Home Birth Recovery Question
Michele Neurauter
counting! I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy went. During
the first trimester morning sickness ordeal, I thought it would never
end.
I have a question for people who have had a home birth or are planning
to have a home birth. Just last week I _finally_ got up the courage to
look for a new doctor--I _knew_ I just couldn't trust the one I had
(that's a long story in and of itself). I had always wanted a home
birth, but my husband didn't think it was safe. After the second to
last doctor visit, however, my husband was angry and upset enough to
agree to talk to a midwife. After meeting with her and having one
last meeting with my former doctor, my husband and I both agreed a
home birth was really what we wanted.
Since this decision was made just last week, we haven't had a lot of
time to "prepare" for a home birth. While we're ready for everything
up until the birth, we have no idea how we're going to handle
"recovering." Lloyd and I are completly on our own. Our families live
over 2,000 miles away, and only his mother can come to help--but
she can't come until the beginning of September when I go back to school.
Most of our friends are either gone for the summer or working full-time. With
the exception of a housekeeper who will come once every two weeks, we're
not going to have any help at all.
Since I won't even have a 24-hr hospital stay to get _some_ rest after
birth, I'm a little on edge about how I'm going to feel afterwards.
Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on what my husband and I can
do to make things go easier? I've been so concerned I already have
19 casseroles in the freezer and am planning to add more this week,
but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
so I'll be able to handle a baby.
If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate any help I can get.
Thank you!
Michele and "Rebecca"
due 07-28-95
aki...@cris.com
In article <3s5rkr$7...@newshound.uidaho.edu>, <neur...@orizaba.ee.uidaho.edu> writes:
> my husband and I both agreed a
> home birth was really what we wanted.
Good for you for ditching a doctor who wasn't doing for you!
>
> Since this decision was made just last week, we haven't had a lot of
> time to "prepare" for a home birth. While we're ready for everything
> up until the birth, we have no idea how we're going to handle
> "recovering." Lloyd and I are completly on our own.
> With
> the exception of a housekeeper who will come once every two weeks, we're
> not going to have any help at all.
A housekeeper? GOOD! We're going to hire one, too. It's no longer a case of 'can we
afford', but 'we can't afford NOT...' WIth a housekeeper, at least the house won't get
you down. Excellent!
>
> Since I won't even have a 24-hr hospital stay to get _some_ rest after
> birth, I'm a little on edge about how I'm going to feel afterwards.
Unless you put the baby in the nursery, and no one examined you for 24 hours, you
wouldn't be getting much (if any) sleep. I was in the hospital, and between my troll-like
roommate, exams for me, tests for the baby, and the damned hospital 'routine', I didn't
sleep more than three hours at a stretch for four days! (I finally got some sleep when I
went to my husband's work and crashed with the baby in an infirmary bed!)
You'll probably get more rest at home. :)
> Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on what my husband and I can
> do to make things go easier? I've been so concerned I already have
> 19 casseroles in the freezer and am planning to add more this week,
> but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
> so I'll be able to handle a baby.
You've got someone to help with cleaning, 19 casseroles, and a midwife. You're doing
GREAT! If you're nursing, you'll probably get more sleep, because you can lie down with
the baby and snooze while they eat.
Rest when the baby rests. This is good advice, and it works! Resist the idea that resting
is lazy! It's not! I made a pallet for myself and our baby on our den floor, and watched
all the movies on pay-per-view I'd missed. :) I read, too, while the baby nursed, if I
was too wired to nap. Anything that was relaxing.
>
> If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate any help I can get.
You can do it!
aki...@cris.com
In article <3s5rkr$7...@newshound.uidaho.edu>, <neur...@orizaba.ee.uidaho.edu> writes:
> but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
> so I'll be able to handle a baby.
I almost forgot! Talk to your midwife about your concerns! She'll be able to tell you
things to help that might not have occured to you. After all, she's a pro.
Marian
> Since this decision was made just last week, we haven't had a lot of
> time to "prepare" for a home birth. While we're ready for everything
> up until the birth, we have no idea how we're going to handle
> "recovering." Lloyd and I are completly on our own. Our families live
> over 2,000 miles away, and only his mother can come to help--but
> she can't come until the beginning of September when I go back to school.
> Since I won't even have a 24-hr hospital stay to get _some_ rest after
> birth, I'm a little on edge about how I'm going to feel afterwards.
> Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on what my husband and I can
> do to make things go easier? I've been so concerned I already have
> 19 casseroles in the freezer and am planning to add more this week,
> but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
> so I'll be able to handle a baby.
>
> If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate any help I can get.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Michele and "Rebecca"
> due 07-28-95
Have you looked into a post-partum doula? Talk to your mid-wife about this.
I've been told by a couple of friends who recently had their first baby, that
they had no idea how tough the first week would be. Sleep deprivation was the
worst part. But they survived!
My husband is keen on having someone come in for the first few days anyway. So,
I'm looking into a doula. Any info on using a service like this would be
greatly appreciated.
Marian (and Lil' Tadpole - due 11/25/95)
Christine Morton
>
>I have a question for people who have had a home birth or are planning
>to have a home birth. Just last week I _finally_ got up the courage to
>look for a new doctor--I _knew_ I just couldn't trust the one I had
>(that's a long story in and of itself). I had always wanted a home
>birth, but my husband didn't think it was safe. After the second to
>last doctor visit, however, my husband was angry and upset enough to
>agree to talk to a midwife. After meeting with her and having one
>home birth was really what we wanted.
>
>do to make things go easier? I've been so concerned I already have
>19 casseroles in the freezer and am planning to add more this week,
>but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
>so I'll be able to handle a baby.
WOW! 19 casseroles! That sounds great. In another post I'll have
to request recipes.
I dont' know what to expect either, since my home birth won't happen
for another 3 months, but I would recommend that you get a copy of
Sheila Kitzinger's HOMEBIRTH. It will probably help ease your mind.
From my impressions, homebirth makes it easier to rest, you arent
interrupted by nurses, hospital routines, etc. And Kitzinger talks
about the importance of a "babymoon" period, where mum and dad just
hang out with the baby. Your midwife should be able to come and
check you out a day or two after the birth.
As long as your husband is willing to bring you food and let you
stay in bed and rest, it sounds like you certainly have enough
food to last through a couple of weeks. I'd say a lot depends on
how your husband will support you. If he does cooking and laundry
and cleaning NOW, he'll probably be just fine. If not, maybe you
should try and get someone in for that. Your priority will be to
rest, and his priority should be to facilitate that.
My husband and I are planning to be alone for the first few days
after birth, anyway, just to get used to the baby. Then my mom
will come and do laundry and shopping etc.
>
>If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate any help I can get.
>
>Thank you!
>
>Michele and "Rebecca"
>due 07-28-95
I wish you the best! And let us all know how everything turns out.
Christine
due end of september sometime....
Jamie L. Swann
In a previous article, neur...@orizaba.ee.uidaho.edu (Michele Neurauter) says:
>
>Since I won't even have a 24-hr hospital stay to get _some_ rest after
>birth, I'm a little on edge about how I'm going to feel afterwards.
>Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on what my husband and I can
>do to make things go easier? I've been so concerned I already have
>19 casseroles in the freezer and am planning to add more this week,
>but what I'm really worried about is getting at least a little sleep
>so I'll be able to handle a baby.
>
>If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate any help I can get.
You could look into postpartum doula care. There are doula's that
specifically take care of you after the baby comes. They will do
light housework, cooking, help with the baby and breastfeeding.
--
Jamie Swann
dm...@cleveland.freenet.edu
Squatting is the midwife's forceps.