Planning a UC on the fly!

[jenners26]

Due to a situation with our MW (you can read about it in the HB section), my planned MW-assisted water birth has now become a UC water birth. I'm due in six weeks, and I could REALLY use some help preparing.

Emotionally, I feel prepared for this. I wanted my MW to be totally hands off anyway, so this is almost more ideal for me. However...I could use some help with the details. I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive supply-list. Could you tell me some of the things that were "must haves" and maybe some of the things you could have done without?

Also, DH is feeling a bit apprehensive about things like cutting the cord, sucking out the nose, etc. Is there a good website that would give him fairly detailed descriptions of these things? Maybe like a start-to-finish guide of some sort to help him feel prepared?

Thanks!!

[HappyMommy2]

Most babies don't need the "suck the nose" thing. The gunk in baby's lungs is squished out on the way thru the birth canal. Many mw's hate those things, as invasive and unnecessary.

Good luck with your UC, mama! I would recommend you and your hubby watching lots of birth and waterbirth videos to get comfortable with the way things can go. My mw gave us a few and I found some on utube. Oh - just saw your siggy ... I guess you guys know about birth already!

My mom gave us a book that was thin like a pamphlet, something about "doula" in the title. Anyways, it was nice and succinct, for somebody to refer to during labor when there isn't time to relax and read. I can't find it now, but a search of "doula" on amazon shows some good looking books.

Good luck mama!!

[Astraia]

I'm new to the world of UC (planning one for my baby due in Jan), so this is just my untried 2 cents

You really don't need much for a UC. A lot of the stuff you'd want you probably have on hand already- extra linens and towels, chux pads, etc.

You may want to look into some homeopathics to have on hand for random stuff like postpartum bleeding, retained placenta, etc.

You may want scissors or a knife that you can sterilze for cord cutting and have some shoelaces or something similar for tying the cord- although you don't NEED to tie the cord. There was a thread here awhile ago about just waiting a few hours until the cord is limp and white and when you cut the cord there is no bleeding (or just very minor seepage).

Sucking out baby's nose- you don't need to do it usually. You CAN, but in most cases it's really not necessary. I can probably find a link to back that up, but it might take me a few minutes to get around to it.

[Astraia]

Is your husband maybe thinking about something like the newborn exam that your midwife would do?

Like this?

http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepa...?ID=-456130510

[jenners26]

I think he's thinking more like, a step-by-step guide of what to do after the baby is born. Does that make sense? I think he's nervous, because for the labor part, he's playing a fairly supportive role, but once the baby is OUT...he has to be involved, and I think he'd like to read something that takes him through exactly what to do...when and how to cut the cord, how to suck out the baby's nose if it has to be done, signs to look for of things going wrong...

I don't know if that makes sense or not. He's a planner. He'll feel more comfortable if he has something in writing to follow along with. Even if no one does it the same way, even if other things come up....going into it, having read something like that would make him feel more comfortable.

[lzbthcox]

I'm due in October and we are doing our first UC. I am a heavy planner, like your husband, so I understand the need to have a step by step. Go to http://www.umbrellanoize.com/stuff/E...Childbirth.pdf and print that out. It is the Emergency Childbirth book by Dr. Gregory White. It has everything from birth to afterward and includes what to do if there are variations. The australian pure birth site http://www.purebirth-australia.com/b...h-stories.html also has a lot of what if's and how to's. I hope some of that helped.
Liz

[jenners26]

Originally Posted by lzbthcox

I'm due in October and we are doing our first UC. I am a heavy planner, like your husband, so I understand the need to have a step by step. Go to http://www.umbrellanoize.com/stuff/E...Childbirth.pdf and print that out. It is the Emergency Childbirth book by Dr. Gregory White. It has everything from birth to afterward and includes what to do if there are variations. The australian pure birth site http://www.purebirth-australia.com/b...h-stories.html also has a lot of what if's and how to's. I hope some of that helped.
Liz

That is EXACTLY what he's looking for! Thank you so much!

[paxye]

The only thing we needed and used with my UC were towels, scissors and a few chux pads for the bed went I got out of pool and laid down in bed...

As for DH... I don't know if this is something that might be useful but I wrote this for DH last time and it worked perfectly for him...


Birth Plan for DH

[jenners26]

That's a great idea! Thanks!!

[Kidzaplenty]

I am glad you found some links. However, I think that once the baby is out, your DH will hold the little one, and instinct will just kick in. Plan, of course. But be prepared to just follow you heart. For us, that is what was the best.

And enjoy!

You will soon be holding your little one!