Homebirth Hints

I will add a new hint I just thought of at my child birthing class tonight. I will have two bottles of water scattered throughout the rooms of the house I will be going into so taht DH has an easy time getting me to drink without needing to leave the room.

I also plan to make a gorgeous lasagne bolognese that I won't cook until I go into labor. I will pull it out of the freezer so that when the baby is born, we can throw it in the oven. I also plan to have chocolate cake and champagne!

Ok, so I don't know how hint or helpful these are, but this is just some general things we do...

Contact numbers posted by each phone and in both DH and my wallets.

Bottle of electrolyte water and other "labor" foods marked in the pantry with red lettering FOR LABOR so they don't get used before the big day.

Keep the bathrooms especially clean when you think you're "close" to going into labor or plan to clean them in early labor.

Stay active and busy in your home with your regular routine when labor starts (or take a nap if you can). After all, that's the beauty of homebirth -- being home and seeing birth as normal. Staying in your routine helps the time pass especially in early labor. And... it might not be real labor anyway if you get lots of "practicing" in before the big day.

Good advice all!

Like Claire, I got all sorts of loopy with regards to numbers while in labor, so I'm not all that concerned about the clocks.

Something I've mentioned before but I'll repeat here: If you have a 1 bathroom house, make sure your labor support people know it's ok to pee in the yard if you're hogging the bathroom. (For a 5.5 hour labor and hospital birth, I think I spent 5 hours in our bathroom...)

For me it was that my body was clearing itself out top and bottom.

I'm actually concerned about that this time... In our other house I could puke in the sink while sitting on the toilet. This time we have bathrooms (2!) that are both big enough to turn around in, which means that you can't puke in the sink while sitting.

Oh, I also recall that the back of the toilet was soooooo cool. Maybe that won't matter as much in December, but in August I remember it feeling wonderful.

Related to the above:

NO HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AS AN EARLY LABOR MEAL

Hmm, Wendy, it sounds like you might want a bucket or bowl on hand then? Maybe you could just put one under your sink right now if you're anticipating a quickly progressing labor that might not give you time to ready the house.

GOOD! I'm glad you're not practicing your techniques! Really I think just a couple months is more than enough to perfect the puking in the sink move... I clearly needed more practice though!!!!

I say pamper yourself...have candles in the bathroom with a lighter stored closeby. Have lots of big, clean towels you can spread out on the floor or lean over tubside. Don't invite too many people over. Be assertive enough to be able to tell people you either need more support or none at all (as in: leave me alone!)

These are great, keep 'em coming!

This is my "to do" list when I first see symptoms of real labor. Keep in mind my first birth was only 2 1/2 hours long, so I have to plan for a quick one!

Call MIL (who will be DS's support person at the birth. She lives 1 1/2 hours away, but is the closest person we know that I'd want there)
Turn of clocks and put phones on silent
Take food out of freezer for after the birth
Make up the bed in case I want to labor there
Fill birth tub
Put on bathing suit top (I looked like I had two floating balloons in front of me in the water at my last birth and I want some better pictures this time! LOL)
Turn up heat (we've been keeping it down, despite the cold here in MT)and find my warm robes and socks
Light candles if I feel like it/find my beads/set up my Ghanaian water spirit next to the tub
Prep RRL tea (labor strength)