I would LOVE a UC.. questions

[Megsamomeee]

A little background:
My DS was born at 38 weeks after I was induced because I was so sick with the flu, and it caused high blood pressure. I had an epidural, and I was so weak from not keeping anything down, that I couldn't push anymore after an hour and 10 minutes, and they used a vacuum to assist. I had an apesiotomy (sp?) and wast stitched up.

This time, when we were ttc, I knew right away that I wanted a home birth. I have really bad anxiety over hospitals, I don't want a ton of people around me, and I need to be in my own comfortable environment to do what I need to do and have a relaxing birth. I chose a home birth midwife, but because of my husband being laid off and finances, we weren't able to pay her anymore, and I ended up switching to what I thought was the next best thing, a birth center with a CNM because state insurance would pay for it. I planned on a water birth, had all these hopes of relaxation and the perfect setting, and specifics like skin to skin contact immediately, delayed chord clamping, and having my mother there. I came to find out that I can't have any of those things. The midwife is older, and doesn't want to do water births anymore because she says she can't comfortably support her back, and I'm more likely to tear (which I know is not true.) They have one birth room, and it's tiny, cluttered, no windows, horrible florescent lighting, and everything is just kind of blah. I have been in there twice, and both times I didn't feel like I could birth there without feeling really claustrophobic. She also does not do delayed chord clamping because she doesn't believe in it, she doesn't do skin to skin right away, and she acted really weird about my mom being there because the birth room is so small. All of it is really frustrating, so I would like to continue my prenatal care there and not let them know that I'm planning an 'oops.' My husband is iffy about it because it's a risk, and my mom is worried, but knows it's my choice. She would still like to be there and help.

So starting out doing research, (I'm 34 weeks on monday) I am going to order a birth kit, (the one my original home birth midwife was going to have me order) and specifically, I'm going to labor my way, but what is next, when the baby starts crowing and coming out, what if I end up tearing even after doing perenium stretches and it looks like I need stitches?? Do we just deliver the baby and suction him, or do we let him do this on his own? As long as he's crying and pink, I should be able to have him start nursing right? And I would like to wait until the chord stops pulsing and then clamp and cut. Should the placenta just come out on it's own or would I possibly have the sensation to push it out? and how long is too long for it to be inside of me still? Once it's out, I'm still researching the hemorrhaging thing, but nursing SHOULD help with that right? I'm still deciding if I would like to save it and capsulize it. When we feel comfortable enough, I will call the midwife and tell her that my labor went really really fast and that I had the baby and I'm fine. During labor I plan on monitoring my blood pressure and temperature. I'm just concerned about the baby. Do they need a lot of special 'care' or is it pretty much just making sure they are breathing well?

I would really really appreciate any information and answers. I continually visualize this calm, nice, water birth with minimal pushing, and my son nursing and feeling this amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment. I really would love to achieve a birth at home where I'm comfortable, and since we can't afford it, UC is where I'm headed.

[medicinemansgirl]

We were in this EXACT same boat with #7. So we ended up with a UC and just called to tell her my water broke, I didn't realize it at all since it was 3:30 am in the dark on the toilet and once contractions did start the next morning it flew. She was a little irritated with us and the fact we didn't notify her once we realized my water had broken..which was 7:30 am. My contractions didn't really start up til 10:00 or so. So, technically we could've made it there but I didn't want to go. Everything went perfect and the womanly instincts in you will just know what to do. We ended up going in the next day for a well check for both of us but everything was more than fine.

Contractions started at 10 that morning and he was here at 12:58. I had no desire to go anywhere that day but just wanted to love, snuggle and nurse in bed so we didn't go in to see her til the day after that...not the day of birth. Being only 34 wks you have plenty of time to get the info you need. Placenta will come out completely on its own. I got in the shower after he was born since it helped with the cramping. Standing up I just felt some pressure down there. It was just a little tiny push..more like the effort of a cough....and it plopped out on the shower floor.

When ordering the birth kit I would go through and weed out all of the unneccesaries...which we found there to be alot of with a mw. You really don't need however many pair of sterile gloves or the massive amount of chux pads. The kit our mw wanted us to order was 71.00. We went to inhishands.com and just ordered what we need for this birth. It only came out to 26.00. Really you just need some cord clamps, shepherd's purse and I got a peri bottle, since it feels so good instead of wiping after delivery, and some stretchy underwear. Usually I woud've skipped even that and just worn some bigger ones I had but given how much larger I am this pregnancy I went ahead and got the stretchy kind for comfort.

You can do a UC and will do great!! It will be something you won't regret...spoken from very personal experience having been where you are.

[Almi]

First of all, I want to say that birthing unassisted is unlikely to be something you'll regret, and I really think you've made the right decision for yourself. Some women want (and need) to birth in the hospital. Many don't, but feel pressured into doing so. And then there are very few that realize that our bodies work just fine, and they trust in birth.

(Oh, for future reference, it's episiotomy, something I never plan on having!)

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

A little background:
So starting out doing research, (I'm 34 weeks on monday) I am going to order a birth kit

Like medicinemansgirl said, you probably won't need a lot of the things that come in a birth kit. Personally, my birth kit (will, once I've ordered everything) consists of:

- Birthing pool
- "Chux" pads (I actually just have a bunch of pads left over from potty training my last puppy, lol.)
- Cord clamps (only because I'm having twins, otherwise I would not bother)
- Brand new scissors (for cutting cords)
- Wide bowl (to birth the placenta into)
- Placenta Out (and any other herbs to help with PPH)
- Lots of towels (ones that I don't care if I ruin)
- Two waterproof mattress covers and sheets that I don't care about (You put down a waterproof cover, then a sheet, then a waterproof cover, then a sheet. If you get the bed messy, it's easy to strip right away, and still waterproof. =D)

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

what if I end up tearing even after doing perenium stretches and it looks like I need stitches??

If you feel you need stitches, go in and get stitches. However, most tears will heal by themselves, just keep your legs closed as much as possible, and watch for any signs of infection.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

Do we just deliver the baby and suction him, or do we let him do this on his own?

You can suction if you want, it's pretty much a matter of preference. Most babies do not need suctioning after birth.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

As long as he's crying and pink, I should be able to have him start nursing right?

Yes, if that's what you both want to do.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

And I would like to wait until the chord stops pulsing and then clamp and cut.

This is good. I have also been told by one of my ex roommates that is a UCer that it's good to hold the placenta above the baby for at least 10 minutes after it (the placenta) comes out, to drain all of the blood in the cord and placenta into the baby. This is probably unnecessary, but I don't see how it could hurt. If you wait long enough, you won't need to even tie off the cord, you can just cut it after a few hours. But you definitely won't need to clamp it if it's not pulsing. Just tie it off with some string.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

Should the placenta just come out on it's own or would I possibly have the sensation to push it out?

This I don't know yet! Technically, though, you don't have to push a baby out. The uterus does all the work.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

and how long is too long for it to be inside of me still?

I think this is sort of a matter of opinion. It -should- come out within 30 minutes of giving birth, no longer than an hour. But it can take a few hours sometimes. I would start to worry if it's been longer than three hours, but the main thing is to look at how you feel, and if you are hemorrhaging or not. Usually, you'll be bleeding if the placenta hasn't been expelled (also make sure and check the placenta over to see if it's complete if it does come out; pieces of it could still be inside of you). If your placenta doesn't come out (especially after nursing and/or using Placenta Out) or you start to feel unwell at all, go to the hospital.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

Once it's out, I'm still researching the hemorrhaging thing, but nursing SHOULD help with that right?

It should, but doesn't always do the trick. Nipple stimulation and uterine massage can help, and so can taking things like shepherd's purse, but if these things are not helping, you must transfer.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

I'm still deciding if I would like to save it and capsulize it.

That's what I'm doing. It's more of a tedious process, but I really like the end result better than anything you can do with the placenta, and I'd like to reap the benefits of placenta consumption instead of just throwing it away.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

Do they need a lot of special 'care' or is it pretty much just making sure they are breathing well?

A normal, healthy infant does not need any special care after birth, no. You can do a quick APGAR assessment after birth, if you'd like. But chances are, you'll know if something is wrong and you have to transfer to the hospital.

Originally Posted by Megsamomeee

I would really really appreciate any information and answers. I continually visualize this calm, nice, water birth with minimal pushing, and my son nursing and feeling this amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment. I really would love to achieve a birth at home where I'm comfortable, and since we can't afford it, UC is where I'm headed.

Keep visualizing that. It will definitely help calm you and help you be unafraid of birth. However, you still need to be aware that ANYTHING can happen, and you need to be prepared for it. (Don't worry, just be prepared. Most births go smoothly and are uncomplicated.)




Make sure and share your story with us when the time comes!

[kittywitty]

What they said.

I would recommend reading some books on birth like Emergency Childbirth (free copies online sometimes), Heart & Hands, Spiritual Midwifery, and any OB texts you can find through your library system. Just so you are prepared.

You don't have to, but they did help me out.

ETA:

I did not get a pushing sensation with my placenta. I did start hemorrhaging before mine came out, though. If the placenta does not come out whole-check it completely-then you need to take something like Placenta Out. Learn about fundal massage and get your partner to help you out if it makes you queasy, like it does to me. I would also read the archives from the UC forums here.

[Almi]

Oh, almost forgot, aside from reading threads here, here are a few websites I really like:

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/childbirth.html

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/index.html

[dayiscoming2006]

Just wanted to add...
Read some UC birth stories to get an idea what to expect. And birthing positions help prevent tearing. They gave me an unnecessary episiotomy with my first. With my second I did most of the pushing on my hands and knees and my baby came a lot faster that way and I didn't tear.

[Almi]

^ Agreed. There are many birth stories on the second website I posted a link to. They helped a lot.

[MyBoysBlue]

There is also the UC birth stories in this forum to read.

UC roll call and birth stories
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=891659

[lachingona1]

What everyone else said.

I just UC'ed a week ago. I also got the birth kit form inhishands. I ordered chux pads, a cord clamp just in case (we used floss to tie off) a suctioning bulb just in case, some postpartum pads, some goldenseal for cord care and a measuring tape. It was only like $20.

My first was a hospital birth and I had 3rd degree tears. With my next three I had home waterbirths, pushed on my knees and had no tearing at all.

I also read lots of UC stories and did lots of research. I read emergency childbirth and basically just visualized the birth I wanted, which is exactly what I had. My placenta took about 35 minutes to come out. I had no pushing sensation up until the last 5 minutes, so I pushed but it still wasn't completely detached. I just waited a couple minutes stood up and it came out. I had minimal bleeding. DH encapsulated it for me.

You can also eat a piece of the placenta if you are worried about hemorrhaging.

[NewSolarMomma]

Also make sure you are on the look out for Jaundice, it is typically no big deal at all, but my baby had a very severe case that ended up being hemolytic disease caused by ABO incompatibility. Rare and weird!

There are 2 types- the first is Physiological. It appears a few days after the birth, and is treated with light. basically, you put the baby in sunlight and it goes away on it own. The second type is Pathological and is the one to watch for; it shows up FAST within 24 hours and can be because of blood incompatibility (1 out of every 15 babies has different type than Mom, and usually it doesn't matter. My son had this). It causes very serious anemia and other dangerous problems. It's easily treated though, you just have to catch it.

Good luck with your birth! I hope it goes well

[Cutie Patootie]

I had an accidental uc with my last baby. It was a planned home birth with my midwife, but he came super fast and dh and I ended up being alone with our 4 and 6 yo looking on. It was amazingly awesome and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The number one thing I would say is to keep that little one warm the second he/she comes out. It is very easy for them to get cold and very hard to warm them up once they are chilled. It can cause them to go into shock, lethargy and low heart rate. We almost had to transfer. It most likely won't happen, but if you are caught up in the moment with everything going on, it can happen. It only took about 5-10 minutes for or little one to get so cold we could hardly warm him up. It took about 8 hours to get his temp back up.