Visiting with a Question - Resources?
JMay
member
Hi Ladies! I'm visiting from 2IF with a question for a dear friend of mine.
My friend is 12 weeks along with her 4th child. She has been blessed to have had natural, yet hospital-based births previously. The problem is that she is FAST. Her first child came after just 4 hours labor (first contraction to birth). Her second arrived an hour and 10 minutes after her first contraction, and the third was almost born in the hospital elevator - she woke up at 7am with a contraction and delivered the baby at 7:48am. They really had to race.
Her DH is nervous about a home birth, but really, there is no point to even trying to get to the hospital, unless he plans to deliver her in the car. The problem is that there are no midwives/doulas in her area, and the state (Illinois) is generally unsupportive of home births. She did have a home birth consult, but really didn't get any new info. What she's really hoping to learn is "What do I do if I need to have the baby at home, alone?"
I have no info at all for her. Do any of you have any resources you can share regarding solo-home birth? She'll call the EMTs if it happens, but she needs to know what to do if the baby arrives before they do.
Any info is greatly, greatly appreciated! TIA and sorry this is so long. GL to you all!
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
Miracle DD born 12.2005
TTC #2 since Dec 2008 w/ PCOS
***P/SAIF Always Welcome***
Keep it Natural, Baby!
Re: Visiting with a Question - Resources?
Where in IL is she?
The only advice I would give would be to call 911 and have the operator ( a trained medical professional) walk her/ her DH through it.
Hi--Rixa here from Stand and Deliver. She'd probably benefit from some basic birth-related "emergency preparedness," such as learning about neonatal resuscitation, reading up about how to catch your own baby (see my post on doing your own perineal support), and reviewing the more common birth complications (heavy bleeding after birth, etc) and how to identify & resolve them (or when to call for help). EMTs won't be all that helpful over the phone, and often they'll say silly things like "lie down and push."
Honestly if the baby is coming that fast, there's really little to do but get into a comfortable position and get ready to catch the baby! I'd suggest creating a soft "landing surface" made of folded towels or blankets. Babies can be slippery and so it helps to create a place for them to land just in case. Birthing in a low kneeling position is great, since the mom can support the baby's head as it's coming out and the baby is only a few inches away from the ground. And there are no worries about dropping the baby if it comes out fast.
After birth, baby goes right onto mom's bare chest, both baby and mom get covered with a warm blanket, and baby nurses as soon as it wants to. As she probably knows, nursing can help prevent a postpartum hemorrhage. Keep mom and baby nice and warm. Cord should stay intact until the placenta is delivered (or even longer--no rush at all).
Reading other women's birth stories and watching videos can be a great way to prepare for the possibility of a solo birth.
This actually happened to my coworker's wife. He called 911 and they walked him through the delivery on their kitchen floor. Her water from around 8 am, their daughter was born around 8:20 am. Ambulance arrived about 5 minutes later.
The mothering.com has a forum with a lot of stories. There was also a chapter/section in what to expect about an emergency delivery, both if you are alone at home and if you have someone with you.
Also, if I remember correctly, there is a section in Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way with information on what to do in this situation.
My only advice would be (and she seems to already know this!) to not rely on 911 operators or EMTs to coach her through it. They may be medical professionals, but the chance that they know much about childbirth is fairly slim. I would definitely call 911 right away to get an ambulance en route, though, just in case anything goes wrong.
Is it flameworthy that I kinda wish this would happen to me next time?
No hospital policies, no VBAC stress, just BAM! baby. *sigh*
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
Miracle DD born 12.2005
TTC #2 since Dec 2008 w/ PCOS
***P/SAIF Always Welcome***
Keep it Natural, Baby!
That was supposed to say HB w a CPM. Sorry, a little scatterbrained with a sick little one the last 48 hours.
Wow, OK - so lack of sleep, plus sick little one on my lap equals TAKE 3 to get my entire thought out... SO, it is illegal to have a CPM HB in IL, but not impossible, so she might be able to find one 'underground', you just need to know where to look. In other words, it might seem like HB is not an option and there are no MWs around, but she might be surprised. Then again, perhaps there aren't any subversive CPMs around either
*big sigh* ha! only takes me three times to get my brain to function on 2 hours sleep in 24 hours, 5 hours total in the last 48!