Up coming Home Birth, Water trough, Labours, and Frustrations
It being that this is my 4th pregnancy, I know to some degree what is about to happen to my body, but in light of my life's happenings, I can't help but want to rush the process( just a little) I am 39 weeks and 3 days...so the end is very near. However 2 of the 3 births I have had already have been 8 days late, one was a day early, so I am hopeful that this pregnancy will soon be over, and I will soon embark on my labour journey...Wait...ok....So the Labour journey starts really around 35-36 weeks. Most of us get Braxton Hicks Contractions( practice contractions), and with that just a feeling of tightening around the baby around that time, that start feeling more intense, they usually don't hurt, just feel really uncomfortable. If you can talk through them, or function as you normally would, they just get annoying it is probably false labour. With my first 3 births, I went to the hospital 3+ times for each of them thinking I was in labour only to be sent home. So frustrations I understand fully, and my frustrations this time around are no less, other then that I don't have to head to the hospital unless I have other issues that present themselves. So far so good!
However for me this time, I don't have so much Braxton Hicks, as real one's, pain in my lower abs, and lower back, with out the changing of the cervix due to an Irritable uterus. For the last 6 weeks I have dealt with numerous days of 5-10 min apart contractions, all lasting the a full minute, however never gaining intensity, till the last week or so, where I notice the change in them, they have gone on for 8-10 hour stretches. What this means for me, is that when I do go into Active labour, it goes very quickly. My body does a lot of the work, of labour in early labour/pre labour. I go from 3 cm dilation to 10cm in about 10 mins. My contractions go from being manageable to unbearable very quickly, but I have not had the opportunity for an Epidural for the last 2 labours because they happen so fast. So this time, we opted for a home Birth. However these start and stop contractions is highly annoying and exhausting, mentally and physically. So many hours of waiting for them to pick up intensity. One of these fine days it will, and when you have real contractions, that are Active labour....YOU WILL KNOW!!! The ability to talk through them, walk through them, or function other then in your own little mind goes out the window.
So my first experience so far with the planning of a home birth have been a little nerve racking. In the recent weeks with the Stress in my life I was not sure that I was going to make it this far. A home birth can not be confirmed as a possibility till after 37 weeks. Had I gone in to labour earlier then that would have ended my chances of having a home Birth.
We are planning on having this baby in water, and my Birth pool is actually a brand new Rubbermaid Cattle water trough, sounds a little wonky....Well, we are a little red neck around here, so hear me out on this one. It took me a while to warm up to this idea that my hubby presented to me of having our baby in a water trough. However once I saw it and sat in it. I realized that this just might be the cats meow. See, the sides are High and stable, and it won't deflate, or dump water on our our floor. I can use the sides as support for before during or after birth. During labour your legs get really wobbly, and after birth they are not much better, so to be able to maneuver with good support is essential. I also have SPD ( Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) So I will need to give birth in any position other then my back, which will put major pressure on my pubic bone, so water might bring me the best relief for that. I needed a birth tub with some height, so that I can be as up right as possible. I will let you know when all is said and done, just how well or not well it goes with our tub. One reason we went with a tub like this is because we can use it after for its intended purpose after. They are not really cheap, but for us, being farmers, we can use it after. I looked into renting a tub, but the company I tried contacting did not get back to me. I buy a inflatable birth tub is about 250 bucks for a little bigger one, This rubbermaid was about the same. It is ours, and I don't have to store it after, its going to be used for Cattle, so out the door it goes, after baby arrives. Filling it is going to be more a of challenge....Kitchen tap design, is proving to be a little hard to find a hose that can attach. We do have access to our laundry hook ups, so we might connect a hose to that. which should work....Emptying it...Well...I suggest a syphon, but my hubby didn't seem to keen...I have a little pond pump....that could possibly work...we will have to see what happens....if all else fails....Buckets will have to do. Details, details, Details. For now, I wait.
At my last Appointment baby is fully engaged, now I just have to convince my body that in-spite of yet another loss in our Family this past Wednesday of my husbands Uncle, another unexpected and deeply sad death. That labour is ok to commence, and baby will be alright on the outside. On Wednesday, I had been having contractions every 5 mins for 8 hours, and we got the phone call that My hubby's uncle had passed away. Not and hour an half later my contractions stopped. Labour is very much a mental game as well. I am wanting to be in labour so bad, but I have been through it, it is the toughest most amazing and horrible experience of my life, and so the fear of labour is real, and the stress of life is actually keeping baby in. Baby is not little the midwife said, and having 2, 9 pound babies my last 2 times around...I am not expecting this one to be tiny either. I am so Ready....Common on Baby!!! GET OUT OF MY BELLY!!!!
God bless,
Mommy Ak
However for me this time, I don't have so much Braxton Hicks, as real one's, pain in my lower abs, and lower back, with out the changing of the cervix due to an Irritable uterus. For the last 6 weeks I have dealt with numerous days of 5-10 min apart contractions, all lasting the a full minute, however never gaining intensity, till the last week or so, where I notice the change in them, they have gone on for 8-10 hour stretches. What this means for me, is that when I do go into Active labour, it goes very quickly. My body does a lot of the work, of labour in early labour/pre labour. I go from 3 cm dilation to 10cm in about 10 mins. My contractions go from being manageable to unbearable very quickly, but I have not had the opportunity for an Epidural for the last 2 labours because they happen so fast. So this time, we opted for a home Birth. However these start and stop contractions is highly annoying and exhausting, mentally and physically. So many hours of waiting for them to pick up intensity. One of these fine days it will, and when you have real contractions, that are Active labour....YOU WILL KNOW!!! The ability to talk through them, walk through them, or function other then in your own little mind goes out the window.
So my first experience so far with the planning of a home birth have been a little nerve racking. In the recent weeks with the Stress in my life I was not sure that I was going to make it this far. A home birth can not be confirmed as a possibility till after 37 weeks. Had I gone in to labour earlier then that would have ended my chances of having a home Birth.
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| Duck taped cushion, and pillow in the Water trough. |
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| Our Birthing Trough with a plastic liner. |
At my last Appointment baby is fully engaged, now I just have to convince my body that in-spite of yet another loss in our Family this past Wednesday of my husbands Uncle, another unexpected and deeply sad death. That labour is ok to commence, and baby will be alright on the outside. On Wednesday, I had been having contractions every 5 mins for 8 hours, and we got the phone call that My hubby's uncle had passed away. Not and hour an half later my contractions stopped. Labour is very much a mental game as well. I am wanting to be in labour so bad, but I have been through it, it is the toughest most amazing and horrible experience of my life, and so the fear of labour is real, and the stress of life is actually keeping baby in. Baby is not little the midwife said, and having 2, 9 pound babies my last 2 times around...I am not expecting this one to be tiny either. I am so Ready....Common on Baby!!! GET OUT OF MY BELLY!!!!
God bless,
Mommy Ak
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