Nov. homebirth momma's in November-ACK!

[Youngfrankenstein]

Some of us have made it to November.

I am totally ready. I am only 36+6 today but I have been feeling (mentally) nesty/labor-minded a lot this afternoon.

I just want to eat a big meal and hunker down with some funny movies. I truly don't feel like leaving the house at all!

DH is gluing a part of the birth bed but when it's dry it's going to get made! I need that bed and all of it's pillows to put me mentally in that labor place.

I have NO physical signs of impending birth at all....but you never know...

[Juliacat]

You have a special birth bed?

According to the midwives, I am 37 weeks today, but I think I am going a week early. At least we agree we're in the window, though!

I've prepared the bed, installed the carseats, disassembled the pack 'n play (can reassemble it quickly later, but for now we need the space in the house), and am now obsessing over diapers even though there is absolutely no need to do so since I already have plenty of them.

Heartburn is awful and my belly is increasingly enormous and I don't feel like doing much of anything, but I still think I feel O.K.

[calidarling]

I feel that now I have everything (make that almost everything) ready, I will start to get impatient, but the truth is I am content to wait for this next one.

I am just about 37 weeks or so, however, I have been measuring 3 weeks ahead for a month or two, so my midwives said they would be surprised if I made it to my "due date".

[crunchy_mama]

I have really felt the need to hunker down lately as well. That is odd I just used that word in a email to the mw this am. The clothes I have that are still comfortable and presentable in public are increasingly small and I care increasingly less and I just want to be to myself. Lots of just relaxing. Some nesting, but mostly I feel the need now to relax.

[athenalove46]

I've been busy finishing everything! Buying last minute supplies, and finishing up all the diapers I need to sew! I finally decided that I will set up a pool just incase I want to labor in the water so this week I have to go out and search for a hose and connectors. I have 5 more days before I can have this baby. In FL you have to be 37 weeks to have a homebirth. DH and I have to stop DTD until it gets closer as I get wicked crampy afterwards. With the last baby DTD is what helped me go into labor so no risking it.

OP, I'd LOVE to see pics of your special birth bed. I don't think I've ever heard of that!

[billikengirl]

I think we'll be setting up the pool in the "baby's room" (his crib is going in our room, so there's just a futon, a dresser, and his clothes in that room), so we need to get some of the stuff cleared out like the pack n play and the crib mattress, etc to have room for the pool + the midwife. I also had the brilliant last minute idea to put a dimmer switch in for the light fixture in that room, so DH has to figure out how to do that.

I'm 38+4 and I'm READY. Sooooooo ready, but nothing's happening to make me think he intends to come out anytime soon. My last day at work is this Thursday so on the bright side it looks like I'll get some time off work. I really need to sew up some wipes.

[sebarnes]

Well, I should be getting my birth kit from the mw at my appointment this week. It will include the pool and connectors, but last time the connectors didn't work so we had to buy new ones as well as getting a lead free hose. So that's something we'll have to check on. We got in a new shipment of diapers, and while we're hoping to get one more set before the birth, we have enough to make do. The only really big thing we have left is getting the car seat(!) which will hopefully happen this week as well. The last two births we were able to pay off the mw with student loans/tax returns, but we didn't have that this go around, so all the extra money has been going to her and other things pushed to the last minute. Which drives me NUTS, because I'm one of those types who wants to get prepared way ahead of time. I'll be 37 weeks this weekend, so technically 'at term,' but dd was a 40 weeker and dds was a 41 weeker, so I don't expect to go anytime soon.

And, yes, please tell us more about this birth bed thing!

[Lily's_Mom]

I'm 36w3d, probably still measuring 2 weeks behind so I still think I'll be pregnant until the first week in December! Maybe I'll need to start the November Homebirth Moms in December thread, when the time comes.

My homevisit is on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it! Pretty much everything is ready. Though I'm STILL not sure about the pool. I wonder about the hassle/mess/$$$. We'll see what my mw thinks about where we'd need to put it.

I cut out the fleece pockets I'm sewing for cloth diapers and just need to stitch them together, then maybe sew a few spit-up bibs. And make more freezer food until the freezer is full! That's about it. And keeping the house clean. Sunday again: clean the bathroom, dust and vacuum, wash the sheets...how many more times do I need to do this before baby comes? Probably 4-5 more times. Then I get a 2 week 'vacation' in bed while dh does the housework.

[MamieCole]

Ugh...I'm 40w 1D and getting sooooo impatient for something...anything to start happening. My labor symptoms thus far consist of: two uterine twinges, two days apart. That's it. *sigh*

I know for sure my dates are right.

Everything has been done for a while now.

Nothing left to do but wait. And wait. And wait. And watch people due after me have their babies. heh.

[mommy2two babes]

I will be 38 weeks on Wednesday and I am not wanting this baby to come.
I am having my home visit on Friday and feel like I really need to get the house cleaned up before that.

All of my baby clothes and stuff is washed but not put away because I don't have a dresser as of yet to put it in.

I got my car seat but still have to move 2 other carseats in my van to make room to put it in.
I am feeling a bit frustrated because I get in trouble from DH if I carry anything too heavy up and down the stairs ( vaccume, laundry baskets, lifting the heavy car seats to move them around) the stuff is not getting done though.
I just feel like I have so much a want to get done. I hope that this little one decides to follow in his sisters footsteps and go post dates. At least I say that now

[elisheva]

I'm 39+1 today and I finally have everything on the list my midwife gave me. I keep cleaning and recleaning the house obsessively sothat it's not trashed when I go into labour ( based on past experience and family history I'm expecting to go pretty fast). I'd like to inflate the pool but have no idea where I would put it to keep it away from my other kids...

I have a loaf of whole wheat bread and a loaf of pumpkin-almond bread in the freezer to put out for the birth attendees (my midwife and her assistant, my doula). I also want to make an egg dish tonight and some cupcakes for our birthday girl but I don't feel like I *have* to do either of those things. I could give birth without them.

Today our washer was refusing to drain properly and we discovered it was a plumbing prob. Poor DH had to go rent a power auger and spent hours trying to fix the problem. He thinks he solved it. We'll see. We def need a usable washer for this birth!!! Also, both my doula and her back up are sick so I'm ok waiting a few more days. This could potentially be my last kiddo so I kinda want everything in place. It feels a little like I'm throwing a party.

All baby's things are ready and have been for weeks. We cosleep so really all she needed were girly clothes Washed and put away.

[perditafoster]

I am the worst pregnant woman in the world. I just want to have this baby. I don't care that the house is a wreck and I'm not ready...just slide on out, baby, so that I am not crazy anymore!!!!!!!!

I have a car seat, just need to put it in. I have diapers. I have clothes. I have blankets. I have a swing (with batteries). Come on already! End Mama's misery!!!!!!

Plus my father is coming next weekend; not to stay with me, but he'll be in town. However, I haven't seen him in over a year and it'd be nice if I had the baby. Would give me an excuse to limit my interaction with him, ykwim? Plus, he'd be nicer to me if I had the baby instead of just my giant lumbering pregnant self. He's never seen me pregnant, so he probably won't handle it well. He'll make thoughtful comments like, "Gee, you sure are fat. Does your doctor think that's okay?" He's super.

[beebalmmama]

I'm 36 weeks and 5 days to day, so just a couple more days until I'm ready to go. Although I don't expect it considering ds was 40 weeks and 5 days.

I pretty much have everything ready to go. Except that I ordered my birth kit two weeks ago and it still hasn't come. I'll get the rest of my supplies from my midwife on Thursday during the home visit.

But other than that, just getting antsy. I feel exhausted and don't feel much like nesting (just need to keep house clean and get a few soups ready for the freezer). I just can't seem to manage to do even that lately. I'm pooped and the baby pushing on my belly is making me queasy. Somehow there's quite a bit of pressure on the other end to.....but then I'm kind of short and it feels like he's running out of room.

[frogautumn]

The birth pool, bin of supplies, exercise ball, and co-sleeper are in the basement and ready to go as soon as labor starts.

The baby's clothes, dipes, and other supplies are all set up in a changing table in DS's room.

My midwife returns from her trip tomorrow.

I have 3 quarts of butternut squash & apple soup, 3 quarts of chicken barley soup, and one enormous lasagne (plus plenty of Amy's frozen pizzas) in the freezer. I hope to add some chili this week.

I hope to do a good cleaning of the house this week, plus get new window shades and a new bed in DS's room to hopefully entice him to start sleeping there through the night!

Now if only DH didn't decide this was a good weekend to start (and not finish) painting the dining room...

[Sonneva]

I have most of my birth supplies ready and set up in the room I'll be birthing in. I'm way more organized than I was for my first homebirth, but then I know what to expect more or less this time. I put the carseat in the car yesterday, which really drove home how close we are!

I'm sitting at 36 weeks exactly and I need to make it to 37 to HB here. I've been having lots of cramping and BH and am starting to get to the point where I just want it to be over. Not to mention, I feel like a total B***h and have been snapping at my hubby and DD. I know my hubby is ready for the baby to just get here.

My mom is coming to stay in a week to help out with my DD during the birth and is going to stay for a few weeks after . I feel really lucky that we have a good relationship.

I can't believe we are so close!

[Shell_Ell]

Early/latent "labor" started this afternoon after a helluva hike. Contractions got as close as 3-4 min apart. They have spaced out a lot now, though. I'm being patient. It all ends in the same result. My midwife and her apprentice (my friend) have been at another birth for 24+ hrs, so if I do go into active labor tonight, another midwife would be with me. The good thing about that is that she is also friend! In fact she came to my blessingway. So I'm fine about it. I don't know if there's some underlying unconcious stuff that might play into that, but I am at peace with whatever happens.

I just took a bath and they are spacing more like 10 min. I got a little nap earlier but I'd rather get some sleep than just have these far spaced contractions. I don't doubt that they are moving the baby down, though. Both of my other kids I had latent stages over 24 hours. I think it's just how my body does things. I could go to bed tonight and wake up not in labor. Totally fine by me.

[crunchy_mama]

Good Luck Shell Ell!!

[ShwarmaQueen]

I can't believe I'm due in 1 day.

[greenthumb3]

I crave a good movie and dinner, too!
but
I am starting to feel like meeting my little girl

BUT

DH is going out of town this week for work
and I still have baby clothing and diapers to wash...
but at least I am *mostly* ready.

Oh, ShellEll, best wishes!! Hope you get some good rest tonight and labor picks up if it's meant to be

[seasiren]

Man Shell, best of luck to you, hope you are in labor tomorrow after a good rest tonight. I am inspired to go on a hike tomorrow now. Maybe the dr., the pool, lunch, then a walk. Then maybe labor. I am so ready. 39 wks and 2 days done. So close. I even dreamed he was born last night. He was so cute, had his daddies electric blue eyes. All the midwives and all my female relatives were there too. Course it was just a dream. Happy full moon ladies.