MagicMum.com

Hi everyone,

The weeks are ticking by and now I am starting to think about the birth.

The thing is.......I have a shockingly busy life at the moment. My dh had surgery in march and has been quite unwell since. He is having his femur reconstructed so can't walk. So apart from being pregnant I'm doing EVERYTHING, cleaning, cooking, shopping, washing......blah blah, busy busy.

So I have nothing left in me by the end of the day. I had planned on looking into hypnobirthing, I bought the Bradley book but no time to read. I'm not exaggerating here, I just have no time.

So I'm wondering, do I need to do something to prepare myself or will the water and pool be enough??? Do most homebirthers prepare in advance???

Any replies or advice appreciated.

L

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Hi i used a homeopathy birthing kit my mid wifr [kate ] gave it as she is trained i found it fab she left remodies for after pains too and my milk talk to your mw and ask for her support best of luck i gave birth in the pool and in truit that in its self is fab pain relief

The pool is brilliant. If I had to choose a single thing that would be it.

I did some hypnobirthing and yoga and I think the breathing/relaxing is useful also. But I wasn't the most diligent of practitioners. I don't have my cds anymore but I'm sure someone would lend you the cds. My 'practice' involved putting in a set of earplugs when I got into bed and falling asleep to it. Would you consider something similar?

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Mum to three summer babies ... 2000, 2005, 2008.

I prepared nothing in advance. Actually we had some g&a delivered, but it wasn't used.

I didn't have a pool either. But had vague ideas about the shower (which wasn't used).

I had my first 2 with tens and g&a and though it was dreadfully painful, I coped brilliantly even if I say so myself

I expected no.3 to be similar - I was stunned when I realised how much easier no.3 was and I genuinely put almost all of that down to simply being at home.

What I did do differently was read the tens manual and I also watched the instruction video - this meant that I put the tens on v. early in the labour.

We had a nice fire (it was winter) and the house was lovely and tidy, ds and dd1 were packed off to mums and I felt organised.
When midwife came and checked me it was obvious that I wasn't in the slightest dilated, we went for a walk (up some hills) and then I came back and spent the rest of the rest of the time straddling the loo (backwards iykwim). Dh mentioned g&a when I was in transition and midwives told him it wasn't necessary as I was obviously ready to push - I simply couldn't believe it- I was 'in agony' for such a short time compared to ds and dd1 (about 1 hour compared to 12 and 5 hrs).

I really think it was so much easier just because I was at home - the no stressy part of getting to hospital and not being checked all the time, all made a difference.

That was really just a ramble and not an answer to your q at all...
but my vague pain management plan was - shower, tens and g&a if needed.

eta: I also bought bradley and intended to read it....

My midwife had gas and air both times with her and I had only used that for my hospital births also - having it there was more reassuring than anything else as I didnt have a pool also- like lilycat said it was painful but manageable in the end Second homeopathy also as had that on both my Homebirths. Stood in the shower a bit too. Being at home made the whole thing easier for me anyway so made the pain different.

Good luck and try to rest a bit

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'You know what my mouth loves doing mum? - Singing' DS1 (6)

Agree completely with this. I never had to decide if I was in labour or worry about how far along I was or what would happen if I wasn't dilating by the book. It made a huge difference to me.

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Mum to three summer babies ... 2000, 2005, 2008.

Nope, didn't have anything 'planned' other than the hope that it would all happen at home

I briefly spoke to MW about a tens the week before I was due, but once the time came (after lots of pre-labour lol) I just rolled with it, which is exactly what I had hoped to do. The pool never got used, I wasn't too fussed though. I actually used a pint glass of water with a slice of lemon in it as my focus point when breathing through contractions (J decided to wake up as he wasn't missing the birth so DH was minding him and not me lol). I also sat on the toilet a lot (most comfortable place I could find to take the weight off my legs), I have recollections of the whole time, but it's all very surreal. I remember MW sticking her head in the toilet door and told me I was very close as my breathing was so different, yet I had no conscious awareness of this. DH and J sat with me and chatted with me on the loo (very dignified!).

I had followed hypnobirthing for J too, so I started it sooner for A, but it was mainly my own relaxation methods used, and deep breathing.

In terms of 'pain management', being at home was my plan. I knew I had different coping levels at home compared to in hospital environment. I found none of the labour painful, it was hugely intense, but truly was like a countdown. Now the crowning and pushing (that BURN), yeah that hurt and nothing could be done other than get the big-headed child out and have it over with I also knew that I needed an epi before MW decided, I was just waiting for contraction to pass to say to her to do it. She did it at the exact same time (but gave me local first ). Once the epi was done it was very straightforward to get A out!

Rambling, much!

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The deep-thinking comedian Elder Boy, JR, is 6.
The cuddly mischief-maker Younger Boy, AJ, is 3.

My blog: http://domesticengineer.me

I had to read that several times and think very hard before working out you didn't get an epidural at home

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Mum to three summer babies ... 2000, 2005, 2008.

Lol not an epidural, would have been a bit late anyway at the crowning stage

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The deep-thinking comedian Elder Boy, JR, is 6.
The cuddly mischief-maker Younger Boy, AJ, is 3.

My blog: http://domesticengineer.me

that helios or nelsons homeopathy kit is really the business. I have one that will expire just before I can use it if you want it! I think arnica is out but the rest are full. I will defo get a new one. the water pool helped too. And remembering that your jaw is linked to ahem down there:) so loosen jaw, relax and don't clench teeth and things are easier. Midwife administered the homeopathy during labour and I had fun figuring out postnatal remedies.\
other than that no prep at all.

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I've had 3 homebirths and didn't prepare for any of them. No g&a available and didn't have a tens. I did get some relief from the bath for a while but on no.1 I was 8cm dilated within an hr and DD1&2 were in a rush and labour was only 2hrs. I personally think this was down to my being relaxed cause I was at home.

Best of luck

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DS 24/08/2004
DD1 08/03/2006
DD2 15/06/2008

I've had two hospital births and two homebirths. My last two were homebirths. My DD3 was unintentional so I had nothing at all prepared. My DS1 was an intentional homebirth and we had G&A on standby but I already knew that I wouldn't use it. Both homebirths were fabulous experiences and if i were to have any more (which I won't be....four is enough for anyone!) I would definitely go down that road again. I didn't bother with birthing pools or tens or hypnotherapy. I concentrated on breathing and completely zoned out of my surroundings. I stayed standing, walking, swaying the whole time but knelt over a chair to give birth. I found the MWs (none the first time obviously but two the second time) fabulous. They gauged exactly what I wanted; when I wanted it.

Again, another ramble, but my point is I wouldn't stress out over pain management. Just go with the flow so to speak..your body WILL take over and it WILL happen.

Congrats LAJ!
Get your hands on the hypnobirth CDs. If nothing else, they will relax you. Cost very little and no big time investment as you can stick on your iPod at bedtime and drift off to sleep while your subconscious does all the work. Personally, I think hypno takes the fear out of childbirth and that fear can have a profound effect on how you experience pain.

Weirdly, the other thing I wouldn't be without is a sweet drink during labour. My mw gave me hot water with honey and lemon which I sipped through a straw. Very low tech, but in hindsight I think it kept my blood sugar stable and if it hadn't been stable I might have felt weak, irritable, weepy, anxious. Best of luck to you.

Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to reply. I have read them all just didn't get time to post back. Homeopothy isn't my thing (I hope this doesn't offent anyone!!!) , but am delighted to hear that Im not the only one that is and has considered the water THE pain relief. I will also look Into having a tens machine.

I'll get back to this thread again......

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oakesy, a friend is a homoeopath and she said the remedies last for years and dates used never be put on them before legislation came in.