Homebirth Subgroup...sign In!

[mamatoady]

I hope this work well. i saw a hb/c-section post, but i haven't had a c-section, so i feel a bit left out now--i really wanted the sub group!

anyway, is there anyone else who wants to join in this group?

sign in, give us some stats, and lets get this puppy rolling!

name, state, child#, homebirth #, and if you have the energy, how do you envision your homebirth?

peace to all!
sarah

[mamatoady]

my name is sarah and i'm in michigan. this is my second child and first homebirth. I planned a homebirth with my daughter, but ended up in the hospital. i switched because i wasn't ready yet, i don't think i trusted my body enough. what i want for my birth is for it to be slow and simple. i ordered a birthing pool so i plan to use it a lot, and maybe give birth in it. hopefully there will be time for soothing music, candles, and aromatherapy. i really am hoping everything happens at night, so i don't have to ship dd off with grandma and grandpa.

needless to say, my birth with dd was a crazy, hectic, pitocin induced, fast, physically impossible birth. i had blood pressure problems and was hooked up to every machine imagineable and it sucked. i am looking forward to a very natural birth.

sarah

[FreeSpiritMama]

Name ~ Carrie

Country ~ UK

Child # ~ 2

Homebirth # ~ 1

I dont have a clear vision of how our homebirth will be. I'm thinking we wont call the midwives until fairly late into the labour and I would like for most of my labour for just my DH, DS and doula to be there. We are buying a little fishy birth pool but so far the dreams & visions I have had of the birth have not been in the water.

DS and I were reading Welcome with Love in bed this morning, he loves this book as much as me

[mamatoady]

carrie, i must be totally hormonal because i got to the part in your post "DS and I were reading Welcome with Love in bed this morning, he loves this book as much as me " and totally had to push back the tears. I don't know this book,is it a children's book?

i do have a question for this forum already, so i hope people will read it or i'll have to repost it. why do hospitals do diabetes tests if you pee on the strips and they tell you if there's sugar in your urine. is that not supposedly a good indicator of GD?

sarah

[FreeSpiritMama]

Sarah here is a link to Welcome with Love , its a childrens book told from the eyes of a young boy watching his mama homebirth his baby brother I often have tears in my eyes reading it

[aprilushka]

April, Virginia, child 2 homebirth 1.

I had an unnecessary c/s with my first which led me to a lot of research and ultimately a decision to homebirth.

I envision being mostly alone-- I think I'm a cat laborer. I need to labor uninfluenced by other people. I envision being active in early labor, then getting in the shower, filling up the tub and contemplating calling my midwife when I think I'm getting close to nuts, LOL. I would wait until pushy but that might be too late.

Everytime I think about pushing the baby out it's in water but I still have some fear about that, not sure why-- I guess b/c on a list I'm on one woman had a waterbirth and her baby later died of pneumonia, I'm not saying it was related to that, but it put a (not necessarily rational) fear in my mind about pushing the baby out in water. I imagine if I'm in the tub and just don't want to get out that's how it's going to go. But if the fear is left over I may get out to push so that the fear won't sabotage me.

[2+twins]

name - Jenne
location - US
children - this will be the 3rd
homebirth # - 3

Hi! If I get my way and the homebirth goes as *I'd* like it to, my dh & kids will be home when it starts and there will be time enough for me to get in the birth tub. It won't be so fast that I'm overwhelmed with pain. Instead I'll be able to relax and actually notice the different sensations in my body, like the baby descending, rotating, etc. I've never noticed sensations like that before and I really want to this time - especially since it will be the last. I'd also like some way that the whole thing gets photographed/video-taped. We tried last time but my dh must have pressed the wrong button or something b/c we just have several minutes of blank tape. The whole thing will go smoothly - without complication - and just dh, our dd's, and I will be in attendance (if the m/w arrives in time she's to wait in the other room unless called). Oh, and we'll be pleasantly surprised with twins and I'll feel good afterwards and have the energy to make placenta prints.

Like I said, this is my last shot at this so I'm trying to fit everything in. My last birth was very fast. My water broke about 15 minutes before my first contraction. It was immediately intense and our dd was born, in the water, just 90 minutes later. The m/w didn't make it and we honestly weren't really prepared for that possibility (although we should have been!). It was a great experience overall but I wish we had gotten it on tape and had been a little more relaxed about the whole thing (especially dh - I was pretty much calm). So my main fear this time is that dh (and my kids) will miss it - he might simply be at the grocery store 5 minutes away and miss it at the rate I went last time.

Honestly though, I don't picture myself having another waterbirth even though it's what I'd prefer. I just have a feeling it won't happen that way - that I'll be on land and on hands & knees for it. I guess we'll see. If I really am able to tune into my body and get out of my head I will have considered it a great success. I think too much! That's my problem in life.

I Welcome With Love. We got it a few weeks ago for my dd's and they love it too. I have yet to read it w/o welling up with tears! The line about as the baby is crowning and tears are streaming down the big sister's face but she doesn't wipe them away - that gets me every time.

Thanks for starting this thread. I think it's an excellent idea!

[celestialdreamer]

name: Rebecca

state: WA

child#2

homebirth #1

how do you envision your homebirth?
Well, I mostly have just envisioned the feeling of safety, etc and what the surroundings would look like. We had a horrible induced labor with Anna in a hospital, so I imagine this time to be a healing experience for me emotionally. We plan to set up our master bedroom as the birthing area. We have a big comfy bed, lots of room for a birthing tub plus room for the midwife, her assistant, the doula and my DH to be able to sit on chairs. Also the room has a attached deck so if I want a little fresh air its easy to get to. There is a private bath attached to the bedroom with a big stall shower (great for if I want DH to get in with me). I'm imagining low lighting, laboring mostly in the shower or the birthing pool we will rent.

Sarah- My midwife said that sugar in your urine is not always a good indicator of GD. She said some women who are NOT diabetic spill sugar in their urine, and some that ARE diabetic never do but still have other symptoms and problems with it.

[mamatoady]

i wonder what the point,then would be of a, peeing on the sugar strip and b, why we don't do the gd test. i've been a raging sugar-aholic this pregnancy and i'm overweight anyway...part of me thinks those tests are crap and the other part of me thinks it might be a good idea. i did it with my daughter and i was borderline, they wanted me to go back and take a part 2 and i declined. although if i can knock out this sugar out of my diet, i wouldn't see any point in me going in...hard though.

sarah

[pique]

name:Jen
province: Quebec
child: #3
homebirth: #1

How do I envision my homebirth? Hmmm, well hopefully calmer and better cared for than my previous 2 hosp. births (5 hours and 2.5 hours)! With how fast everything has been in the past, I figure I have less chance of having the baby in the car if I just stay home.

I think I've found a wonderful midwife (just need to call her references to double check) who is very calm and not-interventionist at all, so I'm looking forward to laboring with her.

[aprilushka]

I just want to say too, planning a homebirth (in my case, without shadow care) has given me so much peace in this pregnancy. I went to have one ultrasound last week which was a bit of a hassle to get without an OB b/c things are just opening up for CPMs in this state but I got it and knowing I don't have to see another doctor unless there is truly something wrong just is such a relief for me personally. I feel so much more at peace I think than I did last time, even though last time I was ignorant of the way the system works, I still didn't like having to go to a doctor's office regularly and wait around for them to do this or that. Going to see my mw (at her home) is a joy and something I look forward to.

Of course if we transfer there is a chance I will have to put up with a lot of crap from hospital staff for attempting HBAC, but I'm mentally prepared I think for that possibility (suck as it will no matter what), and it's probably a 5-10% possibility, so I'm just going to enjoy myself and come to that if we come to it.

[AllisonK]

Hello All,
My name is Allison. I live in WA state. This is my 3rd child but first HB. And it is a HBAC.

[burke-a-bee]

Hi. Holly from Florida. This is my 4th child. 1st was a hospital birth, second was a birth center birth and third was a homebirth. I hope to have another homebirth.
I'm not sure how this birth will go. My last was 35 minutes from the first contraction until he was out. I was 5cm for over a week without a single contraction or discomfort. Part of me envisions this birth to be on my own with my kids at home. I can't imagine my husband making it if he's not at home already. He has an unpredictable job so I can't really see him taking a good chunk of time off to wait for the birth. Anyway, I see myself putting a video on (a long one) for the kids and getting in the tub to give birth on my own. I can't really see my midwife being there either. Another part of me sees myself pacing around (as usual) and squating over a laundry basket full of towels to give birth. Catching he/ she myself. (Isn't that silly?) I am not one to lay down or birth in bed. I had my second on the toilet and third sitting on my husband. But there is another part of me that thinks maybe this one will be longer than the last. So who knows.
We will see.

[lmonter]

Lanna
Idaho
child #2
homebirth #1

I'm envisioning something more comfortable than the hospital birth experience I had with ds.
I'm trying to not have too many expectations, other than having the baby at home (or at my midwife's office/birth center that's 3/4 mile away - she's got a garden tub, we have a smaller-than-normal tub).
And not being yelled at for laboring in a comfortable-to-me position - that got old during transition last time.

[AdinaL]

Adina
PDX, Oregon
Child #1
homebirth #1 (gee ya think? )

Just hoping we will be in our own house, and neighborless by the time this little one shows up. Other than that, I have no plans, no real expectations....Other than a healthy baby at the end.

[AtThePark]

Hi I'm Nicole
Living in Brookline, MA (Boston)
2nd child
1st Homebirth (HBAC)

How do I envisison it? Hum - I'm a first timer here really - my son was a planned c-section due to his breech presentation and unflippability which was concluded to be from either a placental placement problem (anterior and high blocking his flip space LOL) or from a short/wrapped cord. Doctor was open to trying a vaginal birth for a while and then got nervous about cord/possible rupture. After 2 miscarriages we planned a c-sec. The birth was not tramatic but the next 3 days at the hospital were. I'm just wanting to be at home with this baby from the get go. That was my biggest motivation for homebirth - and then I found my midwife and now I'm geared for birth itself.

Unlike the cat laborer - I can't imagine I'll want to be alone - I'm not from a tribe of women who went off to birth alone - I know that. I think I'll want to be outside a lot if possible - and while a tub sounds nice - I'm a earth/ground spirit more than a water person. Birthing stool position seems like it will be most powerful for me when I'm pushing.

Man - I'm going to be loud I think - really loud probably. And I live in a condo and will most certainly wake the neighbors - I figure it's good for everone to hear birth .

I envision a homebirth as a chance to go on this inner journey during labor - to someplace inside to find something sacred and hidden which will unlock the process for me. There's been this loss of whatever that gift is from my last birth and I'm he11bent on finding it this time around.

I just want to give birth - crazy but I've always known I could do it and now I'm getting the support I need, have a midwife with whom I have immense trust and just great vibes (she fells like a sister or life-long friend).

Oh and I want an oragnic cotton moses basket to put the baby in for a photo (when she finishes just being with me LOL) - that ad in Mothering is calling to me, wanting me to spend my money - I justhave these photots of Freddie (ds) in that yuck-o-rama plastic thing from the hospital - and well, this time, I must have an overpriced organic moses basket! (and I'm buying DS a similiar one from Playstre toys for his doll - so really, how can I resist?) - OK so I'm into NFL - but LOVE my products - at least my consumerism issues are being positively challneged to WAHMs and enviromental-friendly businesses.

Goodness this time is sneaking up on me!

[AtThePark]

GD test

also - I had DS in Singapore - if there was no sugar in your urine there was never a GD test - I never had one, nor a strep-b test, no triple or quad screen and this was with a doctor in a hospital (only choice in SIngapore unless you find an old granny type for a covert old-school-Chinese homebrith).

[mom2bMN]

Name: Carrie
Location: St. Paul, MN
Baby: #1

I am so grateful to have come to the decision of a homebirth, and feel so peaceful about it ever since.

My husband and parents will be here. My husband will be with me, of course, but we'll keep my parents busy with pictures/video, making food, keeping the fire going in the fireplace, etc. I see them being free to get as close or as far as they need to and still be a part of it all (impossible in the hospital). I also won't have to worry about them this way (eating, having a comfortable place to sit, staying busy, etc).

I will have a birth pool, and plan to use it as my reward for getting as far along as possible in labor (7-8 cms or atleast when I think that's where I am...) I also have no set decision about waterbirth or not. I plan to do what feels right at the time. Our pool will be on our 3 season porch, which with the right shades closed and open, will provide privacy from our neighbors but allow me to see our beautiful green yard, bird feeder and flowers.

I too hope to spend some time outside too. Hopefully it will be warm enough by the end of April in Minnesota.

[PinkPixie]

Hi, I'm Helene

Child#4

Homebirth #2

Location: Canada

I loved my last homebirth with my midwives and hope to live the same wonderful experience again. My last labor was fast and intense and am hoping for the same thing my fourth time around.

I don't make any definite plans as to how I'm going to birth, I just go with the flow of what feels right at that moment.

One thing is certain, I don't want the umbilical cord cut and clamped until way after it stops pulsating. I want my baby to get all the blood supply, oxygen and stem cells that the cord blood provides.

[littlebird]

Hello, I'm Leslie, living in Pennsylvania, USA, and we are expecting child number 4 and our 4th homebirth!

As far as how I envision the birth I've had some thoughts about that. Having done this at home 3 times before I feel like there could be a tendency to try to just expect it to be like before, etc. But, every time was different and what was the same the most to me was my surrender to the process. I've had a different midwife everytime, well last time she didn't even make it for the birth which was really what we wanted, anyway.

So, in choosing a midwife I'm looking for someone who has experience with a lot of different birth options (like not checking dialation, not cutting cords for awhile, etc), and then I think I can feel open minded about what does occur with this birth.

A spiritual teacher I have who I really trust said this baby would be harder for me to push out and would feel stuck to me and that it would be good to have a midwife there to help. So, I'll do that. After all the other babies came out with very minimal pushing. The second was 3 or 4 pushes and the third was 1 push for the head, so I appreciate the heads up about a possible difference there. I'm not a worrier, but I just want to be open minded and let the right birth team form for me.

As far as the kids go I expect at least some of them to be awake. Last birth they both slept through it, and for my second baby my daughter was there the whole time and just left when the pushing got too intense. I think it is a great experience for children and I don't worry about them being trouble. Our family is pretty in tune and chances are they will pick up on what is going on with the labor energy pretty well. I've considered trying to have my mother here (she lives 4 hours away) but I'm having second thoughts about it. I thought she could help with the kids and that it would be nice because I think this will be my last birth, but she worries about things and my husband isn't too sure about having her here either. He wants it to be just us.

So, I'm glad to be here and want to encourage all you others planning homebirths out there. It is a wonderful, powerful, spiritual, life changing thing.

Love,
Leslie

PS, To the woman in Washington with the midwife named Sarah, what is her last name? My first midwife was named Sarah in Olympia, WA and I wonder if it is the same one. I moved before giving birth, but she was special to me. I'm trying to remember he last name but I would know it if I heard it. She was a CNM I think (my only one).