Homebirth planning

[sarahn4639]

I have started to get the urge to get things in order for this homebirth. I'm due the 3rd, so I'm 28 weeks. I am looking at birth pools, casting supplies for the belly cast, chux pads, peri bottles, ect. Am I going crazy, am I head of myself or are others starting to think about those birth preparations too?

Also, I want to have a list for when labor starts, all the things I want to get done. Things like call doula, midwife and parents (didn't remember that so well last time!), start herbs for after birth bath, food in crock for support people and after birth, make infusion of RRL tea...... I am starting to feel a little crazy about all this preparing I'm wanting to do. Am I alone? What are putting on your labor list? Please share if I'm not the only one (I don't want to be forgetting something!:):

[smokeylo]

I am starting to get itchy for planning, too! I think part of it is that we have the holidays right in the middle of our 3rd tris which make planning tricky.

I haven't started ordering supplies yet, but I do have a list of things to do before the baby gets here, and am starting a labor stuff list, and all that good stuff.

[crbyard]

Yeah, I keep waiting for my midwife to give me "the list," but she seems so patient and thinks that the birth is still a ways off. I am with you and am getting antsy to get prepared. I saw on her schedule that she goes over the hb necessities on my 32 week visit, so that's something to look forward to. I already got the fishy pool last summer because it was on sale on Amazon and I didn't want it to be sold out when I started looking in the fall. I want to wait on everything else just to see what it is that my midwife is providing herself. I like the ideas about crockpot food, herbal bath, etc. Keep those ideas coming.

[the elyse]

i have a present for you... this is from the homebirth thread.

enjoy!

[mama_nym]

I've had most of my homebirth supplies for months, but that's because I already had lots of receiving blankets, etc. from my homebirth a little over 2 years ago, and a doula friend of mine sold me a birth kit containing most of what the midwives want me to have because she had a few on hand. I also have my birth plan, my birth plan for visitors and some of my lists saved on my computer from C's birth.

My mom is ordering my birth pool, I have to find the tarp that goes underneath it and start requesting old towels from friends and family (for under/around the pool and to be used to dry the floor for my trips from the pool to the bathroom.

I also need to make a list of things for dh to do when I go into labor (fill birth pool, call midwives, my parents (childcare, photography), Rachel (videographer/childcare), put food in crockpot, put postpartum herbs on to boil, get out kids' birth bags (a bag for each child with snacks, activities, crafts, a disposable camera and a "new" toy to entertain them during my labor), make sure infant seat is installed in the van, etc.) . I figure I"ve prepared enough now that I can wait until after the holidays to deal with the rest.

And on top of homebirth preparations I'm also dealing with preparing for a trip to Disneyworld (courtesy of my parents) 10 weeks after my edd! :

So no...you're not the only one!!!

[flapjack]

Yeah, me too. I'm mostly trying to clear and fill the freezer (with family meals instead of half-eaten tubs of icecream.) What we don't use over Xmas, we'll use after baby's born. I can't do serious planning until after the building work is over and we are so desperately short on storage space it's not funny.

[Angierae]

I want to prepare, but the holidays are totally in the way for me. I think I'll wait until 2008 to really get ready. But I am not due till the 24th, which gives me 8 weeks or so. The last time around, I ordered my homebirth kit at 36 weeks, and got the house "ready" 2 days before she was born. Dh put our phone call list together around 38 weeks and put it on the fridge.

The only thinkg I HAVE to do soon is dig out the diapers and newborn clothes, b/c I don't think I'll fit into our storage area in a few more weeks!

Honestly, I have these LONG early labors (3-4 days) and I HAVE to have a lot of stuff to do over that time. Last time around, (in MAY) my mom and I hit a lot of garage sales for old towels and stuff. Filled the freezer with food. Reorganized DD1's playroom so it would seem "new" to her when the baby came. Cleaned and chatted and felt the excitement totally build up. If this labor is faster, I'll be totally messed up, cause I save a lot of everything!

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by Angierae

I want to prepare, but the holidays are totally in the way for me.

Same here... BIG time. I have such a full plate right now. Between the holidays and ds' 2nd birthday party I don't feel like I have a free second. The moment that Christmas passes the birth is going to be the very first thing that I start preparing for. Especially because if I deliver early this time I'll only have about 2 or 3 weeks to get in gear!

I have only glanced at what we need to pick up this time (different midwife) but I'm just praying that everything will fall into place. One thing that I really do need to buckle down and think about is stocking the freezer, however. I'm hoping that maybe I can squirrel away a few things during holiday cooking sprees.

[Teenytoona]

Yeah, I'm getting antsy to get stuff done too, but I never seem to do it. I will be ordering my supplies at the end of the month, but as for getting the home ready, I just don't know. Mr Toona's got all kinds of contractor type work to do around the house (like putting in the sink, finishing the tiling in the bathroom), and while he's doing that, I should be getting into the boxes that need unpacked... But since I work full time, I find that on the weekends I do dishes and laundry alot. Grummmph. So still the dining room sits FULL of boxes that say "EMPTY ME PLEASE!! IT"S BEEN 6 MONTHS!" I'm hoping with this cooler weather (and this weekend is pretty much free for working) that I will get a jump on it. It needs done. But it is really hard with all these holidays and the shower(s) and whatnot.

We will get there though, I am sure of it. I've yet to plan my freezer stashing, altough Mr Toona says I shouldn't worry because he will cook. Which he does alot (and he makes some good chow). But I'd like to stock up and feel a little better about it.

[Kitten]

We didn't use cloth with DS until he was 8 weeks, and didn't use fitted diapers until he was a year old. So right now I am diaper sewing like mad which is keeping me pretty busy, since I am pretty much starting from nothing. I have finished 24 newborn diapers and am working on smalls, then I have the mediums. Not to mention that I'd like to get back to knitting more baby stuff after I get the diapers done.

I've also been slowly working on freezing meals, which will be especially important this time since we're having a homebirth and won't be getting fed by the hospital for the first few days.

We already have lots of towels and washcloths and the midwife brings the birth pool.

I don't think it is at all weird to be thinking about these things already. I feel that if you do a little at a time you won't be overwhelmed at the end. I don't like procrastinating about this kind of thing.

We're finishing our basement and I would love to be done with that by Feb as well but since that is mostly up to my DH and my brothers, I don't think it will be.

[SamuraiMom]

Of all things that keeps coming to mind that seems to be at the top of my list is getting the chimney cleaned so that there will be a fire in the fire place the night baby arrives! Otherwise, I am so very last minute, so when my MW tells me to order my birth kit, I will. My BF handed down a lot of stuff that she didn't use and she will pass to me her receiving blankets and I am hoping she'll be handing down a pretty good supply of clothies. We'll stock up on healthy sports drinks and I'll do some cooking the week before, but what I am looking forward to is the ladies from my synagogue bringing us home cooked meals for the week following!

[nolonger]

My freezer is pretty well stuffed, but we need to start eating out of it the week after next when our community supported agriculture boxes stop, so I'm not sure I won't need to do another round of cooking ready-to-eat meals before February.

To the OP: You are definitely NOT weird, as I started accumulating things for my "birthing box" by about the time the first trimster ended and was already getting dipes and other newborn supplies bfore we were even safely past the 12 week mark.

I'm always thinking of one more thing (I need, though; currently it's natural fiber newborn clothes in colours I don't hate, but I've never been very good aat sewing clothes so we shall see what we shall see.

I'm very nesty and broody lately, which isn't a bad thing since my house...well, let's just say it looks like I've got a bunch of teenagers and college students living here because I do but CPS would not describe it in quite so realistic terms if some cranky neighbour decided to cause trouble.



I'm not expecting a baby shower or a lot of help postpartum, but one of my childless friends was dropping a few hints and fishing around a bit, so I could be mistaken or else she just values my advice on picking out appropriate gifts for other friends who are having babies.

Mostly I feel like I need to do a bunch of reading and learn to trust myself a bit more and let go of some control issues so that I can enjoy the unexpected.

[newcastlemama]

I am excited to get stuff done, but I am waiting until after the holidays also. I can't wait to get down those baby clothes from the attic!

I have to have something to do to get me through January I want to make some foods in bulk, get down and wash up all the baby stuff, gather the homebirth supplies....I got it all done last time, even though ds came a week before my due date, so I am not too worried about it.

[NamastePlatypus]

My MW gave me this list this week and we are already half there. ( have two friends that had homebirth transports so they are givng me everything they did not use and together that is pretty much everything! I am excited!

[Gracecody]

I'm definitely feeling the nesting urge, more strongly than last time since I plan to give birth at home too and want to prepare my "den." I haven't ventured much into birth kit territory though. My midwife has a birth kit that she has her clients order so that takes care of the herbs, peri bottle, etc.,and she brings the birth pool. I have been thinking about the food though. It is tough as I have enough trouble just making dinner, let alone extras to freeze!

I've been focusing on birth art and preparing mentally for the birth lately, since we're not doing a class this time around. I think the rest of the time IS going to go really fast though with the holidays.

I'm with someone else who mentioned having to install the infant seat...I have yet to select one and buy one, yikes! And figure out our sleep setup and where I want to store baby girl's clothes and diapers. Suddenly I feel like I need to get going on this stuff!

My labor went SO fast last time that I don't want to prepare with the expectation that I'll be able to do a bunch of stuff once I know for sure I'm in labor. My midwife brings another midwife along with her to do the herbs, etc.

[sarahn4639]

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I think it's the holidays that have me feeling like I need to get going on this stuff. I know I'll get so busy and I worry about the slower mail when I'm having to order so many things, I just want to have it done. I figure I'll focus on the house and food in Jan. I'm planning to have my mom and sister come over for a day of cooking for the freezer in early Jan. I know I'll want to do some good deep cleaning before this birth so that will give me plenty to do then!

[applecore]

I feel like I just don't have enough time to prepare everything that I want to do before the baby comes. We are moving our bedroom downstairs to the old playroom so the kids can have the upstairs rooms, and we have a ton of work to do on it! My husband has sanded the floors and all the trim, and now we need to stain and urethane it all. Then we need to buy a new bed because ours sucks so bad! We're planning on getting a platform bed, and since co-sleepers don't usually drop that low, we're going to have to figure out how to make one. I wish we could just get a king size bed, but the company that makes the natural matress that I want (and can afford) doesn't go any bigger than a queen.

Not to mention that I though we were done having kids, so I got rid of EVERYTHING. I have no diapers or clothes or anything. Wish me luck!

[flapjack]

I did that, applecore It's a pretty convincing fertility charm.

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by applecore

We're planning on getting a platform bed, and since co-sleepers don't usually drop that low, we're going to have to figure out how to make one.

how about finding one of these? i also had a friend that couldn't afford to get anything expensive, so she just got a large rubbermaid, padded and lined it...looked cute and was reusable when baby got too big!

[Gunter]

my midwife has a website that i go to and order a birth kit from. it has her name listed on the website so i just clicked on this and got it shipped to my house.

a bowl for the placenta, extra towels and sheets were all we needed to have on hand, IIRC. my doula found cleaning supplies and cleaned my house up a bit after the birth, too.