Yesterday was our week 34 check up. Cara and Mathias went with and enjoyed meeting the Dr and hearing our baby's heartbeat. They were both surprised that it made a whooshing sound instead of a thumping sound. The heart rate was alot faster than Cara thought - around 150 beats a minute.
Overall the appointment went well. I gained only 1 pound, which was shocking! I was very pleased though. I have gained the least amount of weight with this baby, only 26 pounds so far. The swelling in my legs and ankles is still an issue. Thankfully my blood pressure isn't. So now I need to up my water and protein intake along with making sure that I salt my food enough - but not too much.
My 3 hour glucose results officially came back. According to the scale the lab uses, I failed the test for hours 2 and 3. Using the scale that Home First uses, I only failed hour 2. A person needs to fail 2 of the 3 hours to be considered diabetic. So according to my Dr's scale I only failed 1 hour. So I will not need to be on a special diet. He did say I need to be careful with my sugar intake just to be on the safe side. That usually isn't a big problem - chocolate is my only weakness.
Things here at home are pretty much ready for the baby. The clothes are hanging in the closet, car seat is ready, most of the birthing supplies are ready or ordered, the diapers are in the drawer...We are using cloth diapers with this baby. Do you realize that parents spend a minimum of $3000 per child on disposables that just end up in a landfill?
Many people have been curious about a home birth, and rightly so. Just like people assume you have to send your children to a brick and mortar school to be educated, people also believe that babies have to be born at hospitals. Since i haven't yet experienced a home birth, I can only tell you what I have learned from other and from our Dr. We happen to be having a Dr from HomeFirst attending our birth. Midwives are usually more common. Each state though has it's own rules on how midwives can practice. HomeFirst provides us with a box that has all the usual supplies needed during birth. They also arrive in a vehicle fully stocked with other supplies. So if there is an emergency, they are prepared. I did have to order/provide some of my own supplies such as towels and other items usually found in the home.
Several people have asked about the mess. When the water breaks there is a lot of it. There also is a lot of blood. The recommendation is to make the bed with normal sheets and then put a plastic barrier such as a plastic backed sheet or shower curtain on the bed and then make the bed with older sheets. Plastic backed tablecloths or similar material are good for covering the floor.
The question asked the most is about pain relief. No epidurals, no IVs or IV drugs. Home births are medication free. That sounds very painful doesn't it. From the women I have spoken to,who have done both hospital and home births, home births are less painful. Not painless, but less painful. This results in no need to have the pain medication. Being at home allows you to relax in you own surroundings, get up and walk around when you want, shower or have a water birth, and basically manage your own laboring. Recovery is also much easier and can be quicker. No nurses taking you baby in and out of the room or waking you up and ungodly hours of the night to take your blood pressure and sleeping in your own bed with your own surroundings, pampered by family. Bonding with the baby also is quicker.
So that is what i have learned about home births so far. I am very excited to be having this baby at home. We all are! Lord willing we will have any future babies at home also.
