June 09 Homebirthing Tribe for May! - Page 3

[Carlin]

Some puppy pads are scented and some aren't. If you make sure to avoid the scented ones they should work just fine, but you want to be 100% certain, as I think the smell of puppy pee might not be ideal while giving birth.

[TrishWSU]

We'll be 37 weeks on Sunday! This pregnancy has really flown by for me. I know my IPs (intended parents) are getting so excited. The baby's dad is so funny...she has dropped a little bit the last few days and he was like "What does that mean? Do we need to get the pool ready?!" He's so going to be the nervous, pacing father, lol! (And not nervous like in a negative way-he's fully supportive of homebirth, just anxious/nervous/excited about the baby finally arriving.)

I had a massage on Monday and the lady suggested I do a reflexology session the week of my EDD (June 7th) so I have that scheduled for June 3rd. Which is funny because that's the day my IPs think I'll have the baby, and two people at the baby shower guessed the 3rd as the birth day. So it probably definitely won't be the 3rd, lol!

Originally Posted by jessielove

So what exactly does a home visit generally entail?

Our's is on Tuesday, but with my DD the home visit was just like a regular check-up. It was at my house just so the MW knew how to get there and had a general idea of where stuff (lay-out) was in the house.

[jessielove]

Thanks! That helps. The mw said to have all of our birth stuff ready, so that makes sense now. Duh, it would be helpful for them to know where it all is

Pool was delivered today! Now I need to figure out an easy way to blow it up. Do small air pumps work? It's a fishy kid pool, not a fancy birthing pool. I wanted something the kids could use for the rest of the summer after the Bun is born.

[TrishWSU]

We had the bigger fishy pool for my last birth and used a plug-in air pump thingy. It took about 15 minutes to completely inflate it. And after 2 hours it still wasn't more than half full, but I used it anyway

[happyhippimama]

All of out visits are at home. Our MW only does home visits. The state lae requires 2 doctor visits during the pregnancy though. So I have to go in about 2 weeks for my second visit to the MD's office. I guess they will do my GBS test and do a cervical check while they are there.

I am trying to get our HB stuff together. I have to order the kit and then she gave me a list of stuff that also needs to be in a "kit" from stuff here at home. Sheets, blankets, oil, towels. Stuff like that. I have about one third of it in a pile in my dresser. I am feeling overwhlemed wondering if i will have everything together in time. LOL Silly huh.

I am feeling good. Lots of BH happening. My bones had all started hurting the other day. But now everything feels so much better. I started sitting differetnly, thinking the baby had droppped and was turned weird. I feel so much better after a full week of sitting "right" and laying down more. I think he may have turned a little.

I am SOOOOOO excited!!!! I am 35 weeks now. Getting so close.::

[jessielove]

Originally Posted by TrishWSU

We had the bigger fishy pool for my last birth and used a plug-in air pump thingy. It took about 15 minutes to completely inflate it. And after 2 hours it still wasn't more than half full, but I used it anyway

That's the one I have ~ thanks for the info! I thought it might take a while to fill the pool. I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to fill it up. Our sinks don't look like they'll adapt for a hose. Dh needs to go check the hardware store and see if he can find something which will work.

[ladyelmo1]

Thought I'd jump in and say hello - really late, but better late than never I guess. I'm 34 weeks, due June 25, and have just recently "jumped ship" to plan a homebirth. Hospitals really skeeve me out, and with all this flu nonsense I realized that I would never be able to force myself into one. Anyway, I'm totally excited, and a little nervous about the whole thing. Found a good HB midwife, who I really like, and my old MW was really supportive about the decision, so that felt good. Both my girls (7 and 4) and my MIL will be there at the birth, and they are all really excited about it. My home visit is in a few weeks and I'll be ordering my homebirth kit this week. Can't believe this is all really happening!!!

[RachaelsMommy]

My home visit will be the end of the month or beginning of June. I'm going to start putting my kit together after DH gets paid this week and get a pool. I also need to start seeing the chiropractor.

[ktmama]

...saw my chiro yesterday and he reminded me that he makes house calls for new moms and babies. Gotta love the chiro.

[ktmama]

Had my home visit today and now have a big fat list of things to do!

[channelofpeace]

Dh and I went through our birth supplies tonight and everything I have accumulated and then were checking it against the midwife's list. Um, yeah, I almost forgot pads Might be in need of some of those, right?

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by channelofpeace

Um, yeah, I almost forgot pads Might be in need of some of those, right?

I got a pack of 14 overnight pads. I soaked 7 in witch hazel and they're in the freezer. But now looking at them, I wonder if I won't need more? My birth kit has a big pack, though, of 12 I think. Hmm...

I am 37 weeks! My home visit was last week and I had my first vaginal check-- almost 1 cm dilated, very soft cervix, 50% effaced and baby at 0 station. I think things are starting to get warmed up!

My BH are starting to have a period-like crampy feel to them sometimes. I wonder if these are BH or warm-up versions of a "real" contraction...?

[erin_brycesmom]

Hi homebirthing mamas!

You guys are motivating me by how prepared some of you are! I'm 36 weeks 5 days and my home visit is this Saturday. We are supposed to have our birth kit together by then but it is nowhere close to being done.

I decided to use my MWs BPIAB but I'm a little concerned by how wide it is that it might take too long to fill. It's a little taller than the fishy pool though and I'm kinda tall with long legs and I reallllly want to be able to cover my belly while kneeling.

Baby is transverse and I'm starting to get a little concerned. I just spent the last hour on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, lol. My little guy as firmly head down (LOA) with lots of pressure on my cervix for the past 2 months until my last chiro visit. After that he started moving around, went breech and has been transverse ever since (it's been one week). My next visit is supposed to be Friday but I'm thinking about going in tomorrow instead. But it almost seems like the last adjustment caused it so I'm really confused.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Things have backtracked here, much to my annoyance, but at least we figured out the cause of my false labor. I have a mild UTI and a lot of fluid, AND the baby disengaged. So I have a list of things to do that should help, and hopefully I'll have this kid soon.

[TrishWSU]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

I got a pack of 14 overnight pads. I soaked 7 in witch hazel and they're in the freezer. But now looking at them, I wonder if I won't need more? My birth kit has a big pack, though, of 12 I think. Hmm...

This time I just bought a pack of Poise overnight pads (meant for incontinence) because regular over night pads are never enough for me. There's 30 in the package...but I have no idea how long that will last! I used cloth right after my last baby and my DD just turned 6 so I definitely can't remember how many pads I used. I'm hoping by the time I run out of them my bleeding will be light enough that I can switch to my cloth pads. But thanks for reminding me to put a few in the freezer! Who would of thought putting ice on your crotch could feel so wonderful, lol!

[lovingthis]

Our homevisit is this coming week. after all of the worry I had over planning out this birth, I am amazingly zen now- so my goal is just to stay this way I think that hypnobirthing has had a LOT to do with it.
We found the beautifulhomebirth book, "Welcome with Love," on amazon. My daughter( almost 3) loves it, my son(almost 6) doesn't care much. We have also watched several birth videos together, including " I watched my brother being born" , and some that I pre-viewed on youtube before showing them. My daughter actually enjoyed the dvd, it was just the right length for he and didn't make birth seem scary. my son loved the part where teh older kids got to examine the placenta, and he already got the go-ahead from ourmidwife to do the same ONe of my favorite videos on yotube is a water/hypnobirthing called "Fabi's birth" or something to that affect. it is not very educational, but it i very short and presents a very sweet gentle portrait of birth.
We have also spent time talking about when they wreborn, talking about the noises mommy might make and teh things they might do to help me when the baby is being born.
The biggest thing to me is giving them both, especially my daughter ( my son,despite hisapathy for the books and videos, is ttally in love with this babyalready- he is the one that asked us to have another one)- a sense of possession of the baby- as in it is her baby just as muc as it is mama and daddy's. The plan is that she is going to help daddy cut the cord when baby gets here- and maybe the symbolism speaks to me more than it will to her, even subconciously, but coming from a familywith so muc sibling strife, the idea is just beautiful to me.
H

[Carlin]

I had my home visit today and everything went well. : My blood pressure was nice and low, which was great, as I've been having some swelling so I was getting a bit nervous that it might be creeping up. Baby seems to be dropping nicely too, and in a good position, which explains why I feel like there is a head on my cervix most of the time.

I have most of the birth kit together too, and brought my pool home today so I'm beginning to feel ready! All I need to do is get everything organized, and get the hose and connector to fill the pool and then this baby can arrive any time!

[MoonJelly]

I will be 36 weeks tomorrow. Due 6/20. I had my home visit last week. I have my kit and supplies ready. In many ways I feel totally ready but in other ways, I want more time. Like this morning, I had some contractions, then later some all over pain. And then I kind of panicked because I really don't want to have this baby this weekend. We have some family things planned and I feel like it's my last relaxing weekend to just goof around with DD and DH.

And I do still have some things to do, like get the cars cleaned out, food shop, food prepare, and I need to get some sort of window treatment for over our kitchen window as the late Spring sun is very bright in the morning and I want the option to ease into that when I go in there. And also, if I am labor at night, I want to be able to wander in there without much clothing on and the neighbor's window is right across the way. I also wanted to do a "once-over" to the yard and get things a little nicer. Everything is still dusty covered in pollen strands.

Both the contractions and pain seem to have subsided for now, but I am feeling more pressure on my cervix in general. Tomorrow is the day in my pregnancy where I went into labor with DD, so of course, it's hard to ignore that as well.

Anyway, trying to feel staying in vibes for at least another week. Then I think I will feel more welcoming. Okay, honestly, I just want it to be June. Anytime in June is A-OK with me.

[mommymcnair6]

I loved reading everybody's preparations for your homebirths. I am 37 weeks now and we are all ready for the big event : ) I just have to make the bed up when I go into labor and get our birth supplies and set everything up. I guess I am the biggest chicken on planet earth, but I am scared of going into labor!!!! This is my sixth baby, fourth homebirth, so you would think it wouldn't bother me at all, but I am just fixated on how much I "think" it's going to hurt. I've had one 48 hour labor and labors under 4 hours. I just think the uncertainty (did I spell that right?) is making me a little crazy. I am having a hard time letting go : ) I just want to hold my baby in my arms, but geez, I just don't want to go into labor right now : ) Is anybody else feeling this way, or is it just me??

[MoonJelly]

So from what I am seeing, everyone is waiting until labor starts to make up the bed for labor? I just can't help but thinking it would be nice to have that done but I guess it doesn't make sense to do it ahead of time...

I hope I am going to be up for this part when the time comes. Also, our bedroom is small and I have no idea where I will stow our comforters and all our pillows to get them out of the way for labor and birth. As it is we're short on closet space for just the normal stuff we have.