Home birth mamas

[aumismommy]

What would you go back and tell yourself or make sure you had if you could go back on time before birth? It doesn't have to be home birth related I just didn't want hospital related info that wouldn't necessarily pertain.

We are thankfully planning our second home birth for this November. Feeling super blessed.

[raisingcropsandbabies]

I only had a homebirth with my first child. I was shocked by how messy my house was afterward (it was a long, very hard labor and delivery) and by how many loads of laundry my mom had to do after it... wowzers (i was in and out of the birth pool constantly, as well as going pee and missing chuckpads,etc... i was in a trance/daze state and didn't even care one bit what was happening as far as peeing... so there were tons of towels,rags, cloths to wash). If I could do-over, I would hire a lady to come out the next day and clean/mop/vacuum/do laundry/take down birth pool/etc. My mom was exhausted as she was with me the whole 30 hours and so was my hubby, but my mom did all the chores anyway, though it took a few days. It would have been much easier to just have hired a friend to come over and take care of all the clean-up.

Also, would have made and froze lots of snack foods (like granola bars, energy balls, grapes, yogurt/smoothies on a stick, etc) as the first week was pretty crazy. It would have been handy just to grab the first few days after birth as I didn't feel like eating heavy meals.

[poopstermomma]

More towels and more food. Yup. That's what I needed! Ohhh, and probably more babysitting help. I figured we would be fine...um, not so much. My kids were 2 years and 9 months when #3 was born. I should have hired a sitter for at least the day after!! (we have no family nearby.)

[fishmom]

Clearly explain to hubby well ahead of time where all the birthing supplies are. I thought I had everything accessible and organized, but during the birth I couldn't communicate where everything was and they couldn't find anything they needed and used my good towels instead of the old ones I had set aside!

Also, flannel backed vinyl tablecloths are great to lay out on the floor in walkways and then just toss afterward.

Little fish net for a waterbirth for "floating debris" lol!

[fishmom]

I also would really like some beautiful pics like your avatar!! Every pic I have from 4 homebirths is terrible ranging from blurred to red eye to horror picture bright red blood! I need to really figure this one out. Any suggestions?

[VeganCupcake]

The only thing I wish we had done differently was hiring a birth photographer. My doula took some pics during our first birth, and that was nice (but not professional quality photos), but we didn't have anybody taking pictures during my second. DH took one or two pics before anything much got going, but that was it.

[mountainmommy]

We had a beautiful homebirth last Sept. In hindsight...DH kept asking if I wanted him to make up the bed with plastic and I kept saying No....the bed ended up with a giant stain....he was able to get it out with our steam cleaner and Tons of hydrogin peroxide. Other than that, better planning for childcare, and a better camera. DH did make me a very mild veggie soup with rice in watered down chicken broth I ate during early labor for 2 days Freeze meals would have been a good idea too for the early weeks.

[songbird516]

I would make it clear to my husband and mom (who was staying with me) that I did not want to be up making coffee and cooking for them the next day. I bugged me to death that I was so looking forward to a couple of days "off", then I basically only got taken care of the day he was born. I think sometimes when you're at home and the birth is pretty "easy", others don't step up like they might have otherwise.

[raisingcropsandbabies]

Originally Posted by songbird516 I would make it clear to my husband and mom (who was staying with me) that I did not want to be up making coffee and cooking for them the next day. I bugged me to death that I was so looking forward to a couple of days "off", then I basically only got taken care of the day he was born. I think sometimes when you're at home and the birth is pretty "easy", others don't step up like they might have otherwise.

My old midwife is insistent to all the mamas that the first 10 days after birth should be nothing but rest with baby! You need to highlight that in your midwife's notes and copy it to tape to the walls all throughout the house as reminders to your mom and dh! wowzers!

[juliea1221]

I agree with the pp- I *wish* i would have hired a birth photographer! and in hindsight i think i would've been more comfortable actually birthing my babe out of the tub, though laboring in the birth tub was incredible.