Noise & Clean-up

[LizaBear]

Had you asked me 4 days ago what my biggest hang-ups were about my upcoming homebirth - noise and clean-up would be my answers.

Now, as I sit here, holding my 3-day-old daughter, I know differently.

We've got 1 stained towel. Our couch cushions need to be cleaned, but nothing that is ruined. No stains or marks on our tan carpeting. Heck - even the white prefold diapers I used for my bleeding are clean !

Noise - to the best of our knowledge, most of our neighbours don't know our baby has come - despite living in an apartment building, and me screaming my fool head off !

[plantmommy]

Congrats! I can't wait to hear the birth story.

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

I'm happy to hear that your fears were not realized.

CONGRATS!!!

[Breathless Wonder]

LOL!

Congratulations!

[Elyssia]

congratulations!!!

and i'm glad you posted this b/c this is something that is overly worried about, i have seen over and over
for my contribution to that
3 homebirths here and no problem w/ stains, mess or bothering neighbors
---and that's 2 born in apts. and the twins in a duplex

congratulations again and look forward to reading your birth story!

[nikirj]

Congrats! I'm glad you posted too, I was actually a little worried about that. But from my experience, as long as you wash before blood dries it will come out, right? So even if I get a bunch of towels and prefolds and sheets bloody, it will come out, right?

Does anyone know if fleece will transfer blood? Can I use my (MM 200wt) black fleece blanket under my sheets instead of a (ugh) shower curtain? (Or will the blood just go through to the mattress?)

[LizaBear]

We didn't get around to doing laundry for a little more than 24 hours - and DH started it, so I don't know how much was dried already.

We soaked the towels overnight in OxiClean, then ran them through in the morning.

Prefolds I was rinsing out a bit then tossing into the wet diaper pail.

[Maltagirl]

Thanks so much for posting this! I was afraid of the mess, too...but my biggest fear, actually, is pooping in the birth tub. I'm also a little bit concerned about whether the bed we have in the spare room will be comfortable for me and for my midwife. She comes for the home visit on Thursday, so I guess I'll find out!

Hooray for homebirths!

--Diana

[yoga]

It's funny, isn't it? Mess barely exists and I screamed a lot, too, but no one woke up (she was born around 5am).

Congratulations!!

[RiceMomma]

I probably don't qualify as a homebirthing momma, since my homebirth with my middle child was accidental, but there was only one small stain left on the carpet after my MIL cleaned it with Oxiclean- as I said, we didn't plan the homebirth- she was just ready to come!

My oldest was 17mo at the time, and she slept through the whole thing in the next room. Neighbors had no clue.

Having experienced that, I am now always preparing myself for another homebirth when I'm pregnant (I do personally prefer to be at the hospital- for one it's illegal, I've been told, for midwives to perform homebirths in my state, and because the hospital we go to is wonderful- huge birthing tubs, jacuzzis and showers, and midwives who are fabulous- anyway... getting OT here!) You could put a vinyl sheet over your matress then put matress cover, sheets, blankets, towels, whatever over that to protect your matress.

If I find myself delivering at home again, I will be in the bathtub with the warm water, lol.

Happy birthing!

[raynelady]

Originally Posted by Anna's mamma

Thanks so much for posting this! I was afraid of the mess, too...but my biggest fear, actually, is pooping in the birth tub.

No worries on this one--you will be very likely to poop at some point. I pooped in the tub with Julia, but only a bit--and the midwife quickly cleaned it all up. It's not uncommon to poop during labor (hence the horrid practice of giving enemas to mamas in early labor--to protect the precious doctor from having to interface with human feces), and your midwife will be compentent at dealing with it appropriately.

Good luck!