Giving birth - Page 2

littlemo · 31-03-2004, 03:00

Hi Jo congrads on your up coming event, I havn't been on for ages so just navigating through and catching up! Over here we're advised not to jump in the bath if your waters brake cause you could get an infection. I belive the water we use over here for the birthing pools are specific for that, Proberbly cause we put so much crap in our daily water to clean it up! But there's no harm in jumping in the shower.

My waters broke at home with my first and I was sleeping on a water bed!!!!!took me a second to relise what it was!!!!! What helped me through that labour was while I was pregnant I used to go to sleep with one of those nature sound CD's. when I went into labour, we took it with us and put it on. I slept for ohhhhhhhhhh 6-7 hours!!!! in fact they had to wake me up to deliver!!!!!!!

it's really not that bad but watch out for the burning!! everyone fails to mention that oh and you'll be starving afterwards as your digestive system shuts down while in labour so nothing stays down!!!!!

good luck!!!

Mo

lettie · 31-03-2004, 07:13

Littlemo is right, your digestion slows down during labour, so if you pig out before going to hospital, you are likely to be sick. Most people are nauseated just after delivery. We do have baths here when your waters have gone. If you are in your own home (amongst your own bugs) so to speak, you are unlikely to get an infection. The reason they like you to go to hospital when your waters have gone, is to check for cord prolapse. This is a rare occurrence, where if the baby's head is not engaged, the cord can be washed down with the flow of water, the head then comes down and compresses the cord. It is an obstetric emergency and very unlikely to happen, but we like to check you for it anyway. (I have seen 2 in 12 years)
Also, if you can get it, try Raspberry Leaf tea or tablets. They are herbal, and it is believed that they help the uterus to contract more effectively. You take them as you go into your 37th week of pregnancy, up until you go into labour. There is no evidence to say that raspberry leaf actually works, but everybody myself and my colleagues have looked after, who has taken it, have had really nice labours. A couple of my colleagues took it themselves, and swear by it.

Jo · 31-03-2004, 11:56

Good point, short stuff, I wondered that myself. Some reckon it's that pain that makes you a responsible mother - you bond with your baby becasue of it...... I'm sure I'd bond anyway, I could well do without it!

Lettie, don't joke too much or I might have your flight booked for you before you know it!! I was actaully wondering about a home birth, but it's so expensive, but if you hjappened to be around..... I'd pay your flight and a pizza and throw in a bottle of Italian red, what do ya say??? !!

Jo · 31-03-2004, 11:59

Thanks for the tip on rasberry leaf Lettie, I'kll try that too!! Anything that might help....
It's weird, but I'm feeling ebtter about it already, thanks to you lot! Littlemo, you were very reassuring, too! Thanks!

AccyStanFan · 31-03-2004, 14:09

if they have em at home, who cuts the cord and does the donkey work?

Jo · 31-03-2004, 14:11

Lettie does!

Tealeaf · 31-03-2004, 14:51

Don't they have midwives in Italy then?

lindsay ormerod · 31-03-2004, 15:18

I was told about raspberry leaf tea too!It tastes vile but if it works why not?I was all ready with a hired Tens machine till my daughter turned around and I had a c-section at Queens Park;it was fine and I would heartily recommend it;the staff there are fab!

Jo · 31-03-2004, 15:29

Yes course they do! But not as good as Lettie!!
If you want a midwife at a home birth, it costs a hell of a lot of money. In the hospitals there are midwifes, what's missing is the anaesthetic - you have to go through the pain no matter what, unless you pay for a private clinic, where you can pay between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds for the birth.
Don't knock the NHS!! you don't you're born in England!!

Tealeaf · 31-03-2004, 15:49

Whats the deal with the Italian anaesthetic then? Is it illegal there?

ANNE · 31-03-2004, 20:21

I had a compleatly natural childbirth with my first baby Joe. Just held on to the bed head and screamed the place down.
Just like a bad case of constipation.
You'l sail through it girl.
Dont forget to post us some piccy's

lettie · 31-03-2004, 20:54

It's actually cheaper for a home birth in England, than a hospital birth. Less drugs, no doctors, no hospital stay etc. I'm actually on call for one now (mobile at the ready) Don't know how I'd stand legally delivering a baby in Italy. Every year in the UK Midwives have to register their intent to practice and be specific about where they are going to be working, so if you change areas half way through the year, you have to fill out another one. Just done mine for East Lancs. Even if I were to accidentally catch a baby in another area, while visiting or shopping, I would have to contact the nearest supervisor of Midwives and fill out an intention to practice for that area. It helps to stop people practising illegally, as it is illegal to deliver a baby in the UK (intentionally) without a midwifery or medical qualification, you can be taken to court and fined apparrently!!!

Jo · 01-04-2004, 07:34

I don't think that's a problem here Lettie. Mums have the right to deliver alone if they want, so a midwife could be just a friend helping you out.

Tealeaf, it's not that anaesthetics are illegal here, some regions do have the epidural, in fact if you have a c-section, it's practically an epidural they give you. The reason they don't have anything here in Bolzano is that 1) they say they don't have the resources to have an anestaetician available for all those that want epidurals, as they have to monitor the mother right thrugh labour, so it's costly. and 2) for principle - they believe that it is worse to give gas and air and have the mother lying on the back - childbirth is a natural process and they let the mother keep control of the whole situation, you can walk round, go in the bath and do what you want, but you have to concentrate, and some drugs literally drug you up and take away this mental power.
In some ways I agree with them, I am always for the most natural remedy, but never having been through labour, I'm afraid, and the things that niggles me most is not having the choice because, knowing myself, I wouldn't ask for anything anyway, I'm pretty strong, but I would at least like to know the option is there.

lettie · 01-04-2004, 15:51

Being mobile is the best way to be, for our ladies who use gas and air, they can still be mobile and are pretty much encouraged to be, unless there is a problem where we need to monitor the baby, growth retardation for example. We even let them use entonox (gas and air) in the pool, and haven't drowned anybody yet, but if they are in the pool they are not allowed narcotic drugs, as they take away control and make you drowsy.
The epidural, on the other hand, completely takes away mobility, drops maternal blood pressure (and in doing so affects the baby's heartrate) so the mother needs to be on a monitor throughout, and needs close supervision. Hence the furore in the media re. shortage of Midwives, saying that procedures such as epidural are still being done when we haven't enough midwives to look after them. As far as I'm concerned, this is completely true, so if anyone out there fancies doing their Midwifery training, drop me a message, and I'll tell you how to go about getting in. It's currently a 4 year degree course. When I trained, I had to do 3 years nurse training and then a further 18months to specialise in midwifery

snailtrail · 04-04-2004, 22:56

I went for a home birth second time around it was brilliant very relaxing with no need for pain releif until they broke my waters and I had meconium in them the midwife said I could still deliver at home but I decided to hold on, the ambulance men came and I was in rather a delicate position with baby's head on its way and they had to get me form the bedroom to the ambulance outside. I held on though and hid under a cover on arriving at Queens Park but baby very nearly came in the lift up to the labour ward. I had a beautiful little girl.We still laugh now about the colour of the ambulance mans face ... id thought they'd seen alsorts and I haven't been put off having a home birth again and would recommend it to anyone even though I didn't quite manage it.