[mnnice]

I am comptemplating homebirth for any future children. I have a questions regarding beds. First, how many of you actually gave birth in the bed? Second, what did you do to protect your bed? Third, did anyone birth in a bed that was not your usual bed i.e. guest bed?

Can you tell I really love our bed and want to protect it? I also wonder if if firmer bed (like in our guest room) or a softer pillowtop (like in our bedroom) might be better.

 

[moonshine]

I am planning a homebirth myself, so haven't done it yet, but I have heard that you put a shower curtain down on the bed to protect it. I think that I am envisoning giving birth partly due to a subconscious desire to keep the mess contained! I just switched to a midwife to do a hb and will have my first prenatal with her tomorrow, so I think that I might get a better idea of things like mess, etc as we continue to meet.

 

[Spark]

Mnnice -- sounds like you really love your bed! This might be the best route for you to go:

1. Buy a 99cent shower curtain for your guest bed or carpet depending on where the mood strikes you to labor. Make sure you open it up to air out well before you're due date. The smell of plastic is not very comforting and can cause nausea during labor.

2. Buy a vinyl mattress protector for your bed. It's like a pocket that your plain mattress goes into and gets zipped into. Then your mattress pad goes over the top and then your sheets and then your covers. The cost is from $15-40 depending on the size & quality that you want. Put this on your bed well in advance. It's great in case your water breaks, you throw up, you pee or have messy sex with chocolate (thought I'd make the conversation a little more enticing). Then, when you go into labor, if you feel like hanging out in bed, you just pull off your good sheets & mattress pad & put on some old ones. Also, it's a great thing to have when a newborn comes to your house. Even if you're not planning on cosleeping, the baby will probably be in your bed a little bit in the beginning. The vinyl cover will protect your mattress from any baby juice (ie spit, spit up, poop, pee, breast milk, etc). You can find these vinyl covers at most stores like Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.

You never know what's going to work for you during labor. It's best to be prepared for different places you might decide to labor or push out the baby. The trick is to not spend an arm & a leg on things you may not use. Who knows, you may just like to push on your toilet. Talk about minimum mess!

Also, moonshine, I should say, most homebirths aren't messy. But, a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide on hand is a good idea in case blood gets into the carpet. Chances are -- there won't be a spot! Lots of Chux pads, help protect things, too.

Best wishes to both of you!

 

[kama'aina mama]

My water broke as I got out of bed that morning but I managed not to get any on the bed. After that I don't think I spent more than ten minutes total in the bed til after the baby was born. You do have some good ideas here for protecting your mattress.

 

[minicooper]

I am doing the same thing.. HB... hoping to have a water birth but you never know when you're gonna need gravity so I'm preparing for everything...

I have heard... recently doing research on a list of things we will need.. that tablecloth material works really well... the ones that have the white fuzzy stuff on one side and the plastic stuff on the other.... apparently it helps with the sliding around issue that some people experience with the shower curtain idea... as well as protecting where ever you use it...

I'm due in December... if i don't birth in the pool... i'll let you know how it goes!

 

[MomtoEmily&Lauren]

I did a homebirth and I just got 2 cheap shower curtins. I put one down then a sheet then another one down then another sheet then the midwifes have those great blue pads. After the birth was over all they had to do was remove the one plastic sheet and the regular sheet and then I was set again with the sheet and another plastic thing. Becasue after the birth you can tend to leak a little

: My husband was SOOOOO worried about the "mess" of it all but it really wasn't that messy at all!

 

[Sustainer]

Here's a home birth trick:

Completely make the bed: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets. Then put on a big plastic sheet and tuck it around all of this. Then, on top of that, make the bed again: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets.

All you'll have to do is peel off the messy covers & plastic and you'll have a brand new fresh bed underneath!

 

[kama'aina mama]

Fair warning: It can be damn hot sleeping over a plastic sheet like that. I put it at about where my plumbing generally rested on the bed, and below. That was a good strategy in Virginia in August. Of course in Buffalo in January something that traps heat is good news!

 

[Sustainer]

Good point. I live in Upstate New York and my first child was born in January and my second child is due in February.

 

[cottonwood]

For my first birth we put a waterproof mattress cover on the futon because I planned to give birth in a reclining position (didn't know I had any choice.) On top of that went chux pads -- they turned out to be more than enough to absorb any fluids.

For my second and third births we didn't even bother, because we no longer had a waterproof mattress cover and trying to keep a shower curtain in place seemed too much trouble to go to, and anyway I was NOT going to lie down to give birth so it was not really necessary. However, I think now I'd make an effort to splurge on a good mattress cover for postpartum, mainly for my breasts leaking -- it got really tiresome sleeping on towels.

 

[mom at home]

Quote:

Originally posted by Devrock Here's a home birth trick: Completely make the bed: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets. Then put on a big plastic sheet and tuck it around all of this. Then, on top of that, make the bed again: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets. All you'll have to do is peel off the messy covers & plastic and you'll have a brand new fresh bed underneath!

That's what I did (well, my sister did it for me) and it was great to have a fresh bed instantly.

It's really hard to know where you'll end up feeling like birthing. My first I spent all my labor and birth in a big armchair. I think we just used the chux pads to protect it. With my second, the same chair felt horrible and bed is where I wanted to be.

You can easily protect your mattress. Many good suggestions here. We just used bed sized chux pads.

Alison

 

[momto l&a]

Chux pads IMO are all a person needs. We never got anything on our mattress and I was messy, those chux pads soak up lots. I actually kept one of them under the sheet where my bum rests after the birth.

IMO a waterproof mattress would be the ideal way to go because they fit the bed whereas a shower curtain or some type of plastic sheep slides all over the place. And after the birth IMo is the messest as sanitary pads dont always catch the heavy flow and the leaking breasts certainly soak a bed in a hurry.

My first was born in our bed, the second our tub. The tub is really the best place to have a birth, just pull the plug and rince down with nice warm water

 

[bloodrayne]

Quote:

Originally posted by Devrock Here's a home birth trick: Completely make the bed: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets. Then put on a big plastic sheet and tuck it around all of this. Then, on top of that, make the bed again: bottom sheet, top sheet, blankets. All you'll have to do is peel off the messy covers & plastic and you'll have a brand new fresh bed underneath!

That is what we did - minus the blankets, it wasn't quite cold enough for them.
The plastic sheet did make me sweat at night though... it wasn't pleasant but I put up with it. If you're not worried about your water breaking on the bed, I'd just wait until you go into labor to make up the bed like this.

We planned on a waterbirth but we didn't get the pool filled up. I spent a few minutes in the shower and that was it.

 

[mnnice]

Thanks for the info folks. For the record I (we) am not even TTC yet alone planning a homebirth. I have been reading the new Ina Mae Gaskin book so it has been on my mind.

My previous birth was a hospital birth and really wasn't too bad. I had a healthy term baby with no I.V. or pain meds. I just know a homebirth would be better. I do remember bleeding on the bed and the floor.

 

[HBBFJenn]

I ended up giving birth sort of half on my bed with the midwives supporting my legs. I had a cheap vinyl mattress cover on the mattress and an old dark green sheet over it, which I ended up pulling off b/c I needed something to hold onto. I paid less than $5 for my mattress cover at wal-mart. I also had several chux pads under me, draped over the side of the bed and on the floor.
For PP I bought a heavy duty washable, waterproof pad from cascade, sort of like the ones they use in the hospital, like a cloth version of a chux. I can't stand to sleep on a mattress with a cover, it's too hot and too loud. The washable bed pad was the best hb supply I bought. I sat/slept on it for the first few pp days just incase, and afterwards my ds slept on it for over a year b/c he was wetting the bed almost every night.
he called it his pee pad, and he became attached to it! Now that he doesn't wet the bed anymore he still wants to sleep with it.
I paid a few $$ for it but it was well worth it!
As for blood, we had two tiny spots of blood, one on the carpet and one splattered on the wall when dd's cord was cut. Peroxide got rid of them both, and afterwards I hardly bled at all. I had plastic backed sheets and extra mattress covers and shower curtains but we only used chux and they took care of everything. I still have a supply of plastic backed sheets and things.

 

[rubelin]

Jennifer, do you have the info for where you got the washable waterproof pads?? That's just what I'd like to use, I would hate to throw away a ton of chux pads when I could use cloth.

Thanx!

 

[HBBFJenn]

here is the direct link
http://www.1cascade.com/browse.php?q...useable_Cloth/

from their home page there is a request catalog link.
I also ordered a few things from them that other HB supply co's didnt have. The description says it can be washed 300 times, mine has been washed at least 300 times, probably more and it is still in perfect condition.

 

[Beth-TX]

I think Mother of Eden (the makers of Fuzzibunz) makes a waterproof fleece cover that you could throw wherever you feel like birthing. It might be more comfortable than a shower curtain, though more expensive.

peace, Beth

 

[lorijds]

Another tip (that I haven't yet seen mentioned here) to prevent mess is to keep the vagina covered while pushing, if your water hasn't yet broken. Having your midwife, your partner, or yourself hold a warm washcloth against your vaginal opening will feel good, help your tissues stretch, and keep the water from flying everywhere! Bags of water often break at the height of a contraction, and I have seen water shoot over 10 feet through the air.....

And, here's the deal, birth can be messy. Accept the mess. That stain on the carpet that you can't get out after the birth...do you think that you will look on that with disgust every time you see it, or will you smile every time it catches your eye? When you move, will you think, thank god I don't have to look at that any more, or will you cut out that piece of carpet and take it with you, wherever you go?

I like chux; they are easily repositioned (unlike big shower curtains) and they hold a surprising amount (again, unlike shower curtains, which will just slosh the fluids around) and don't let stuff leak through (like towels). They *are* disposable, and I know that is unappealing to some, but I still think they are an awesome option, and we use them all the time.

 

[bloodrayne]

Quote:

Originally posted by lorijds And, here's the deal, birth can be messy. Accept the mess. That stain on the carpet that you can't get out after the birth...do you think that you will look on that with disgust every time you see it, or will you smile every time it catches your eye? When you move, will you think, thank god I don't have to look at that any more, or will you cut out that piece of carpet and take it with you, wherever you go?

I totally agree with you - the sheet that was on the bed when my DS was born has a large but barely visible stain, and I smile every time I see it.
However, if you're renting and have a deposit you desperately need back, that's something else.
:LOL