POLL Where/How are we all PLANNING to birth?? « Back to Group Discussions

[travelmumma]

Hi Mummas!

I just thought it would be interesting to get a general picture of how we are all planning to bring our little babes into the world!!
So the question- If all goes Perfectly, how will it go???

Feel free to elaborate if you wish

[lulubikes]

Only 14 responses, where is everyone else?!

I thought I'd post a comment to move this to the top ;)

[Mamabeakley]

Also, I don't think the current results are representative, if I remember what's on the Who's Who list accurately ;-)

[darkblue0729]

Hi mamas, things have been insanely busy here in the Woods :) but I found a moment! If all goes perfectly I am having sweet Gabe here at our house by ourselves, with any luck the babes will sleep through it (doubt it, but here's to hoping!) and in my fantasy I go overdue and have him on Christmas eve...I dunno why, but that's when I envision it all going down...DH thinks I am mad and we won't go later than early December if Gabe is anything like his brother andsisters, lol. But yeah, here, at home, snow on the ground, fire in the fireplace, warm baths, lots of cool music and spicy smells....Mmmmm I can't wait to meet this baby!!!!

[tropicana74]

Originally Posted by darkblue0729 
 But yeah, here, at home, snow on the ground, fire in the fireplace, warm baths, lots of cool music and spicy smells....Mmmmm I can't wait to meet this baby!!!!

Me too....so, so hoping that we get snow the day this little one decides to arrive. 

[Melly24]

Here at home in a birth pool like her brother  just a couple minutes past midnight on New Years Day. The first baby of the new year in the world (as we are the first country to see the new day).

[kel]

So cool Melly! And darkblue, that sounds perfect.  I'm thinking of turning the living room into a temporary bedroom/birthing space because the fireplace is in there and it's not right next to the neighbors' house (like our bedroom is).  I'm actually starting to feel excited about a winter baby!  It hasn't ever been my favorite season, but after 3 1/2 months away from home, I think winter is really going to feel like home to me. 

[stegenrae]

I was a New Year's baby...and I still haven't stopped hearing about the tax implications of my very late arrival (I was due Dec 2...my mom cooked my bro and myself about 10mos). 

BUT. DS1 and DS2 were both born within 48 hours of their due dates, so I'm hoping my Dec 15 EDD holds. At least no more than 2 weeks late--we've already taken another deduction on dh's taxes to pay for baby stuff!! ;) 

DS2 was born at home in the water...and hopefully DD1 will be, as well. Of course, we switched our bedroom from the main level master to upstairs in order to change the master into a homeschool/craft/office room. So We'll just make that the birth room again, if everything continues to go well. 

Kel, that sounds wonderful for you. :)

[cieloazul]

Lovely birth visions, mamas. These babies are coming soon!!! It's all starting to feel so eminent for me.

I'm coming right off the "where/why we birth" thread and have the sacred nature of all birth choices on my mind thanks to that lovely quote Tropicana shard there. I'm also on here while taking a break from a survey development project I'm working on, so I have survey questions on the mind too. Let me throw this out here regarding how previous posters have noted that maybe these results don't represent our DDC accurately. When I first read the poll to me it seemed like the choices were listed in some sort of order. You could say it's in order of most to least intervention, but the way I read it given the context of MDC being a natural family website, was that there was a bit of a value judgement attached to more or less intervention. That probably also reflects my own projection given that I'm not a HB or UC mama myself. I'm sure that was not travelmumma's intention. I bring this up becuse undoubtedly someone reading this will birth by cesarean, or will chose an intervention she hadn't expecetd to use. I want to say to that mama right now, remember this in January...you are incredible and your birth was amazing. xoxo

[travelmumma]

Originally Posted by cieloazul 

Lovely birth visions, mamas. These babies are coming soon!!! It's all starting to feel so eminent for me.

I'm coming right off the "where/why we birth" thread and have the sacred nature of all birth choices on my mind thanks to that lovely quote Tropicana shard there. I'm also on here while taking a break from a survey development project I'm working on, so I have survey questions on the mind too. Let me throw this out here regarding how previous posters have noted that maybe these results don't represent our DDC accurately. When I first read the poll to me it seemed like the choices were listed in some sort of order. You could say it's in order of most to least intervention, but the way I read it given the context of MDC being a natural family website, was that there was a bit of a value judgement attached to more or less intervention. That probably also reflects my own projection given that I'm not a HB or UC mama myself. I'm sure that was not travelmumma's intention. I bring this up becuse undoubtedly someone reading this will birth by cesarean, or will chose an intervention she hadn't expecetd to use. I want to say to that mama right now, remember this in January...you are incredible and your birth was amazing. xoxo

Well said mumma!
And in no way were they meant to be ordered! That is just they way they came out of my head!
All ways of bringing a babe into the world are beautiful and oh so exciting!!!!!!

[mamadiamond]

i voted "other" because birth center wasn't an option. i'm hoping to get in at a birth center, in which case i'll be having a water birth there. however, the possibility remains that at 7 months along they won't accept me as a new patient, in which case i'll be birthing at a hospital. i find out if the birth center will take me next week, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed. also, if i end up at a hospital i'm leaving the possibility open for an epidural. i went into my first birth (hospital) planning no medication, but ended up totally exhausted and too tense to dilate properly, and ended up getting the epidural 22 hours in...which allowed me to finally relax enough to dilate and birth. but i was hugely upset with myself and felt really guilty about getting it. and i don't need that sort of baggage again. so this time if i end up having to be at a hospital i'm going to go in again intending on no meds, but giving myself permission to need what i need in the moment and be at peace with however the birth goes. ideally, at the birth center my needs will be met (both emotionally by naturally minded staff, and logistically by a birth tub and stool) and i will have the support to get through without meds. but at a hospital i will have much less emotional and logistical support, which may put more stress on me than i can handle without meds. if my first birth taught me anything it is that no matter how much planning happens ahead of time, things can change in the moment and i have to adapt rather than getting upset. 

[mamaharrison]

Originally Posted by mamadiamond 

i voted "other" because birth center wasn't an option. i'm hoping to get in at a birth center, in which case i'll be having a water birth there. however, the possibility remains that at 7 months along they won't accept me as a new patient, in which case i'll be birthing at a hospital. i find out if the birth center will take me next week, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed. also, if i end up at a hospital i'm leaving the possibility open for an epidural. i went into my first birth (hospital) planning no medication, but ended up totally exhausted and too tense to dilate properly, and ended up getting the epidural 22 hours in...which allowed me to finally relax enough to dilate and birth. but i was hugely upset with myself and felt really guilty about getting it. and i don't need that sort of baggage again. so this time if i end up having to be at a hospital i'm going to go in again intending on no meds, but giving myself permission to need what i need in the moment and be at peace with however the birth goes. ideally, at the birth center my needs will be met (both emotionally by naturally minded staff, and logistically by a birth tub and stool) and i will have the support to get through without meds. but at a hospital i will have much less emotional and logistical support, which may put more stress on me than i can handle without meds. if my first birth taught me anything it is that no matter how much planning happens ahead of time, things can change in the moment and i have to adapt rather than getting upset. 

have you thought about bringing your own support to the hospital in the event? Doulas are wondeful and portable ; ) So are birthing stools--why not get one for yourself? I agree, you must have the tools and support you need in order to birth optimally especially in an environment where interventions are being offered as options. I have no doubt that I woulod chose an epidural over and over again during labor if it was offered to me--labor is hard work! I hated the effects of the one I asked for after a 60 hour natural labor though--loved that I got the needed relief from pain and was able to sleep and regain my strength for delivery and without it I am not sure I would have been able to birth vaginally, but all the stuff that came with it sucked--monitoring, not moving, birthing on my back, not bonding with baby right away, and the nerve damage 3 + years later--I could do without all that crap {just sharing my experience not at all saying this was yours or would be yours with an epidural}. 
I do agree with you on your birthing philosophy of being able to be open to what the expereince needs to be in the moment not based on a plan. I don't birth plan either, but I do birth prepare. Gsther the tools you know you may need for the birthing experience you intend. Does the hospital have a shower in the birthing room? I found the shower water actually helped me more than the tub--just a thought.
I don't understand these places not allowing women to transfer in at x,y,z number of weeks---what if you have moved or just want a different provider? In FLorida we don't do everything right here as far as birth goes, but I know that all the BCs and HBMWs take women whenever they come--I have had many friends transfer care at 37+ weeks from OB to BC or HBMW. It isn't always ideal to do that, but it should be a clients choice who attends her and our options shouldn't be cut off as we progress in pregnancy--I ALWAYS change my mind in pregnancy on care providers, I have changed after 25 weeks with both of my pregnanies so far.

[travelmumma]

Oh I'm sorry! Birth center completely slipped my mind!!!

[darkblue0729]

Originally Posted by kel 

.  I'm thinking of turning the living room into a temporary bedroom/birthing space because the fireplace is in there and it's not right next to the neighbors' house (like our bedroom is).  I'm actually starting to feel excited about a winter baby!  It hasn't ever been my favorite season, but after 3 1/2 months away from home, I think winter is really going to feel like home to me. 

Love this idea kel!!

[sunseeker]

I am planning a VBAC, in hospital (and my doctor does support VBAC, unless it's breech). We have a lovely birth center in town, and I was hopeful they might work with me, but they won't with my possible complications and history. So, I'm planning to labor at home for a while and head to the hospital which is usually only a ten minutes drive. Unless it's snowy, which is very very possible.

One of my concerns with laboring at home is how long to stay at home. My two babies both came early, and I certainly don't want to have a 32-week preemie at home, but my second baby was 36 weeks, and I feel like I could labor at home for a bit with a 36 weeker. But I'm also wondering if labor will go quickly, this being my third pregnancy and all.

I am still trying to decide if I want to hire a doula or not. First pregnancy, doula didn't get to the hospital in time (blizzard), second pregnancy I did not hire one. This time, with a VBAC, I feel like I may need extra advocating, but I still don't love the idea of having anyone else in the room....

[purposefuldoula]

If all goes perfectly, DS will be born at home in the water, in a mostly dark room with only the Christmas lights on :) I do hope it snows on his birthday! Though I'm not holding my breath!

[travelmumma]

DH and I planned out our birth space/room today! I will have to post a pic when we set it up but that won't be for a while because we still need the pool from our midwife.
We are bringing some plants inside and buying some especially for the birth they will be set up on the door side of the pool to add more privacy if the door is open
And I'm going to create a little shrine that will have my mother blessing things, candles, scents, music, quotes and pictures on it as a focus point if I need it

Other than that we are going to try and keep the space as bare as possible, and drape things we can't hide in green colored sheets and cloths !
The pool will be set up in what is/will be babies room so am going to hide the toys etc so it's nice and clear for my head!!!
I am so excited and just want to start now!!!!

[tropicana74]

Wow, you guys have it all planned out!

I really have no idea where this LO will be born. On the floor in the master bathroom? In the living room in front of the Christmas tree? In the bathtub in the extra bath upstairs? In the bedroom, maybe kneeling by the bed (this one seems most likely but who really knows!?)  I think we will have to play it by ear!

[nhklh]

That totally sounds like a plan to me, tropicana.  Who knows what you'll want at the time, right?  I just want to have all my options available to me so I *can* choose.  What seems like a good idea *now* might seem really annoying later.

[travelmumma]

Ditto to that Tropicana and nhklh!