My neighbour had a PPH at home but luckily a teaching hospital was only 10 minutes away. MW probably saved her life.

With HB pool is good as you can use it in the days/weeks leading up to the birth if you want to.

After a straightforward birth, they do a few checks, make you a cuppa, tuck you in bed or on the sofa, check you again, and leave you for about 8 hours before the next visit.

littlerayofsunshine I reckon the midwives stayed with us for about 3 hours after DD2 was born. They may have left me a bit earlier than they would have done as DP is a doctor & people tend to think he can manage anything medical with his own family, not sure.

If you have a PPH after the midwives have left I would call 999.

Yes Boffin, totally agree. I was just trying to convey that a calm midwife is nicer than a panicked paramedic, even if you'd rather not have the midwife there earlier than necessary!

I would guess that it was about 3 hours before everyone left with DD2. As I mentioned, I went slow, slow, quick, so MW arrived just after paramedic, who arrived just after baby. Obviously, normally you would hopefully have two midwives, whereas my one had a lot to do (they didn't bother to send for a second as one paramedic team stayed to help out).

So it took an hour or so to shift the placenta. Then stitches and generally checking me. She knew DD2 was breathing fine, etc and was periodically with me and with DH/DD1. When I was finally sorted, they did the weighing, etc on DD2, made sure we were happy with feeding, helped tidy up a bit, sat for ages filling in all the paperwork and then headed off.

I am sure if you have had a previous PPH they will stay until they are happy there is no repeat. Ask what to do if you get concerning bleeding afterwards, but if in any doubt at all call 999.

May I just add, as a community midwife, when you think you are in labour, please phone the labour ward to let them know.

Where I work, the woman phones labour ward, they make take a verbal history and ask if you feel ready for the midwife to attend to you. They will then contact the midwife on call to come to your house. If you feel that you are coping ok and do not require any assistance at that time they will let the midwife know that you are in early labour and advise you to call them back when you feel things are progressing.

If it sounds like you are in established labour, having regular, strong contractions lasting about 60 seconds they will probably advise that a community midwife does come out to assess how things are going.

I labour progresses faster than anticipated, please phone labour ward first, they will have one person calling the community midwife and another calling 999. Bear in mind, if it is during the night the community midwife will be in bed. She needs to get up, dressed, vvvv quick brush of teeth, yawn and jump in the car to get to you. This happens in approx 3.67 minutes (it's amazing how a midwife can get from deep sleep to 60 mph on the motorway when need be).

It is likely that the ambulance will get to you first, on account of them not being in bed and having flashing blue lights and sirens. They will deliver baby, if he/she had not already been born. Keep you warm, dry and safe, monitoring your vital signs until the midwife arrives.

The midwife will-

-assess you, for your well being.

• manage the 3rd stage if not already over
• check and weigh the baby
• check the placenta
• help you to breastfeed
• do your vital signs
• help you to the bath, if you wish.
• complete a bloody mountain of paper work.
• clear up any mess
• make sure you and baby are both fine before answering any questions prior to leaving.
• she will the proceed to labour ward to dispose of the placenta, (according to the wishes of the mother, dispose of clinical waste, complete another mountain of paperwork.
• and will generally return later in the day to make sue mother and baby are both ok,

I apologise for the longest post ever and probable many typos within it.

I hope it helps you.

This post is so long I bet it doesn't load

Oh yay, it did

Ta for that, Shaky!

shelly my mw called an ambulance for dc3 because there was meconium in the waters. It could have been a problem, so it is their policy to call in case as there is a higher chance of problems. If dc hadn't come out so quickly we would have had to transfer. As it was everything was fine, but they were there just in case. When I had dc2, the first midwife only just got there in time, she was gone within 2 hours. It was like clockwork and really easy.

As for the pph, I had one with dc1, possibly due to some of the interventions I had, I've read this can make you more likely to have a pph, but I had no problems with the other two. If you ever need medical help in the event of an emergency, phone 999. It's what they are there for.

Thank you for that Shaky. I'm hesitant to say this because you are the expert and I"m not, but can I add something?

If you have a history of very fast, or irregular, labours, try and ensure that this is in your notes in advance and make sure to mention it on the phone. They may normally suggest "having regular, strong contractions lasting about 60 seconds" as an indication that they should come out, but that's only a guide if they don't have other information. For example:

• I have been told to ask for the MW to come out when I am having intense contractions, even if they are not regular and vary in length. I have had that pattern right up to delivery in both previous labours (including when on the drip) and waiting for 'regular' is the underlying reason I ended up with a BBA second time.

• My friend has had two labours of under an hour. They are coming out at the first twinge. If they wait for regular, strong contractions, chances are they will miss it!

In my second labour my waters broke at 10:53pm, I went to toilet to check, ten downstairs and the intense contractions started thick an fast then. I rang MLU who I couldn't get hold of (I was on my own as do was away) dd upstairs in bed so I though shit! Rang my dad, (who turned up as I was leaving with BIL) rang MLU again and they said to come in. Even though I was very chilled and quiet I just knew...

Got to hospital at around 11:30pm,
No observations just got into nightie and started pushing even though I wanted dp to try and make it!

So I think if waters are my first sign I will ring then again. But I'm not sure if my waters aren't the first thing to go.

My dd1 just literally started as I stood up off the birthing ball I happened to be sat on (on mumsnet lol) and waters were the last thing..

Oh second dd was hour exact. Dd1..4ish hours

Penguins yes, I agree. If you have had very fast labours in the past, it perfectly reasonable to ask for the midwife to come out to you as soon as you think you are in labour.