I want all of your input

• 09-27-2009 10:16 AM

  In reply to

  Dave's Buttercup Joined on 06-20-2008 Victor Colby Born 100% Naturally 1/12/2009 Posts 105

  Re: I want all of your input Reply Contact BoldBeautifulBirth: Mess factor, please don't be discreet Well, I DID ruin the couch - it had to be thrown out - but it would have happened even if I planned a birthing center or hospital birth. I happened to be sitting on my couch during labor and my water broke. It was an upholstered couch and the af just seeped in to everything. Other than that - no mess. My midwives followed me around with chux pads if I needed to walk someplace, and there were already pads for the places I tended to settle. Also, the bed was all fixed up (even though I never got in it) - I had my regular clean sheets on the bed, then a plastic liner on top (a plastic shower curtain from Dollar Tree), then some throw-away sheets on top of the plastic liner (bought them at Ross for like $3). The plan was to birth on the bed and not worry about chux pads or anything, then just throw away the top sheet and plastic liner and have a ready-made bed all set to go afterward :) Who all attends?  MW, Nurse to help MW and me after birth (my postpartum nurse was very hands on with giving me a hand and answering lots of questions, but like I already said I didn't know what to expect) My midwife, her assistant (another midwife), my husaband, and my good friend Tiffani (also a professional doula, as am I).   Where did you give birth in your house? I ended up birthing on the couch. The air conditioner was right behind it (it was summer and HOT) and it was already ruined anyway, so I stayed there, haha. Were your other children present for it? My other children were (at the time) 3 and 2 and I sent them to Grandma's house. Dh didn't want them there for the birth as he though it'd be too stressful. We're considering having the older children present for the birth in April '10 when they'll be 5 and over 3.5 (but my almost 2 year old will be with Grandma). Did you have any extra hands around to help you? Again, my husband and doula were present to help me. Other than them - no. My midwives and friend left about 2 hours after the birth (a little less actually). They cleaned everything up, got me some food and drinks, had us settled in our bed, and left us to sleep! I never had family or friends stay with us to help afte r the birth. Hope this helps!   So you're telling me there's hope to get rid of my couch that I hate? LOL. This was so helpful! I think this is definitely what I was looking to read, as it sounds the closest to how mine would be.

• 09-27-2009 10:30 AM

  In reply to

  Dave's Buttercup Joined on 06-20-2008 Victor Colby Born 100% Naturally 1/12/2009 Posts 105

  Re: I want all of your input Reply Contact Mom~of~Munchkins: I was actually a walker myself, too, during labor. I never sat down from the moment my water broke. I just wandered around the house. Finally, I would start to stand up after a contraction and then have another one before I even stood up, so the midwife just kidn of pushed me into the tub. LOL I didn't find it to be the "water epidural" that every one thought. For me, sitting on my bottom didn't feel good and being on my knees wasn't really great either. It was good for me that I was only in it for like 15 minutes. LOL I actually think t he warm water made my contractions stronger, but maybe it was just bc I was already well into transition. My midwife brought the birthing ball, the birthing chair, a TENS unit, massage treat ments, incense, soft music...you name it. We had it. My labor was only a little over an hour and a half, so I really didn't need any of it. My active labor was also very short (for a first baby) I swear the hot water does the trick!!! My contractions at home were erratic for over 24 hours, and w hen they got to about 15 mins apart, I decided to take a pretty hot shower and they went down to 3 mins apart very quickly. When I got to our birth center my contractions slowed but I was about 4.5 cm, so I was allowed to stay. About an hour went by and I got in the tub and bam immediately had a contraction and they were about 2 mins apart from there on out so she checked me and I was fully dialated all but a tiny lip in just one spot, just like that... I tried everything out that was supposed to be a great tool for dealing with contractions, and the best thing was to be able to crouch and rock on my feet. I also gave birth with a heating pad on my lower back LOL, love that heat! So, would you birth in water again, after not feeling that it was all it was supposed to be for contraction aid? The pushing didn't bother me at all, it was just the contractions, it actually felt good to push for me.

• 10-01-2009 5:15 PM

  In reply to

  Mom~of~Munchkins Joined on 09-14-2005 Posts 237

  Re: I want all of your input Reply Contact Yeah, I would do another water birth. While I don't think it helped me with the pain, it definitely did help me to relax. And it was SO much cleaner than doing things out of the water. Baby loved it, too. He came out completely submerged and just cried when we pulled him out of the water. I put him back in the water up to his neck and he stopped crying. We waited like that until the cord stopped pulsing and then cut it and he started rooting. LOL My fave position was with my back against the wall in a semi-squat. This put pressure on those hip pressure points in the back . I always felt like I needed to squat with each contraction. I think its that joint-stretching/popping sensation you get as the baby descends that causes that.  Have you decided on doing things at home this time?

• 10-03-2009 6:26 PM

  In reply to

  Dave's Buttercup Joined on 06-20-2008 Victor Colby Born 100% Naturally 1/12/2009 Posts 105

  Re: I want all of your input Reply Contact I watched that video a mother made about her 2 c-sections and her home water birth, and it looked just so amazing. The baby didn't even cry, and the nurse said 'oh yeah all of our water birth babies are calm like that, its ok!' I was so shocked! Her birth was beautiful! I am still not 100%decided on a homebirth, but the more I talk about it, the more I lean towards one. January is getting awful close, and I'd like to know what my plan is before we conceive. My husband is surprisingly on board, wihtout a fuss at all! The only thing I am unsure about is that we will be moving this spring, hopefully have the house sold and be in the new one by June. I just want to have my home ready before I give birth, potentially in September if we conceive right away again (I also work at a day camp in the summer). So there are lots of things to plan for. Either way, thinking about birth in general gets me super excited to do it again. I had an amazing experience last time, and wherever I do give birth, I want another positive and empowering experience!

• 11-26-2009 11:43 AM

  In reply to

  babyboomer06 Joined on 01-12-2004 Boise, ID Posts 134

  Re: I want all of your input Reply Contact 1 birth center birth...no privacy...pressured me to AROM...not the best experience....2 Home birth...Awesome...no mess the midwives swooped in and had the ,laundry going in 15 minutes...made me food, dressed and diapered baby. We just put a $7 mattress protector on the bed. If you get blood anywhere hydrogen peroxide gets it right out and won't harm carpet or fabric. They came back the next day and one week later to check baby and me. This will be my third homebirth if all goes well. You can't go wrong in your own home. My first two labors I walked them out...my third I sat alot. Oh and with my first water felt good but I never got enough privacy to get things going with my second the water made me want to kill myself and with my third the water put me to sleep...lol So far no water babies for me. For me Privacy is Key. This time I may not call anyone until the head is out...lol Labors lasted #1 32 hours #2 17 hours #3 3 hours 45 minutes felt like 45 minutes. The most I ever pushed was 10=15 minutes...my third was less then 5 minutes of pushing...I am a good pusher..Key to pushing is learning to hold the baby in place so they don't slip back in...My first kept popping in and out...lol frustrating.