I just signed for my birth pool! :yahoo: I wish I had time to set it up right now!! :laughing: I'm so excited about having a water birth. We've been reading lots of home birth books with the girls & also watching home birth/unmedicated birth videos with them as well. They have concluded the following: - they want to go & get slurpees with grandma for daddy & their baby brother while I'm in labour pardon - if I'm too noisy, they're going to stay downstairs with grandma - they both want to catch the baby (although I've explained to them that they probably won't be able to reach because I'll be in my birth pool but they can stay & watch their brother being born if they'd like) Other than that, I feel huge & exhausted most days. Just about a month to go, give or take. How's everyone else doing?
Oh I totally would have loved to have had a water birth!!! You rock! That is going to be such a neat experience. I was just thrilled that I got my VBAC. I cannot wait to hear your birth announcement!
The hospital where I will (eventually.. someday.. maybe..) deliver will let you labor in a tub, but not actually deliver. I'd kinda like to test that, though. How are they going to get me out of there if I'm in labor, fat and really stubborn?? :lol: Good luck!
Let us know if you decide on the stubborn route! :laughing: And you're right, short of physically removing you from the tub themselves, they won't be able to get you out unless you do the moving. Just curious - what reason do they give for not allowing the birth to happen in the tub? And don't worry - that baby will be here before you know it! :hug:
Ya know, I have no idea. It's not something I really looked into because honestly, I don't think I'll be in labor long enough to utilize the tub. I'm anticipating most of my labor will be spent in the car on the way to the hospital because it's so far away. Gotta love living in the middle of nowhere! Reading the website, it seems they have a "jacuzzi room" so I'm guessing the tubs aren't in the "birthing suite," maybe that's why they won't let you deliver in the tub? That just sounds really awkward, though, that you have to go to another room?? It was bad enough when I had to be taken to the OR with the twins in full-blown labor.
Could you post a list of the books you are reading? I'd sure like to start reading about home births. Congrats on the pool! Well I reached the 24 week mark this past week. Which is a great milestone! Can't wait to read your birth story.
Congrats on 24 weeks! The books we've been reading are geared towards children - the two that the girls really like are We're Having a Homebirth by Kelly Mochel & Welcome With Love by Jenni Overend. We've been watching a video called Relaxation, Rhythm & Ritual: The 3 Rs of Childbirth produced by Penny Simkin. The video is one that I actually watch with all of my birth clients because it shows lots of different comfort measures being used in all sorts of different birthing situations - it also shows lots of different women & all the different noises & sounds that women can make during labour. The girls really like it too - they'll watch it over & over & sometimes will chant mantras along with the different clips (there's one where the woman says "I can do it" over & over through her contractions & Danika always says it too :laughing. Are you more looking for info for yourself? And are you looking more for individual birth stories? Or studies on home birth?
Since I have to travel 4 hours for my hospital VBA2C in Winnipeg, I think I should be more prepared for a possible home birth/car birth, lol. Also my Dr. in town said if I came into our hospital in labor, she wouldn't really stop me, but they can't plan to do VBA2C there because it takes over an hour to have a c-section team if necessary. So really I'd like book for myself and husband about home birthing. What we would need at home, etc.
Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife is a great book to read about home births. It's not a how-to manual, more of a story about one midwife and how she became one. It's quite empowering and an enjoyable read if you think you may end up with a home birth. Home Birth: A Practical Guide is more of a how-to manual, but it's written by a British author so it's more suited to homebirths over there. There is a good list of supplies to have on hand in the book, though - so worth checking out of the library if you can find it. You can also find some pretty comprehensive lists online of what to have on hand if you think you might really need it.
I had written a more detailed post but it vanished, so here is the short and sweet version: For those of you considering a home birth, I just wanted to share my sister, at 45 just had an amazing home birth experience! Good luck to you!! Rebecca
Gotcha! So you're looking for info just in case you're in an unassisted birth situation. I checked in with a friend of mine who had a planned unassisted birth with her last baby & is planning another one with this upcoming baby for her recommendations. She suggested reading Heart & Hands by Elizabeth Davis & Emergency Childbirth by Gregory White (more for dad). She also said she'd get back to me with some online links which I'll pass on as well. HTH!
Thanks girls! Now to hit ebay and find these books. I'm not intentionally planning an unassisted birth, but who knows if I can labor at home long enough maybe I can still have the baby here in my small town. I just need to have confidence with what I'm doing if things go too fast.
