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Anyone got any tips?

Hi ladies

Im hoping to have a home birth in September, Im due the 23rd. I was just wondering if anyone had a good list of things that are essential for a homebirth with maybe their own tips on the extra bits that make it that bit nicer/easier? image

Also any good links to anything relating to home birth would be fab! Im almost 30 weeks now so I feel like I need to start getting properly organised!

xxx

Replies

  • Sorry thought I would add Im having a dry land birth & this is my 2nd baby, my DD is 16 months & was born in just under 4 hours from waters braking, contractions then birth!

  • Hello i'm having my baby at home due on the 20th September!

    This will be my 5th baby and 3rd homebirth. But i do have waterbirths.

    The things you will need are plastic sheets for the bed and floor. Cheap shower curtains are great for this as they are anti- slip so if they get wet you wont slide. (asda 99p)

    I used a TENS machine for the first time last time and liked that and i also used lavender oil in a burner which i inhaled through contractions and was very surprised but it did help!
    Other than that its just old or dark towels and sheets.
    And you mustn't forget tea and biscuits for the midwives (mine requested bacon sandwiches but they were only here 2 hours!)
    The midwives bring every thing else you will need with them.
    Others might have other ideas for "extra" things.
    I will post some links for homebirth sites later when i am on my own computer lol

    Good luck.
  • Thanks for the reply Michelle, some useful ideas there. Im going to hire a TENS and I'll get some lavender oil for my burner! image

    Dont think I much fancy brewing up for the midwives though...think that can be hubby's job! image

    Think we might have had children at the same time last time too....were u in due in March09?

    xxx
  • I had last my lo in April 09! lol making tea is definitely hubbys job! unless it takes your mind off things? LMAO.

    Is there a homebirth support group near you?
    http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ds95d3n_3cbrvzr72
    this website has a list of support groups. I love my local group!

    and this is the biggest and best homebirth site
    http://www.homebirth.org.uk/

    Clary sage in a burner is ment to speed up slow labours too but i don't think you'll need that!
    xx

  • heya

    i just posted on this on another topic but just thought i'd share with you too image

    Basically i bought tons of stuff for our homebirth (it was my 1st baby and 1st homebirth) but most of it went to waste. I had planned on having a waterbirth but ended up not using the pool (which we had rented off of our midwives).

    I didn't use my tens machine, my oil burner, my scented candles, my lovingly chosen snacks ANYTHING birth related basically!

    I had no pain relief and didn't bother with the tens machine, spent most of the night bouncing up and down on my old gym ball to relieve back pain and got oh to rub my back. Spent a few hours in the bath (couldn't be arsed with the pool and didn't fancy it when it came to the time), didnt want candles or nething set up, didnt want to eat or drink and the only thing i used was the 88p from asda shower curtain which i put on the floor in our room - i had the baby in the toilet (almost literally!) and when i walked back to the bedroom it made a little mess (which the midwives thoughtfully cleaned up!) and the shower curtain stopped anything from going on the carpet.

    PS if my midwives had wanted bacon sandwiches i would have not hesitated to tell them to p**s off! bacon sarnies indeed! they were lucky to get a cuppa tea afterwards (thansk to my mother in law!)

    xxx
  • If your midwives had been there for 12 hours like mine were for my 1st birth the least you could do would be give them something to eat?

    and if you had all the "stuff" and chose not to use it thats fine but it would be worse to want it and didn't have it!
  • i was just relaying my own personal experience of homebirth - not suggesting that anybody else planning one wouldn't want all of the 'stuff' that we bought - just that it was a waste of money in our case.

    I think the midwives are there to do their job - and getting paid for it, ours were lovely and brought their own sandwiches - told us that the last thing on our minds should be worrying about them! And tbh i definately would have resented catering for them!
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