Home birth questions.

[Juice]

Just how messy is a homebirth?

Any tips on how to keep clean up to a minimum?

Can the midwife give pain relief at home? Gas and air?

How long do they stay for afterwards?

Any other info or tips or advice you have would be great!

Thanks

 

[BunnyN]

The MWs are quite skilled at keeping mess to a minimum. And usually do some of the clean up at the end. Mine put all the rubbish in one bag and washing in another. I was told to put a waterproof cover on the mattress under the sheets and have a pack of disposable bed pad things (the type they sell for incontinence). Once the MW left there wasn't really anything to be done except put the sheets in the wash. The majority of mess ends up on the disposable pads. The MW put them under me during the birth. They got quite a lot of blood and fluid on them but went straight in the bin. There was some blood on the sheets and towels but it washed out fine. After my first birth I remember there were a few smudges of blood on places like light switches that I cleaned with a damp cloth the next day. I think that was from my hands when I got up to take a shower after. Its worth to cover your mattress well, otherwise I wouldn't worry about mess unless you have new wall to wall white carpeting or something. Even then kids would soon destroy that, lol. My experience has been that a kid with a tummy bug creates more clean up than a birth .

I had an independent MW so no experience of NHS MWs but I don't think it's too different. After baby was born I had skin to skin time. Then MW delivered placenta, weighed baby and did other newborn checks, then helped dress baby. Checked if I needed stitches while daddy had a hold with baby, helped me into shower, made sure I wasn't dizzy or still loosing a lot of blood, asked if I had peed and helped me settle me back in bed and gave some instructions about baby and things to look out for to me and some instructions about looking after me to OH. She probably left about and hr after the baby was born. Our 3rd birth she stayed slightly longer and had a night cap with us because we had gotten to know her quite well, but that isn't the norm.

 

[PeanutButter]

I havent got a clue but if you type in uk home births on youtube..theres a few vids and a documentry by itv x

 

[GBLiz]

my homebirth with my daughter 10 years ago, there was no mess at all. the midwives must have brought a sheet of some kind to put on the sofa, i literally had nothing set up or prepared as i had been working away and only came home the night before. They brought the tanks of gas and air. they stayed for maybe an hour after?

i have registered for homebirth this time. Things are a bit different maybe due to the area . they did a visit and told me stuff i would need and need to prepare. i.e waterproof sheets, absorbant sheet pads, a flat area with a changing mat in case of need to resuss the baby. They will supply the gas and air tanks and a bag of medical supplies that will get dropped off at about 36 weeks and stay in my home until they come out.

They also told me i could get a perscription for morphine or something like from my doctor, and keep it in my home for in case i wanted that. They would speak to the doctor if he was reluctant to prescribe it. ( i havent done that, not sure if i will)

 

[Juice]

This is really helpful, ladies! Thank you!!

 

[Diamond18]

Home Births really aren't messy - I've attended some and had my own.

They'll deliver a box with all the info and extras that they'll need around 38 weeks (if i recall correctly) it'll have a list of any extras you may need or suggestion. Best advice is have some food and drinks ready for the midwives! haha.

We had a plastic sheet on the floor (rented property!), and some puppy pad type things, which caught my waters when they went a min or so before delivery. The only messy part I suppose is towels, they get a bit mucky but just from wrapping up baby and after birth etc. Nothing that can't be chucked in the wash straight away. Midwives are very good at giving it a tidy whilst you're basking in the after glow!!!

Only pain relief the midwives can give you is gas and air, in my area they carry two tanks each and I had two attend, so four tanks but used barely one. So, you do have a decent amount of time with gas & air, if needed. It was 20mins a tank but may have changed. Some areas the Midwives only carry one tank.

They don't stay too long after birth, long enough to tidy, fill out the paper work and help establish a breast feed. I'd say an hour or so, or longer if you need the support (depending on the time because you'll have another visit the next day). you really won't notice how long they're there, usually very quiet.

Honestly it's just wonderful to have your baby, clean up, get in to your own bed, not be disturbed, have your home comforts around, y'know? So intimate and unintrusive.

 

[BunnyN]

I agree. I loved being in my own bed, using my own bathroom etc after.

 

[GBLiz]

my homebirth team have organised for me to have a diamorphine dose prescribed ahead of time which they can administer if needed, but thats really only for emergency for me, as it increases risk of baby having breathing problems or being too sleepy to breastfeed, and needing to be checked over at hospital.....which defeats the purpose really!

 

[SarahTWD]

I would love a home birth but I need drugs
But I do love the thought of having my son their when his baby brother enters the world.

 

[MrsT2011]

I had a home birth nearly 2 years ago - it was very quick so I wasn’t as prepped as I could of been meaning it was a bit messy!
I had a dust sheet that I put on my sofa that I was sitting on - thank god I did as my waters went and I started crowning almost instantly so no time to move! I had a small bleed after as well which spread quite far. Dust sheet caught a lot so only one sofa cushion had to be chucked and a few towels not worth washing.
My actual lounge looked a mess as only one midwife arrived in time so she literally emptied contents of her bag everywhere for gloves etc.

With regards cleaning up - one black bag with blood stuff chucked in and that was it done.
I had my daughter about 8.15 and midwives were gone by 11? But again part of that was because there was only one midwife and the other one didn’t arrive till nearly a hour later so that delayed things a bit. I asked the midwife to stay and support me feeding otherwise I’m guessing they could of gone a bit sooner. Happy to answer any questions x