i *may* be able to homebirth!

[bubs_and_us]

i rang the community midwifery team here in WA today and asked lots of questions.... explained my history and asked if i was too high risk for them....

the midwife i spoke to said it may pose a problem, but to put an application in anyway and see what happens. i've just had an email from her and she said she spoke to the head middy and she said it shouldnt be too much of a problem and to put an application in. she said that if complications arose during pregnancy (or labour) i'd be transferred to hospital care, but still with the support of my middie :D

im nervous, excited, scared, excited..... and completely CLUELESS!

what do i need to know about homebirth? i can only assume its the complete opposite of a hospital birth setting? i assume you can hire a birthing pool??

any *good* homebirth stories (even if it did end in going to hospital)?

well, now all we've got to do is conceive baby #2, put the application in and wait and see :D

[AM]

Great stuff!! :yelclap:

Educate yourself about EVERYTHING!! Make sure you are firmly in the driving seat with everything to do with this birth.

My two birth stories are in my sig, Tyler was a planned homebirth transfer to hospy (good outcome) and Louie was born in my bedroom :)

All the best, and I cannot stress enough doing your own research about it all.

[fire~fly]

Ive just sent you a PM, hope everything goes really well for you :yelclap:

[bubs_and_us]

Great stuff!! :yelclap:

Educate yourself about EVERYTHING!! Make sure you are firmly in the driving seat with everything to do with this birth.



research what though? :o i thought i had educated myself last time, but aparantly not enough :no:

what types of things should i be researching? are you talking about birthing positions, natural pain relief, delayed cord clamping, waterbirth etc etc? or am i missing something completely?

[AM]

What I guess I am saying is know all alternatives available, if you are 'told' something, don't take it at face value, research it yourself.

[no1pearl]

Ok - what is there... im no expert - just researching for my next bub (not on the way 4 a couple years!) so here's a few ideas 4 u !
meditation, other relaxation techniques, perineum massage, posture to help baby get in position, lotus birth, timing of the clamp, EC or natural infant hygiene, alternatives to baby soap, like sorbolene, natural ways to help induce labour, mantra's, affirmations, blessing your bump, belly art, hm, i know there is so much more i cant get out right now - multi tasking sorry, try the gov sites, as well as some learned mum sites and natural ones. good luck!

[MilkOnTap]

Ohhhh - congratulations!

A couple of months ago I was doing the same - researching for my next preg about my options and then *BAM* I found out that I was actually pregnant!!!

Good luck with the application. Like ApprenticeMomma said; dont take everything for face value. Even if your application gets knocked back through the community programme, you may find an independant midwife who will be more than happy to see you.

With Jedd I fell into the trap of believing that the first obs or midwife that I spoke to was only going to impart healthy information to me - unfortunately its not so. The reality is, we need to research what is best for us individually. Its a pain - cause we should be able to trust health professionals to give us the correct information.

Anyhoo - I'm babbling. Congratulations!!!!

[Student of Life]

Awesome news! I am in the same position at you, TTC but am planning on using the serves of the lovely community midwives. I am so excited by it all.

Okay the things I have been reading/researching are things like - 'routine' prenatal tests, ultrasounds, the 'need' for vaginal examinations, optimal fetal positioning, natural pain relief methods (water birth, hypnobirthing), natural third stage/delayed cord clamping, also early immunisation (they 'routinely' give Hep B to newborns now).

I think it is important to read all these things so that you can develop your own birth philosophy and thus be able to figure out whether the midwife attending you has the same philosophy to enable you to birth the way that you are aiming for. Remember that on researching you decide how things are to happen and then you need to be strong enough, with back up from birth support person (whom ever that will be) to tell someone no but also know that you shouldn't have to fight your midwife when you are vulnerable if you both agree to start with. Even with the community midwife program if you and your midwife don't 'fit' then you are able to ask for a different midwife.
Good luck, it is such an exciting journey and I'm sure you will do fine!!