Who will be present for the delivery?

[maisiedotes]

I want DH in the room with me and nobody else that is not totally necessary. My mom just informed me that she wants to be in the room and I said there is no way in hell I would allow that. Then she told me she will be outside the room holding a glass to the door to hear the first cry.

Other than that, luckily our hospital is not a teaching hospital so I won't have a ton of people in there.

Who are you having present?

[chrysalis]

Hopefully Megh & My Mama

[Curlita]

My husband and my sister and our doula... and the midwife and labor nurse. Hopefully not anyone else. We ARE delivering at a teaching hospital.

My mom was there for most of my labor last time, not exactly by my choice, and I had my sister ask her to leave when things started getting crazy. I don't blame you for not wanting your mom around... this time around Mom will be watching Dylan.

[Kontessa]

There are friends who want to be at the birth but what actually happens is anyones guess. I have never with a hospital birth had an issue with a full room of people. I was a surrogate mom and those births had the parents and lots of extra hospital people just interested in the situation.

So far I will have at least two midwives.
My best friend here as birth support.
Doula
Doulas teen daughter as my daughters support
DD
And pissibly 3 other friends who badly want to be here they said. It depends on child care really.

I will kick everyone out of my room if I feel like it though and expect them all to understand. I need to be kind to myself and I remember last week that I just needed to be alone to cry.

[AimeeandBrian]

I have my midwife, my birth assistant, DH, my mom, and two friends--One to take pics and one to take video (and to be inspired by my homebirth. Yes, I have an agenda)

[cheeseRjedi]

DH, midwife, midwife's assistant, and SIL (to take pics and be DD's support person). I also have a back up person to take DD if I need her to leave.

[isosmom]

Dh and maybe my sis. Mw and nurse as well.

[scheelimama]

I will have the midwife, I'm sure there will be at least one nurse, dh (I won't accept anything else, baby has to wait a bit longer), my 2 girls, and their support person who is a good friend and very interested in natural/water birth.

[GinaRae]

This is still up in the air. I don't want too many, yet it seems the list is kind of long..

DH
Mom (hopefully in the living room)
The boys??
1-2 Midwives
Friend??

Could be 8 people! But then again, I may kick everyone out but hubby and 1 midwife and POSSIBLY one child if he's awake and interested. Not sure the other two will still be around then.

[renaissanceed]

I had DH and the 2 midwives for both births and that's exactly what I wanted - no one extra. It was perfect. Can't imagine having other family there (especially my mother who said "Poor Edwina" a lot when I talked to her in early labour to tell her how things were going and when she could expect DD to come over).

We had planned on having a doula the first time but ran into some tragic circumstances and ended up without one. i'm not even sure I would have wanted her there at the end though.

[wwisdomskr]

There will be me, dh, dd1, dd2, 2 midwives, dd1's doula, dd2's doula and our birth photographer (who is also a dear friend).

I'm really excited about the group dynamic... Dd2's doula is practically a member of our family and dd1's doula is our family minister. It's going to be wonderful.

[veganjoy]

DH and our 2 midwives.

I'd be perfectly happy with just DH; pregnancy has made me a far more private person.

[ThatFatBaby]

My dh, mw and her assistant, hopefully my dd and ds. Out in the rest of the house possibly my MIL, SIL and a good friend. They will be the babysitters, errand runners and photo takers.

[lisalulu]

MW, MW's student, doula and DH. No way is my mother there either-I love her, but no !

[LittleLlama]

DH and whatever doc or staff. If my mom were nearby she could be there,b ut no one else.

[Lexi_029]

I had my husband, my momma, the midwife, and a nurse. That's it. Well, a few more nurses came in and out to talk to the midwife about other patients between contractions but they weren't actively there.

[sarabug]

DH maybe and that is it. I really really really do not like to be bothered while in labor and my mom annoys me at the best of times!!!

[aylaanne]

DH, my 2 mws, their apprentice, my mom, her two teenagers, my sister-in-law, her girlfriend. And my stepdad will be at the house, but I might not let him in the birth room.

Everyone (including the midwives) knows that they may be kicked out of the room at any time, but I expect that I'll be too into laborland to really notice who's there.

[pixiedust]

I think it will just be me, DH, and the midwife w/ her assistant. My daughters are welcome to be in there but last time I asked my 4.5 year old she said she wanted to come in right AFTER the baby was born to hold them. I'm leaving that totally up to her. If I go into labor during the day we are calling my mom to come to the house to watch the girls.. if I go into labor at night we will just let them sleep until the last min. and then we'll wake up my 4.5 year old.

[Da WIC Lady]

If DH can't get here in time my friend Kim is going to be there with me. I am going to be at a teaching hospital, but I've already stated no students and if need be will sign again to that effect. Mom will be at the hospital again, but more than likely will stay in the waiting room with the kids unless I call for her. It all depends on if I go in before or after Dad's surgery.

Anna