Homebirthers?

[the_lissa]

I thought I would make a thread to see who is home birthing, talking about home birth, etc.

Who's in?

[ann_of_loxley]

Ill be having an HBAC

[the_lissa]

:

Will you be using a midwife?

[ann_of_loxley]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

:

Will you be using a midwife?

Yes!
But how it works here in the UK is that every pregnant woman gets a MW!
This is only a bit of an 'issue' (I mean, if you mind that that is) if you live in busy areas because then you get a team of MWs, which means you don't get the special one on one relationship like you would if you had an independent MW or lived in a more rural area. When we lived in Bristol, I never saw the same MW twice! Thank God we moved out of the city! lol...Ill get one consistent MW this time around! I already know her name but I havnt even met her yet...but I have heard good things about her! ...like the fact she is really supportive of HB (and for those I know who think they cant live without their epi, feel she is a bit pushy about HB as well ) lol...So looking forward to meeting her!

[~Katie~]

I'm in!

I had an awesome hospital waterbirth with my DS, but the climate for natural birth is very different here than the hospital I birthed at in NY so I'll be homebirthing this time around. I've started checking out midwives but I do feel pulled to UC so I may do that when the time comes, the midwives are all an hour away so I may not have a choice anyway. I had a fairly textbook labor and birth with him (went into labor on my due date, entire labor was under 12 hours). I take an extremely laid back approach to pregnancy and birth and just kind of go with everything so I think I will really enjoy homebirthing.

[kangaroomum25]

I've had two great homebirths and am planning a UC, I've been thinking about birthing outside if I can get everything in order and the weather cooperates.

[Asher]

It's a very strong possibility, but working through some issues from my last birth and not sure it'll even be possible. My last was supposed to be at home, but things changed at the end for various reasons. I will say that I had a fantastic hospital water birth, the best hospital birth I could have hoped for, IMO. The only thing that would have made it better was if I had been at home.

However, I bled profusely after DD was born (to the point that I did have to have a shot) and I'm not sure if that will opt me out of a home birth or not for another.

[the_lissa]

Asher, do you know why you had a hemorrhage?

I had a bad pph with my first that did not respond to meds and required a d & c, but I went on to have a successful home birth.

I've done a lot of research on the potential for re-occurrence of pph, and depending on the reason, one is not usually at a higher risk of having another pph than any other woman.

[kangaroomum25]

I like this article http://www.purebirth-australia.com/c...-bleeding.html

Preventive Measures:
Bleeding & Haemorrhage (PPH)

Preventive measures you can take during pregnancy, labour/birth, and afterwards to prevent or avoid bleeding problems.


Preventive Measures to take in Pregnancy

Good Iron & Vitamin C Intake: Since anaemia can contribute to PPH and excessive bleeding or severe problems due to blood loss, maintaining a good iron intake is important. In the second half of pregnancy, towards the third trimester, there is an increase in blood volume and because of this, the iron found in the blood is diluted which affects iron level tests.

As long as you feel your iron intake is healthy, and you are not anaemic, there is no need for iron supplementation which are not always good for the body.

The best sources of iron are found in dark green leafy vegetables, liver, heart and beets. Blackstrap molasses is also a good vegetarian source of iron.

Drinking a tea of yellow dock root, nettles, dandelion and kelp will provide you with an excellent source of iron that is readily absorbed by your body. If there are concerns about anaemia, take yellow dock root tincture daily, three times a day.

Also if you're concerned about iron and are intent on improving your iron levels, take vitamin c (sodium absorbate) to aid absorption.

If you are taking too much vitamin C, your body will let you know by giving you the runs (diarrhoea!), just cut back the dosage gradually and in increments until your stools firm up, then continue at that dosage.

Good Vitamin K Intake: In the third trimester, be aware of your vitamin K intake and try and eat lots of Vit. K rich foods. This nutrient aids blood clotting, controls bleeding and is beneficial for the baby's stores of Vitamin K.

Red Raspberry Leaf, Nettles & Alfalfa: This taken in either the tea, tablet or extract form daily from 32 weeks on, helps to tone the uterus and strengthen it. A finely toned uterus makes it easier for the uterus to do its work in clamping down on those open blood vessels after the placenta has detached.

Those herbs help to prevent PPH, bleeding, provide lots of valuable nutrients needed by the pregnant woman and support the pregnancy. Those three herbs are often taken with dandelion as well which helps with water retention.

Preventive Measures to take in Labour

Urinate Often: A full bladder can hinder labour and birth, as well as prevent the uterus from clamping down during the third stage.

Avoid Excessive Pushing: Avoid excessive or forced pushing, and breath-holding. This can rupture tiny blood vessels in the mother's body, damage the placenta, tire out the uterus, and even cause bloodshot eyes! There is no need to push if you are having a natural labour and birth - your body will do it gently for you.

Avoid Epidurals & Other Drugs: There are many side effects to drugs whether they be for pain or for augmenting labour. Some of those effects can directly damage how the birthing process was designed to work, and can cause problems that lead to more intervention or excessive bleeding or PPH.

Have a Natural, Intervention/Interference-free birth: This is a good start to ensuring that the birthing process goes as it should.

Be Calm: Remember that fear and adrenaline causes rapid heartbeat/pulse, having the fear hormones cycling in your body as you give birth or afterwards can cause you to bleed more than you need to.
Preventive Measures to take After Birth

Breastfeed your Baby: Breastfeed your baby as soon as possible after birth. The sucking reflex is strongest in the first hour and will not be as strong again until a few hours after birth. As soon as your baby will take your breast, breastfeed! This will tell your body that the baby is out and breastfeeding safely. Natural oxytocin is released into your body and your uterus contracts down. If the placenta is still attached, this tells your body that it is OK to release the placenta.

Have a Physiological Third Stage: Be patient and wait for your placenta to detach and come out. Do not force or hurry it out. Do not clamp or cut the cord until after the placenta is birthed (or go for a lotus birth!)

Eat the Placenta!: Yes, I know it sounds disgusting but it works. This is one of the BEST ways to tell your body the placenta is out and to STOP pumping blood into it. You don't even have to eat it. Just hold a piece of placenta under your tongue or in your cheek.

You can chew it or swallow it whole, or simply hold it in your mouth until the bleeding slows down. Eating the placenta will provide you with a huge hit of energy, nutrients, stop PPH and PPD (post-partum depression) dead in their tracks. Animals eat theirs!

Urinate!: If the placenta is slow in coming out or you feel you are bleeding too much, go and pee!

Don't Bleed!: I'm actually serious here. Don't bleed. Tell yourself that everything is fine and that you will not bleed. Once you birth the placenta, tell your body to stop bleeding immediately. Visualise the small vessels closing inside you and no bleeding.

[AngelBee]

Not in your DDC, but wanted to say congrats!

[Asher]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

Asher, do you know why you had a hemorrhage?

I had a bad pph with my first that did not respond to meds and required a d & c, but I went on to have a successful home birth.

I've done a lot of research on the potential for re-occurrence of pph, and depending on the reason, one is not usually at a higher risk of having another pph than any other woman.

I don't know. I don't remember if they told me. All I remember is her cord was short so they told me not to hold her too far up on me or I'd pull it and that wasn't a good thing. Shortly after, they noticed too much blood in the water and we had to cut her cord and I had to get out so they could work on me. I will say, after that stopped, I had the least bleeding of any of my kids and my uterus got down to size quickly. The nurse actually commented the following day that it didn't feel like I'd had a baby! heh I can only figure it was all of the RRL tea and EPO that I took before she was born in hopes of not going terribly overdue.

I was 2 weeks (to the day) overdue and then my birth from water breaking to end was less then 4 hours so I don't know if that could have affected it either?

In our post partum visit, she said it was as close to a perfect birth as a midwife could ever hope for so I'm not even sure it made a blip on their radar.

[kriket]

subbing
this is my first and DH is nervous so we will be in a hospital with a midwife but I would like to keep it au natural!

[Full Heart]

I will be having my 7th hb is everything goes well.

[lotus.blossom]

I am planning a homebirth this time. Last time was a birth center birth that ended in transfer and c/s. I am hoping that none of the things that happened in my previous labor will exempt me from a homebirth this time around. I too had a hemorrhage. Pretty significant and I refused a blood transfusion every single day of the week that I was in the hospital.

[itsang]

oooh, my favorite thread so far! :

we're planning a midwife-attended homebirth. we're going to try for a waterbirth, but we will see what works for us.

glad to see so many HBers here! yay!

[ann_of_loxley]

...I plan to eat the placenta!

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

I am planning a homebirth this time. Last time was a birth center birth that ended in transfer and c/s. I am hoping that none of the things that happened in my previous labor will exempt me from a homebirth this time around. I too had a hemorrhage. Pretty significant and I refused a blood transfusion every single day of the week that I was in the hospital.

Since I'm considering a birth center birth...what happened with yours leading up to the transfer?

[kangaroomum25]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

...I plan to eat the placenta!

LOL me too, and last time I was so grossed out by it I didnt even want to look at it, funny how your views can change.

[ColoradoMama]

I'm planning my third homebirth with the same midwife! Actually, she was one of the first people I told. I wanted to make sure she'd be my midwife!!!

[ReadingRenee]

I am considering a homebirth. My last and only birth so far was a hospital birth with a doula and I had no epidural. My labor was pretty much standard textbook 12 hours and no complications.

I really like the idea of being able to labor and deliver my baby at home. Im really interested in a water birth.

I just have to research the midwives in our area as I really know next to nothing about them.