What would I need to fb?

[studentmum]

At the moment I am toying with the idea that I may have to fb to get the birth I want, I don't want to go through all the crap my other posts explain it if you care.

I just need to have all the bits and bobs on hand to feel comfortable in case I decide in labour "I am not going anywhere!"

Also any website and book recommendations would be much appreciated.


Ta
Sarah :flowerz:

[brogeybear]

The one thing that I can think of would be to get yourself really educated on resus and have oxygen on hand and know how to use it. Get yourself some training in resus, etc. as well. It isn't that difficult but you sure as hell would want to know like 2nd nature (and your partner too) what to do if it was needed. You'd need cord clamps, sterillising equipment, etc.

[Lillynix]

Physical things you will/may need:

* Bowl/Colander for the placenta
* Cord tie (I made mine from silk embroidery thread which I plaited) unless you plan to lotus birth
* Sharp, new scissors you can chuck on to boil so they are sterile to cut the cord unless you plan to lotus birth
* Some old towels to wrap bub in, mop up mess with/pop under you, dry off with
* Possibly kiddy/birth pool for water birth/pain relief or you bath/shower
* Sieve/fishnet for scoopin' poop out of water if a waterbirth
* Plastic dropsheet to protect floors or bed (a good tip is to put a sheet on the bed, whack a dropsheet on then other sheet so if you get the bed dirty you protect the bottom sheet/mattress and you just whip off the dirty one and have a clean bed ready to hop into)

That's essentially all you really need, though you can opt for some homeopathics like rescue remedy or arnica, possibly some witchazel in case of tearing to aid with healing etc...

As for mental stuff you may need, just make sure you read up on things so you know what to do if the situation arises (and it is a pretty big IF as most of these are pretty damn rare), so things like:

* Shoulder distocia
* Breech presentation
* Arm presentation
* Cord presentation
* Post partum hemorrhage
* Bub unresponsive
* Bub breathing not so great
* Cord around neck

Those sorts of things, and obviously if you're not feeling great then assess that as well. There are a heap of info sites out there which I don't have time to find and link you, but do a Google search for 'Freebirth' or 'Unassisted Childbirth' and you should get lots of results :)

[studentmum]

THANKS!

I am a nurse so I am comfortable with my knowledge but DH, well not only is he an internaliser of his sheer terror and panic but he is also a bit of a ditz when it comes to following instructions so for me to feel comfortable with him I am going to have to sit down with him and have a very serious talk. I mean like the kind of talk that makes him realsie he could seriously need to be in charge in the case of an emergency.

Not only could an fb occur but we could end up birthing on the side of the road???

I will have to talk to dh I can't just hope all this won't happen, given my situation and hesitation to get to hospital too early the chance of birth occuring before we get ther is higher than average!

Ta again ladies,
Sarah

[kymmy]

My husband was so against the idea of homebirth let alone freebirth but in the end he was researching for himself. Even watching videos can help prepare a partner.
We had a birth pool, towels, and not much else. The emotional preparation was more important for me and my husband.
I wanted to have a freebirth with #3 but I didn't discuss it with hubby, I just wanted it to happen. You are right, you have to prepare for it.

[MimiGrace]

good luck :thumbsup:

[mummykitty]

a good understanding of things
trust in yourself your surroundings and your body
and atleast basic understanding of possible complaications and how to treat them

other than that depends only need clamp etc if youre not lotus birthing, things likes towels etc most people have already

:hugs: good luck! my next will be a FB same as my daughter:bee: most amazing experience xo

[studentmum]

:hissy: I'm a chook with ruffled feathers again!!!

DH has just 'mentioned' that he has put in for transfers for the end of the year (school teacher) Which means we will be moving either between the 19th -22/23rd of Dec??? OR after the baby is born but before the 25th of Jan!?!?! :dizzy:

In 2009 we moved up here with a 10 day old baby and lived in a room at the pub for 7 nights - :barf:because the housing wasn't ready... why on earth are we doing it again???

So, if DH gets a placement I will be booking the uplift ASAP!! I would rather move before bub and get settled, but heaven forbid we move and have to stay in a hotel again!?!?!

What I am hoping the most is that we move somewhere where an IM will come to me, then I won't have to stress about fb.

Thanks for all the advice I am sure DH is long overdue for some first aid training, might mention it to the principal and see if it can happen through work, I am sure they have to have at least 3 ppl qualified at any given time on site.

Sarah :flowerz:

[MimiGrace]

goodluck! do you have any idea where you're moving to? or will it be another remote WA town?

i hope it all goes smoothly for you - i'm sure you'll be on the hub talking about it a lot more as the time draws nearer :thumbsup: :hugs::hugs:

[studentmum]

The first 6 or 7 schools on DH's list are in Geraldton, it's only a 100km move for us and we go to Gero every week to do shopping so it would be a familiar place to live, however I know no IM's from Perth will come up to Gero, I already asked.

The only thing is if we get to move before bub comes a freebirth in Gero is FAR more preferable, all of Gero is within 10 mins of the hospy.

Will be sure to be whinging more in here as the time gets more stressful!

Sarah :D

[fai firinne]

Hi Sarah,

I've just come fresh from supporting a first time mama who was exactly in that situation - she "planned" a private hospital birth, but maybe in her subconscious she was actually planning to stay home?? When I arrived, she was in the birth pool (which she borrowed off me purely for pain relief in labour) and I could see she was pushy ... I sensed she had no plans to go anywhere, and I was right. She stayed put, had her baby, slowly and gently - 9 pound baby, primip mama, over an intact perineum. We did the 'responsible' thing and called the ambos, who arrived to see a smiling mother and a healthily crying baby in her arms, cuddling in the birth pool. I'm sure they didn't believe for a minute that it wasn't a planned homebirth. But as far as I knew, she fully planned to go to the private hospital (which we did a few hours later, after the placenta was born, bub had fed and mama had passed urine). "It Could Happen To You" eh?

Anyway, I found this article by Jenny Blyth, basic instructions for an unassisted or quick birth. I've certainly had the 'quick' birth - my second baby was born in a baby care room just off the food court in a shopping mall ...

One thing I notice about couples who choose to have an unassisted birth - they are generally people who have really done their homework. I think we could all take a page from their book. I wish all couples took responsibility like most freebirthing couples do, and were as well-informed and prepared. Couples will be more empowered and confident, regardless of their chosen birth setting and care providers, if they do. And you never know when this knowledge could come in handy - don't think it couldn't happen to you! Who knows, one day it might be you helping a mama give birth in a car, in IKEA, in a box with a fox, on a train in the rain ...


BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR A QUICK OR UNASSISTED BIRTH (http://www.womansbirth.com/info2.cfm?info_id=64555)

Generally speaking, births that happen quickly are also births in which problems do not have the time to develop.

Stay calm and in the present moment.

Know that at this moment in time, nothing else exists but the people present at the birth…in other words, try to accept this fact rather than focusing on or anticipating the arrival of ‘outside help’.

Make sure the mother is as comfortable as possible in whatever position she may be in.

Gather some towels, washcloths, toilet paper/tissues/paper towels, and a bucket or large bowl for the placenta.

Encourage the mother to stay calm, breathe, and listen to what her body is telling her. Reassurance can be helpful.

Notice when the labia start to part and the baby’s head becomes visible. Try to help the mother to use her breath to ease the head out and offer to support her vagina with your hand.

After the baby is born, he or she needs to be in drainage / recovery position. The baby will be very slippery! Place the baby’s head lower than the body, and make sure the face is pointing down (to help expel mucous).

Disentangle cord if necessary. It may be around the neck or wrapped around the torso, arms or legs.

Keep the baby on skin and make sure he or she is warm, pink and alert. A homebirthed baby does not always scream or cry loudly, but it should be obvious that the baby is ‘present’.

Shoulder Dystocia
Sometimes during the birth of the baby, particularly in the pause that occurs right after the birth of the head, a mom feels ‘stuck’ as the shoulders align to be born. A pause is normal; a feeling of being ‘stuck’ is not.

This is accompanied by a baby whose head is out past the mouth but you can’t see much of the neck.

The best option for this situation is for the mom to change her physical position, often turning onto her hands and knees, or just simply rising to a squat or standing position.

You or the mother can also add a bit of directed traction to the baby’s head towards the sacrum.
If none of the above appear to be making much difference, you can put two fingers in along side the baby's shoulders and wiggle the baby’s back a bit in order to shift the position of the shoulders.

Midwife Gail Tully's site, Spinning Babies, has more information on shoulder dystocia here (http://spinningbabies.com/spinning-babies-and/resolving-shoulder-dystocia)

Haemorrhage
Watch for bleeding that is excessive and / or continuous (a trickle bleed that persists for awhile may be deceptive: it won’t look like much but actually adds up to a significant amount of blood loss.)

Bring the mother's attention to any concerning bleeding. This is her body and her blood and she has some amount of control over it.

Make sure her bladder stays empty.

If she is in water, get out immediately.

Use towels or pads that are light in color so you can monitor blood loss.

Give 2 glasses of fluids immediately - preferably a hydration blend rather than plain water.

Encourage the baby to latch onto to the breast.

If you have any herbal tinctures or homeopathics for haemorrhage, use them accordingly.

If the bleeding is dramatic and uncontrollable and you have prescription syntocinon available, inject it intramuscularly into the thigh.

Work on getting the placenta out. If bleeding is due to a partially separated placenta, this may not be easy. It may help to try squatting / kneeling and gentle, steady cord traction towards the anus while the mother pushes and her uterus is held firmly through the stomach. Be gentle and steady; do not use force.

If the placenta comes away, continue to hold and massage the uterus through the stomach. It should be firm and at the level of the belly button.

If the placenta won’t come away and the bleeding is steady and uncontrollable, you need to transfer immediately to hospital.

Be very aware of the mother’s clarity of mind and skin tone. Watch for cold, clammy skin and perspiration.

Meconium Ingestion
Notice the color of the water after it breaks. It should be clear. If it is greenish black, the baby has passed meconium (baby poo). You want to clear this from the baby’s mouth and nose before the first breath.

Use the ear bulb syringe or your own mouth to suck the fluid from the baby’s mouth and nose.

Keep the baby’s head lower than the body.

Make sure the baby’s color is pink and not grey, and that the baby is alert and not limp.

If there are significant breathing problems, help should be called immediately.

Resuscitation
In a well oxygenated baby, the skin colour is usually pinkish and the baby seems alert and awake. It often takes 30 seconds or so for a baby to take its first breath naturally.

Blowing air over the baby’s face can stimulate breathing, as can squeezing the arms and legs and rubbing the soles of the feet or along side the spine.

Babies should always be kept warm, including a baby hat to prevent heat loss through the moist head.

If the baby is limp and white, this is a sign of poor oxygenation. Stimulate with your breath and fingers as above.

If this is not enough, lay the baby flat and put the head in line with the body. Blow 5 short breathes into the baby’s mouth and nose. You can also try diaphragmatic rocking: hold the baby under the neck and between the ankles and tip the baby one way and then the other. This exerts pressure on the baby’s diaphragm and stimulates the gasping reflex.

If there is still no response (only a couple of minutes may have passed since the baby was born) then you need to check the baby’s heartbeat. Keep blowing breath into the baby’s mouth and nose. Feel for a heartbeat with your fingers on the baby’s chest. Put your ear on the chest to listen for one.

If the baby’s heart is beating, then keep breathing for the baby at a rate of 1 breath every 3 seconds until the baby is breathing starts or help arrives. Keep the baby warm.

If no heartbeat is present, begin infant CPR. Make sure an ambulance has been called.

Infant CPR: Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
Resuscitate as above, but include CPR:

Use 2 fingers to compress the chest in the lower half of the sternum.

Compress 1-2 cm depth

Do 15 compressions and 2 breathes in 10 seconds

Check heart rate frequently.

Continue until the baby responds or help arrives.



Jenny Blyth is the author of Birthwork: A compassionate guide to being with birth (http://www.birthwork.com/)
I love this book, it is one I read over and over. Jenny also runs excellent workshops, often together with Midwife Fiona Hallinan, on body awareness, and 'making space in the pelvis', rebozo etc.

[ClareB]

go for it. I had my last birth at home freely. I read up, knew my body and trusted it.

I had ready old towels, a braided cord of embroidery floss for the cord. I had boiled it prior.

During my labour I kept busy. I didn't focus on the labour except when contrations occured. Then I envisioned my cervix opning. I got a lot of housework done and I felt I had a shor labour.

I amm wishing you the same.:thumbsup:

[TripleTime]

The one thing that I can think of would be to get yourself really educated on resus and have oxygen on hand and know how to use it. Get yourself some training in resus, etc. as well. It isn't that difficult but you sure as hell would want to know like 2nd nature (and your partner too) what to do if it was needed. You'd need cord clamps, sterillising equipment, etc.


You may find you need a script for a O2 tank. I know i do for DS.

[MimiGrace]

You may find you need a script for a O2 tank. I know i do for DS.
i'm pretty sure you do need a script :yes:

[studentmum]

Ta!

Great list. The more I read the happy I am to stay home, while the hospital in town (which adjoins our backyard!) does not do births I am positive they have synto and O2 on hand.

I am not inclined to use either - I had synto and a managed 3rd stage with my vba2c (yes they got me while I was googly eyed cuddling my new bub) but I FELT the cord being pulled, grrr, and I know that my bubs latch on straight away so this time I'd rather try something natural or just leave it and see if the bleeding eases - I hope it doesn't even happen this time.

I will not be talking to DH until the holidays, it is definitely best not to overwhelm him, but he is a very intelligent man and if I approach him the right way he will understand. I think I will start with the idea that staying home is much safer than birthing in the red dirt and he knows I won't want to go so that increases the chances of us not making it 100km's!!!

I have read your stories somewhere fai firinne, even pictures??? Do you have lots of international children???


Thanks for the encouragement, the stress is subsiding.
Sarah :flowerz:

[TripleTime]

i'm pretty sure you do need a script :yes:

slightly OT:
i would recommend not getting oxygen - apparently they've actually done studies that show that room air is better for resus in newborns than bottled oxygen - so either just CPR/mouth to mouth, or if you want to get a mouthpiece/bag attachment thing (can't remember the name) as a backup instead?

if you look up lisa barretts blog [or google homebirth SA], she has an article on newborn resus where she talks about this issue. :thumbsup:


Yep, NeoPuff uses room air not O2 :yes:

[headoverfeet]

Ok, first its a cylinder not a tank :) you can't just hire an O2 cylinder in WA you get one on a lease agreement, the equipment you need to use it needs to be purchased, you can't hire it, you need to be trained and qualified in advanced oxygen resus to buy the equipment.

You can buy a resus mask for infants (for CPR).

First Aid for a newborn is 30:2 (the same ratio is used for everyone) with 1-2 fingers and depth is no more the 1/3 of chest hight, do it RAPIDLY- go as fast as possible! Do it with the child cradled in your arm, you can't push to hard this way.

You can get synto but you need a script from a doctor.