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did anyone have a dry land homebirth? also in homebirths
in Baby
i am still toying with the idea of getting a pool but dont know whether i could manage without one. hearing people's experiences of labour, pools seem to make it a little more manageable! they are expensive at ??80, especially if it doesnt arrive on time.
what do people who had dry home births think?
calleigh
39+1!!!
what do people who had dry home births think?
calleigh
39+1!!!
0
Replies
I didn't want a birth pool as I didn't want to actually give birth in water and thought I'd be able to just wallow in the bath for the early stages so there didn't seem much point. I hired a TENS machine too which you can't use in water. I guess you're thinking of using it mainly for pain relief so I'll tell you what I used and when as I go through.
My waters (part) broke in the morning at 6am and I went back to sleep until about 11am - very mild tummy ache at this point and sleep meant I didn't really feel much. Then I had contractions over lunchtime and into the afternoon - all of which were manageable and I didn't feel any need/desire to get into the bath. I bounced on my ball quite a lot and concentrated on my breathing. Midwife arrived around 4.30/5ish to check me over (she thought I had ages to go from the phone call) and found I was already 10cm. At this point I was bouncing up and down on the ball, listening to a relaxing CD (which DH refers to as whale music) and doing breathing exercises. It was more painful at this stage, but I just kept thinking that the G&A was where when I needed it. Remembered the TENS machine and DH started to read the instructions (in my defense baby was also a bit early - I'm not usually so disorganised!) but baby had arrived by 6.30 so there was no time to use it.
I really feel that being at home in my own bedroom (kneeling on an old duvet at the foot of the bed) made it less painful and meant I didn't need a birthing pool.
I found that every time I mentioned I'd planned a home birth people would a) be really surprised (I'm no earth mother!!) and b) ask whether I was having a water birth - I think it's the done thing.
Hope this helps - a dry home birth can be done and very successfully too )
what to do...
mrs_ed
My birth story is in my other topics, loved every second and cant wait to do it again. Good Luck hun and make sure you post your story as I love them especially homebirth ones.
Xxxxx