i am making plans for both a midwife homebirth and a uc. I havent made up my mind at this point.

[LionessMom]

i have less than 10 hour labors and never know if the next one will be quicker. My first was 6 hours and my 2 after that were 10 each. i want to be prepared. 

first the legal stuff. i live in iowa, linn county. what do i do about the pku test and getting looked at right away (within days at least)? i dont want to get in trouble. and the birth certificate? any advice?

second the logistics. I am confident in my ability to birth. i have never had any issues or tearing. my birth goes like clockwork, very predictable. what books do you reccomend? how to books with needed materials, etc?

[Almi]

Lol 6-10 hour labors?  I had a four hour one and could have made it to the hospital.  Don't know what your point is with that one, but if you want a UC, that's great, and short labors will benefit you. :)

I'm not sure about anything for your state (I'm in ND), but I believe we got the PKU test done when they were 8 weeks old (it has more accurate results when delayed), and we took them to the pediatrician for a checkup at 1 week old.  CPS was on our ass only because my mom called the cops when I was in labor (they showed up shortly after the birth), and they just wanted the babies to be seen by a doctor - they left us alone and closed our case as soon as they were seen.  (Not sure what they would have done if we had waited longer, but again, they wouldn't be an issue had my mom not called the cops.)  The nurses and pediatrician were not concerned at all.  They treated us like normal people.  I ended up keeping the random pedi they assigned us to, in fact.

Actually, CPS gave me the number/website to get a hold of my state's Department of Vital Records so I could get the birth certificate.  It was easily found online.  You just have to call them and tell them you need the forms sent to you.  We filled out a packet (you have to fill out all the details of your birth where a hospital or midwife normally would do that for you) and also got paternity papers.  We opted to get SS cards issued with the certificates too (you just had to check it on the packet), and sent them $7 for each copy of a birth certificate that we wanted (this is optional).

One thing they did want was proof of pregnancy and perhaps a witness to your birth.  I think I just sent them stuff that had my due date on it (signed by my OB) and also sheets that had their names and birth dates on it from my pediatrician.  They want to make sure the baby is indeed yours as was indeed born on the date you are saying.  In any case, they should be able to walk you through it and tell you what they need.  And in most states you have 1-7 years to get the birth certificate.  But you will want it sooner if you need it for proof of your child's identity for government help or something (personally I get WIC, EBT, and Medicaid).

Just keep in mind that every labor and birth are different.  You never know what will happen, so be prepared for anything.

Here's a thread with lots of resources on it:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/252628/unassisted-birth-resources

Don't feel like going through that, here's a good place to start:

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