Searching for "ch to do list" for during labor

[spylypiak]

Hi,
I thought I had read (a week or two ago) a thread with people posting their own "to do" lists they were creating for dh to do before and during labor. I can't find it again (now that I want to take notes!)... Can anybody help? or want to start again? I am 34 wks prego preparing for my 1st homebirth (2nd birth). Thanks!

[3cuties]

Great question. I am bumping b/c I am interested too! I was going to prepare one, if no-one else posts one I will post mine. But I am only 26 weeks so not quite there yet.

[spylypiak]

Anybody want to add?

Okay, so nobody seems to know what I'm talking about... Here are some things I've thought of for DH to take care of during early labor if I don't do them...

Take dog to basement (finished/climate controlled) or friend's house
Call close friends who may watch ds if needed
unplug phones, give MW his cell phone #
Sign on door (Do Not Disturb type)
Begin setting up birth pool
Cover ALL clocks

I'm sure there's more I should be thinking of but this is my first homebirth so I'm looking for some advice/guidance on this... Thanks in advance!

[MamaVolpe]

I am a first time HB Mama too so I am not quite sure what to do. So far I have made a list of phone numbers for everybody, so if I am in labor everyone else has everyone elses phone number. I have my midwife, her assistants, my sister, my DH, my doula and my dad for emergancy contact. All the numbers are their work, home and cell. So it is one less thing for me to worry about when the time comes. I printed a copy of this list and gave everyone on the list a copy.

[Galatea]

We just started thinking about this but this is what we came up with:

Dh to scrub bathtub, shower, and toilet.

Dh to double-make the bed - nice sheets, rubber sheet, crappy sheets.

Dh to set up music, light candles, open windows.

That's all I can think of now. Too tired.

[barefootpoetry]

I think I made that thread you're referring to, but I haven't been back to update it and it kind of got buried. I've started a skeletal list, I'll post it tomorrow when I'm not on the verge of falling asleep in my chair.

[Ben's Mommy]

Here's the old thread I think you're talking about.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=859297

[spylypiak]

Thank you!

Thanks Ben's Mommy, that is exactly the discussion I remember seeing. I am going to bookmark it this time!

[ColwynsMommy]

I'm still working on my list. I did some advanced searches for things like DH, husband, hubby, and partner in the title only, and found a few threads that were helpful. Here's my list:

Prep Work:
Send mom on errands, remind her to use her list
Make sure doors are unlocked
Tidy house (dishes, dirty laundry, diapers, toys, vacuum)
Set up pool
Get birth supplies out of our closet & into dining room
Set up bed (white sheets first, then shower liner, purple sheets on top)
Secure the dog outside (on a leash, in shade, with water) if she’s in the way
Make sure someone is taking pictures
Put towels & receiving blankets in dryer (don't turn on yet)
Make sure birth ball is properly inflated
Cover rug with vinyl tablecloth
Remind me to decorate altar in early labor

Throughout Labor:
Make sure I drink the strong RRL infusion
Cool washcloth on forehead to cool me off
Offer me food & drinks & chapstick frequently
Remind me to pee
Use ‘Relax’ and ‘Release’ cues
Tell me how awesome I am
Offer to put on my Hypnobabies scripts
Offer music
‘No’ means ‘no,’ but try again later
‘I don’t know’ probably means yes
Try to keep me laughing (in early labor)
Be affectionate (kiss, hug, etc)
Remind me to work with my body, not against it
Apply strong pressure to my lower back if I have pain there
Suggest blowing raspberries
Remind me to take one contraction at a time

I'll probably add a bit more in the way of comfort measures, though when my husband and I sit down to go over it, I'm sure I'll remove some things as he says, "Well, duh!"

I also have a list for him of things we want/don't want in case of a hospital transfer. This is mostly baby stuff, like Vit K, eye goop, etc.

Oh, and my mom has a list, too. She's mainly there for my kids, but she's also got to run out to the grocery store in early labor to make sure we have eough food/drinks for everyone, and she'll pick up fresh flowers for our altar. She's also going to help my husband with the prep stuff on his list.

[barefootpoetry]

Here is what I have thus far, and like I said, it's a rough draft and will most likely be edited many times before the big day:

EARLY LABOR:
-Put tarp down, get out pool, start filling it up.
-Help me tidy up around the house.
-Take sheets off bed, put birth sheets on (flannel first, then waterproof cover, then plaid). Fold up blankets and put in closet. Get out extra pillows and put on bed.
-Encourage me to eat to keep my strength up.
-Put sign on door.
-Hang curtain over door window.

ACTIVE LABOR (I get quiet and lose energy):
-Unplug phone once midwife arrives.
-Speak to me softly and slowly. When possible, offer me something nonverbally instead of asking.
-Make sure I drink 4 oz. an hour.
-No food in the labor room please.
-Keep Jameson occupied if he gets antsy (i.e. take him in his room or outside to play).
-If you get nervous or anxious, please leave the room until you are calm again.

TRANSITION/PUSHING:
-If I start to lose it, it is a GOOD THING. It means the baby is almost ready to be born! Don't freak out! Get excited and remind me how close I am to being done!
-Get the camera ready to take pictures once I am done pushing.
-Bring Jameson in, if he gets nervous, talk to him quietly about what's happening.

AFTER THE BIRTH:
-Take plaid sheets and waterproof cover off bed. Put blankets back on.
-Once the midwife has checked the placenta, cut it up into 1 in. cubes and freeze handfuls in ziploc bags.
-Empty the pool into the sink. Once it is empty, rinse and wipe it out well, let it dry, then deflate and put it away.
-Bring me a big glass of ice water and a meal!

I am not sure how receptive he will be to actually being in the room during active labor since he is a worrywart and I don't want that negative energy around me, so I might cut out the two middle parts and just give him tasks to keep him occupied during early labor and afterwards. He just might wind up playing outside with DS until I start pushing if he doesn't turn out to be a good labor partner.

[janasmama]

and start the tea for sitz bath for immediate postpartum

[3cuties]

Here is mine, mine is long (4 pages), I have incorporated some found on here and added stuff of my own, hope it copies okay:

Relaxation/Contraction Reminders:
•Relax Face
oDon’t grind teeth, don’t tense jaw.
oRelax throat and mouth.
oDon’t purse lips.
oExhale, make a low moan when exhaling
oVibrate chest with sound.
oSpeaking loving kind words – relaxes and opens cervix.
oBlowing raspberries
•Something rhythmic during contractions if I am losing it – like help me count
•Remind me to take one contraction at a time
•Remind me to listen to CDs/iPod
oEven if not listening to script – tell me to listen to just the relaxation music
•Relax Hands
•Open Mouth
•Imagine open cervix. Imagine it stretching and opening.
•Low moaning and chanting
•Change positions often or if no longer working
•No stress in room
•Keep hydrated and fed (4oz an hour)
oOffer me water, Gatorade, snacks
oEat: Fruit, cereal, hardboiled egg, toast (beginning labor)
oEat: J-ello, Gatorade, popsicles (active labor)
•Offer me something non-verbally
•Make soft rhythmic noises
•Rock on Birthball
•Shower
•Birthing tub
•If it hurts, accept it, don’t fight it, enter it, go through the pain
•Pain only lasts 1 minute, then it is gone, work through it. Once pain is gone there will be a break.
•Don’t tense up and resist the process.
•Circle hips during a contraction
•Say:
oI can. I can.
oOpen. Open.
oThis is good. This is good.
oI’m going to get huge, I’m going to get huge.
oRide the wave, every wave crashes, every wave comes to shore
•Keep active during 1st stage, walking to speed up labor.
•Hands and knees
•Go up and down stairs.
•If can rest during early labor, rest.
•Sit on toilet to deal with pain.
•Think positively about body and what it can do.
•Turn lights down, dim lights.
•Do not have water broken until baby is in correct position and baby is engaged – farther along, more cms.
•Avoid frequent vaginal exams. But when done – find out how far down baby is and baby’s position.
•Offer me chapstick
•Tell me how awesome I am
•Washcloth to cool off my face
•If I say no – try again later
•Remind me to work with my body
•Offer midwives and doula food/drink
•Remind me to pee


Losing it:
If I appear to be losing it:
•Suggest water – birth tub or shower
•Change positions
•This is a good thing, it means labor is almost over and I am likely in transition
•Remind me to work with my body
•Tell me I can do it
•You (this is to dh) do not get discouraged
•Get excited and remind me how close I am
•Get camera stuff ready
•Bring kids in if it seems we are really close

Pain techniques:
•Change positions
•Birthing tub
•Shower
•Warm compresses on abdomen
•Warm compresses on back
•Massage oil
•Cold compress on abdomen
•Cold compress on back
•Remind me of relaxing techniques above (mouth, jaw, hands, listen to cds)
•Sterile water injections
•“peace cue” (along with hands on my shoulders to give me extra anesthesia)
•“relax cue” (along with hands on my shoulder to give me extra relaxation)
•“release cue” (to automatically turn my lightswitch off)
•Belly Lift
•Remind me to turn my lightswitch “off”
•Remind me to pee
•Washcloth to cool off my forehead
•Apply strong pressure to my lower back
•Thigh massage – shaking the large muscles of the bottom or thighs – rhythmically.
•Heat pressure on lower back (water bottle, warm cloth, warmed up bag of rice).
Pushing:
•Only push when have the urge. Push two or three times, taking a quick breath b/w them.
oWhen baby head comes out, slow down pushing as much as possible
oRemind me baby pushes when crowing so I can stretch – so no tears
•Delay pushing until head begins to show or feel urge to push. (allows posterior to turn on its own).
oPush with natural urges and breathing as body directs.
•To prevent tearing:
oApply warm compresses to perineum
oApply oil and massage to perineum
oSupport perineum as head is born
oLet baby crown

To Speed up:
•Nipple stimulation (to speed up)
•Kissing to speed up
•Laughing to open cervix
•Walking
•Change positions
•Birth ball
•Belly Lift

TO TURN THE BABY DURING LABOR
•Climbing stairs
•Crawling
•Pelvic rocks and hip swivels (see page 122 of “A thinking women’s guide..”)
•Open lunge during contraction (see page 122 of “A thinking women’s guide..”)
•Double-hip squeeze (see page 122 of “A thinking women’s guide..”)
•Knee-chest position (see page 122 of “A thinking women’s guide..”)
•The dangle (see page 122 of “A thinking women’s guide..”)
•Belly Lift

After Birth:
•Fix bed – take of older top sheet and waterproof cover. Put blankets bank on.
•Empty pool, deflate and put away
•Bring me water, juice and a meal (please).
•If needed – garbage bags for towels, sheets and pads – fill and take away
•Offer midwives food/drink
•Bring me my cell/blackberry and one of the regular phones
•Offer me chapstick and lotion
•Turn all ringers back on phone

To Do When Labor Starts:
•Begin setting up pool
oFirst lay plastic liner on ground
oThen put old sheet on top of liner
oThen put pool
oFill pool
oCover with liner
oUse supplies:
Thermometer (pool temp should be 98 degrees)
Net nearby
2 buckets nearby (one for scoopies, one for vomit)
1 stool and 1 chair nearby
•Fix bed:
oOur sheets
oThen water proof liner
oThen old sheet
oTake off blankets, set aside
oPut old top sheet also
•Get birth supply box out of closet and set near bed and pool
•Put Chewbacca away
•Put movies on for kids and make sure they will be fine
•Set birth ball up
oSheet on ground and pad on birth ball
oWipe birth ball down with vinegar water
•Cover rug from bathroom area to bed and to pool with floor protector
•Prep coffee, so when midwives arrive just need to plug in
•Set out glasses and snacks for midwives
•If necessary, unplug alarm
•Make sure my iPod and CDs/and CD player are close by
•Dim Lights
•Bring me 1 glass of water with straw, 1 glass of Gatorade with straw
•Set up Crock pot with water (near birthing area)
•Set up bowl with ice and little bit of water (near birthing area)
•Make sure camera and DVD camera are ready to go and in birthing area
•Keep cell phone and regular phone, including mine, with you until midwives and doula arrive
•Once midwife and doula arrive turn all ringers off, including mine
•Offer midwives/doula food and drink, show them where it is
•Show midwives/doula bathroom
•Make sure suitcase is by door
•Once midwives and doula arrived – call village parking to reserve street parking.

[treehugginhippie]

Whoa! Great list 3cuties! Thanks for sharing...

[Kleine Hexe]

subbing for later

[almadianna]

these lists are awesome.

[HappyMommy2]

Please don't get overwhelmed by these lists. Get the basics prepared beforehand (i.e. you can make that bed a few weeks early) and then just go with it.

[3cuties]

Originally Posted by HappyMommy2

Please don't get overwhelmed by these lists. Get the basics prepared beforehand (i.e. you can make that bed a few weeks early) and then just go with it.

Everyone is different. I like to cover all my bases and have things planned out. The process of making the list is preparation for me. It would be overwhelming for me not to have a list. I love lists.

[selena_ski]

I am so going make a list, but i am also going to write reminders for DH and MW around the house. Some will also serve double duty for first visitors to help around house.

for example- taped to towel closet, Towels- please don't use white towels, cleaning towels are in the second drawer in hall way. (corresponding note taped to cleaning towel drawer)

instruction to use washer, taped to washer.

"please water down grape juice 60/40, for me or DD"

location of other items marked, for MWs and other visitor in the beginning. ie, straws, herbs and other medications, and thing else i can think of.