Home birth can be a lovely option if you choose it and have the right support team — and upholstery cleaner in place — but that’s not what I want for myself. After my first labor and delivery, I don’t think I’m a good candidate anyway. I realize I never did tell you about my loooong first childbirth with my rookie baby, Holden. I do want to tell you someday — or at least write it down so I don’t forget — but it is so much less fun than wiping someone’s tushy, which is the promise of this site, I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to it.
Because of my most recent labor that was four hours long (including the waiting and relaxing associated with an epidural), I expect this next little guy to come QUICKLY.
At this point, I know a handful (yep five!) women who have had unplanned at-home childbirths and all I can say is that I’m terrified. Their stories are fascinating; unless, of course, you’re pregnant, in which case they’re terrifying.
On all fours in the bathroom while the paramedics are running a few minutes late and your toddler is sleeping. Wow.
In the living room chair while your husband is loading up the car for the hospital and he returns to get you to find the baby crowning… dang.
If I’m not giving you enough juicy details, check out Kristen’s home birth story.
Let me just say that feeling my baby’s head emerge while I’m still at home, a mere 3 miles from the hospital, is something I’d prefer to avoid.
So how should I prepare for the worst case scenario?
A kind soul over at our BabyCenter column suggested that I pick up an emergency childbirth handbook, just in case. Somewhere near the front door, I can stock clean towels, shoelaces, and whatever else I’m supposed to have (boiling water?!). I’ll make sure our tarps are within reach, not buried in the shed somewhere as the big day approaches.
This particular book comes highly recommended, but I’m not finding a hard copy. Maybe my husband should download the google ebook.
So, I’m open to all tips and advice, but please, no more home birth horror stories.
I suppose doctors/midwives would use hot water to sterilize things, but I’m pretty sure the reason women wanted the hot water at births was for a different reason.
Washcloths soaked hot water and placed “down there” while pushing feels A-MAZ-ING. That alone is why I refuse to go back to a hospital to give ever again. I am being serious.
signed,
Not A Rookie Mom
@sewfearless
My maid-of-honor had an unexpected home birth with her first! Yikes! So for her second, she actually planned an induction at the hospital. Not the most ideal birth experience, but far better than repeating her first one!!
Um, just head to the hospital before you think you need to? Stay close to home in those final weeks? Call an ambulance if you need to? Have Whitney prepped & ready to watch kids or take you to the hospital if needed?
Use “The Secret” style positive visualization to picture yourself getting to the hospital early and having a great delivery there?
Can’t say this is one I’m anxious about, but I was at the hospital for two weeks before my first birth so I can’t really say. lol
I imagine the shoelaces are for tying the umbilical cord? There is no harm in leaving it – in fact many women ask that it be allowed to stop beating before it’s cut. Aside from a sliiiiightly higher chance of jaundice there is no reason it needs to be cut immediately.
Ditto the first poster about the warm water.
Honestly, the only things I could see that you would need would be a phone to call 911 and guide you (or whoever is helping you) through the process, and one of those nose sucker thingies to help clear the airway once the kid is born. Place it on your bare chest with a blanket over both of you, and its body temperature will be naturally regulated.
If you are truly worried about this, I would suggest reading “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” – Ina May Gaskin is a world renowned midwife. At the very least it will help you get some faith in your body and ease your mind that you can in fact do this should you have to.
My first (and so far only) child was born after 53 hours of labor, so I always joke that my next one is going to be an unplanned homebirth, just to balance things out!
I agree with VDog – go to the hospital as soon as you think you might be ready. I almost had my second at home. My contractions started at 2 minutes apart but I waited 25 minutes before agreeing to leave the house (I just couldn’t believe that they were that close so I had to keep counting). By the time I came to my senses and realized I was in transition it was too late. A quick dialing husband and even quicker ambulance driver got us to the hospital just in time for her to arrive with one push.
My second child’s labor and delivery lasted a full hour. We made it to the hospital with 8 minutes to spare, minus my obstetrician. A midwife that I never met, present with her private client, delivered my baby. I have been using a midwife ever since. The bottom line is that the next four babies came with much more time to spare. I wasted a lot of time and energy worrying about an emergency home birth that never happened. So I say go ahead and prepare for the worst but don’t worry about it. Each labor progresses at it’s own unique pace.
Plan a home birth. Instead of worrying about getting to the hospital, let the midwife worry about getting to you.
If you’re even remotely curious or interested and are having a healthy pregnancy it could be a wonderful option. I say this as a mom who has had one hospital birth and one planned home birth, and although my hospital birth was fine (no hospital horror stories), my home birth was amazing. I attribute much of it’s amazingness to feeling really in control and supported in trusting my birthing ability. In addition, my least favorite part about my hospital birth was breaking my labor stride to drive to the hospital. That was 23 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Anyway just wanted to throw that option out there, as I noticed it hadn’t been mentioned. Happy birthing.
Hello Mothers!
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Feel free to forward this link to any and all mothers that qualify!!
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Hi! The title of this blog post definitely caught my eye! We recently had another blogger create a guide on this exact topic. Would love to see any other suggestions you might have. Thanks!
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/mandyjmoore/natural-child-birth-making-the-choice-and-preparing-yourself#list_suggestions
I’m one of those people who had their baby at home by mistake. It may seem scary but it was actually quite nice, other than the 5 minutes of panic. Seriously though, I wouldn’t worry about it and deal with it if it happens.
This happened to me too! Just over an hour of contractions and out she came. It wasn’t nearly as scary as I would have expected, and now it’s our family’s best story (even my now 4 year old loves to talk about the night his sister came out of mommy’s bottom – yep, he remembers!).
@Rebecca, I’m so happy for you that it turned out well. My worries about superfast home birth turned out to be unfounded for this babe after all. He was born early, slow, and induced.