Homebirth tribe?? - Page 5 « Back to Group Discussions

[typebug]

OK this is a question for experienced home birth mammas. I want to start stocking up on hard-to-find items that I might need for before/during and after our birth. My list is small so far:

- Sitz Bath

- Epsom salts

- Herbs for the Sitz Bath (possibly Earth Mama Angel Baby Postpartum Bath Herbs)

- Possibly a disposable underpad if I decide for some reason that I want to be on the bed (who knows right?)

- Maybe some of the other Earth Mamma stuff? I'm looking at the  It seems very cheap. I can order the Booby Tubes, Natural Nipple Butter, Earth Mama Bottom Balm, New Mama Bottom Spray from Amazon.

Really I have no idea! My midwife was not terribly helpful with suggestions and given then everything takes weeks and weeks to ship here I'd rather have everything than wait and see.

[HouseofPeace]

Typebug-

I found my list of needs was a lot like yours-  and far far shorter than the recommended homebirthing list.  my midwife also showed up w/ many necessaries.  

sitz bath- yes!  

and herbs and arnica

i froze pads soaked in witch hazel and used those for soothing my poor bottom- for about 3 days.  

disposable underpads- i had one pack w/ my first, and we used a lot of them b/c my water broke and she didn't come for another 6 hours.  i used maybe 3 with my next homebirth, and the midwives used them when i was pushing.  it wasn't that messy.  i know that sounds odd, but it wasn't.

i had a shower curtain on a mattress and some old clean blankets, a yoga ball to sit/rest on, and a husband bringing me iced kombucha and sparkling water, and that was about it for the entire thing.  

maybe some massage type oils for the actual labor- massage of both my lower back and shoulders really helped me relax and dilate.  

i birthed on a couchbed the first time, and on a mattress on the floor next to the couch the second time.  my husband sat on the couch and i squatted hanging on to his knees the second time, and that was a great position for me.  i like being on a soft surface when laboring as i doze off a lot and like to lay down sometimes (i seem to be sleeping a lot when my water breaks).

i didn't worry about nipple cream and such as i had been nursing throughout labor- but anything to help soothe your bottom and skin and make you feel good afterwards is a good idea.  a couple of nice/pretty/comfortable nighties, (b/c i sweat through a lot the first few days postpartum due to hormones), towels, lots of pillows for being comfy after birth, and a lot of food in the freezer if your husband isn't a gourmet chef.  i pretty much call the bed my home for a while after birth and just try and rest to recover.

my husband and midwives did clean-up and it didn't seem like a big deal- there wasn't a lot of blood, though i was shocked at how much amniotic fluid i had during my first homebirth (and it smells exactly like semen) and it kept coming.  old towels and blankets on had was great for us for most things.  

it was a much easier transition than i expected- one baby was born at 12:30am- midwives were gone by 2am, and in 2 days we had really started flowing with it.  i think that's one of the beautiful things about homebirth.  i don't remember how the other birth worked b/c i fell asleep w/ the baby afterwards!  

[odinsmama]

Yes to all the stuff houseofpeace said. The frozen witch hazel pads were awesome. Herbs for the sitz bath as well as in a peri bottle to rinse the tender area after using the toilet. I tore and had a few stitches and the peri bottle herbal rinse helped SO much with the itchiness while that was healing. After only about 2 or 3 days the itch was gone.

I also birthed on or leaning against a mattress on the floor and also used a shower curtain that we just threw out after. I don't think I'll even do the shower curtain this time.
I set up the mattress with a clean sheet, the shower curtain, then another sheet on top. After the birth the top sheet got thrown in the wash with all the towels, curtain thrown in the rubbish bag and my clean bed was ready for me.

A stack of clean towels and washcloths. My MW soaked the washcloths in very warm water and kept it pressed against my perineum during pushing and that was awesome.

You want some good pads for post partum bleeding. Everyone seems to be different for how many days the heavy bleeding lasts before it transitions to normal period type flow.

I'm planning to have some kind of electrolyte drink to sip as well as raspberry leaf tea.

You may or may not be very hungry afterwards. I was very hungry but found that I only needed a very small meal.

I've heard great things about the earth mama angel baby products but never used them myself. I actually put lanolin on my nipples for a week or two before the birth of my second and had NO nipple pain. Don't know if that was due to knowing what I was doing or due to the lanolin ahead of time, but I'm going to do it again. Had quite a bit of nipple pain nursing my first and did not use it ahead of time, but was also inexperienced.

I'll have some disposable pads for the bed, even if they don't get used they can be used for other things. With my first I leaked a ton of milk in the bed and had to have a towel or something under us for months. Or, years later, use them under a child learning to go without diapers at night.

I'll be cooking some meals to stick in the freezer.

Plan on having options for what you may or may not want to wear. Some women find that any clothing feels awful. I tend to be freezing cold up until I'm ready to push. So the cute little comfy thing I had picked out to wear ended up covered by a huge robe and blenket to keep me from being chilled. I also wanted warm things to drink.

[loveandgarbage]

I love all of these suggestions!

We'll probably get a throw-away shower curtain to put down on whatever surface I decide to labor on. However the sound of wrinkly plastic under me has always been a pet peeve! So I'll have to work around that somehow.

My other two births weren't homebirths, but I found these things to be indispensable: wash cloths for cold compresses during labor, water bottle with a straw to sip on, lavender body oil, and a gigantic blanket for after the birth as I tend to get the shakes pretty bad. This time if anyone remembers it would be great to have a blanket warming in the dryer!

[odinsmama]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

I love all of these suggestions!

We'll probably get a throw-away shower curtain to put down on whatever surface I decide to labor on. However the sound of wrinkly plastic under me has always been a pet peeve! So I'll have to work around that somehow.

It was nice to have. If you decide to buy a cheap one, make sure you open it up and air it out ahead of time so you're not gagging on that new plastic smell while in labor.

[loveandgarbage]

Good call!

[typebug]

Great feedback everyone! Thank you so much!

[odinsmama]

Well I *finally* set up my first appointment with my mw.  :p

DH wanted to be there, which is great because he can help with the kids while we're there.  So I'll be seeing her the morning of Nov 19th.  I'll have to start thinking about any questions I have for her...  if I went in right now I wouldn't be able to come up with any but I'm sure there are some things I've wanted to ask.

[loveandgarbage]

I have to say I think it's pretty cool to just be seeing your MW now. I thought I was late-ish to have my first appt at 18 weeks! I enjoy my appts with her and she gives me great feedback about diet and supplements, but mostly we just chit chat.

[odinsmama]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

I have to say I think it's pretty cool to just be seeing your MW now. I thought I was late-ish to have my first appt at 18 weeks! I enjoy my appts with her and she gives me great feedback about diet and supplements, but mostly we just chit chat.

It's been pretty nice to just have a very low key pregnancy with no appointments to drag the kids to. I'm really a home body and appreciate my mw being fine with email updates from me. Plus, I just can't afford a bunch of appointments. If it were covered by insurance I'm sure I'd be okay with seeing her more and sooner, but it's good the way it is too.

[LadyCatherine185]

loveandgarbage-- what our MW has us do is put down a plastic shower curtain (or several for more area covered) and then put old sheets/blankets overtop of them. that way you are stepping/sitting/laboring/birthing on the sheets/blankets, but the floor under you is protected. and she throws all the birth soiled items in the washing machine right after the birth, with some peroxide.. we didn't have  a single thing stained from DS2's birth!

[odinsmama]

Ooh, just read about mattress protection options in another thread.... wool blankets (would be pricey unless you can find them used) or a flannel backed table cloth, flannel side up! I bet you'll find them super cheap after Christmas with the holiday themed prints being ultra discounted.

[srieger]

Hi- I am new to this site and 32+5 weeks pregnant with our first baby.  We are having a homebirth and actually have to move into a vacation rental in a city 5 hrs away just to make that happen.  I do have a question about encapsulation for y'all though.  Is it better to go with the capsules and spread out the benefits over 80-120 days or would the results be the same if my husband made a pate? I have someone lined up to do the encapsulation but thought I would ask the experts on here!

Thanks for any advice you have and I hope each of you laugh through your next births!

[odinsmama]

I really don't know the answer to your question, but welcome to the club!