Today Alice is back with the final instalment of her pregnancy diary. You may be wondering why there is a picture of a cute baby on this post. Well, we are pleased to announce that Alice and her husband welcomed the gorgeous Franklin on the 27th August, weighing 7lbs 8oz. Don’t be alarmed, he didn’t arrive really early, we are a little behind timings wise on posting this! Alice will be back soon to share all about her birth but in the meantime I’ll hand over for her to let you know all about the final stage of her pregnancy.
So after my last update at around 28 weeks I can confirm I am still pregnant! I am now 34 weeks and I guess you could say on the countdown to baby’s arrival…
I’m very much considered low risk and so far all my antenatal appointments with my midwife have been very straightforward. In fact she always tells me I’m a model ‘patient’ as I’m usually in and out in less than ten minutes. The only difficult thing for me is that after 7 and a half months of having the same lovely midwife I have just had to register with a new doctor’s surgery so I have a new midwife to get to know. This was essential though as I am hoping to have a home birth. (To cut a long story short my husband and I have been renovating our house, so throughout the entirety of my pregnancy we had been living with my mum – hence different doctor’s surgery. We are now officially moved in so it’s been all change and with some urgency to get myself re-registered so I don’t get a midwife dispatched to the wrong address!)
With regards to the homebirth I thought I would discuss a little bit about why we have chosen to have our baby at home and some practical things I’ve done to prepare in case anyone else might consider it.
Before I get going I do want to say; this is my first baby, I am not a martyr, I do not know how I will cope with labour and delivery…a homebirth is my ‘birth plan’ but I definitely realise that could all change with the blink of an eye. I am very open / adaptable to having to go into hospital if I need to for an emergency situation or I feel I cannot cope with the pain. I know labour is rarely straightforward, there could be all sorts of things that crop up in the coming weeks that can easily prevent me from being able to have a homebirth, but at the moment it is very much what my husband and I would like.
For very personal reasons; I lost my 50 year old, very active, very healthy stepfather suddenly to a stroke last year and I haven’t actually been in a hospital since. I don’t want to again for a while if I can help it. However, I don’t want to dwell on this trauma too much as its very sensitive to us as a family but it has been a factor in my decision making.
Nonetheless the main reason I’m hoping for a homebirth is to avoid over medicalising it if possible. I’d like as little medical intervention as possible and would like if I am able to, to have a natural childbirth with little to no drug use so that both myself and baby are as well and as alert as possible. I also believe I will feel more relaxed (or as much as I possibly can be during labour and delivery) in the comfort of my own home.
Our home is the one space where my husband and I make the rules, we know the lay out, we are at our most comfortable and contented there as it also happens to be our first (owned) home together and our special place to make memories. I can’t think of a better place to welcome our first child. I also feel it will help my husband feel more confident as he won’t feel he has to ask permission to do things or eat / drink / sleep or let the dog out for a wee as he will be in his own environment.
For me it’s also about the privacy of not having to share my space with other labouring women (I’m not antisocial by any means – far from it) but also the security of having my own things around me as opposed to hospital equipment. Homebirth also avoids an uncomfortable drive to the hospital (which can sometimes interrupt or even stop contractions altogether) and we will get continuity of care with the same midwife throughout labour and delivery.
The other big pluses for me are; guaranteed use of the birth pool as I’ve bought my own, being able to stay as active as I want and able to move from room to room whenever I like, but most importantly peace and quiet! If I’m the only one making the noise I can’t blame anyone else for interrupting me.
I also want to give my baby as gentle a start in life as possible, I’m hoping to keep the lights dimmed, noise to a minimum, my favourite Jo Malone candle burning and for things to be as calm as possible. Obviously I have no idea how things will go at the time but these are, as I said before my hopes and plans for the birth.
I have bought a La Bassine birth pool which I hope to use throughout labour and I may even deliver in it too but again I will decide this depending on how I feel at the time.
The one thing everyone has said to me (aside from asking if it’s safe) is what about the mess? Well, I’ve worked on a labour ward, I’ve seen a lot of births – the mess can be contained. We will have lots of plastic sheeting, lots of old towels and some oh so glamourous incontinence pads and the midwives clean everything up before they leave so I can’t see it being too much of a problem.
Finally one last thing I will say is that I live about a 5 minute drive from the hospital, so if I need to go in for whatever reason I will get there plenty quickly enough. Have any readers had or are maybe considering a homebirth? I would love to hear from you.
Here are my practical things for preparing for a homebirth in case anyone is interested:
Baby purchases
I haven’t gone too mad with the baby spends, I’m one of five of my friends to give birth this year so I have had a lot of lovely things passed on to me, which really really helps. Last time I told you about our pram, car seat and SnuzPod, so really all I’ve needed is lots of plain white baby clothes for the new born days and I will expand little man’s wardrobe as we go along. I used Lottie’s newborn essentials post to work out what to buy, which you can find here.
I did buy a lovely antique changing station which we painted and filled with the usual necessities such as a changing mat, nappies, cotton wool and bath items and also the Angel Care bath seat and a Tommee Tippee nappy bin which I know has been recommended by lots of other RMF readers in the comments on other posts.
We also have a baby monitor, a Gro Egg thermometer, an Ikea child safe blackout blind, the Angel care bath seat and of course Ewan the dream sheep.
Lots of other things were given to us as gifts or hand-me-downs (although I hate this phrase) I prefer to say ‘pass along items’ as in reality most things are barely used!
Hypobirthing update
Hypobirthing is going well during our sessions, although I do really need to get my husband to help me practice a bit more at home. A lot of the techniques rely on us working together and taking time out to focus, relax and breathe together and having just moved house and frantically getting everything ready for baby’s arrival we haven’t done as much as we should have. Another thing that was discussed at the hypobirthing class was the benefits of perineum massage….I know it’s quite a sensitive thing and not many people feel comfortable talking about it, but I was wondering if any readers have any positive experiences of this?
Skin (on face)
Spots on my chin and jawline are still awful. Antibiotics didn’t help (course of 6 months), azelaic acid hasn’t helped at all either. Not much to say here apart from its rubbish, it’s upsetting on a daily basis and I hate it but while I’m pregnant and until I’m done with that and breastfeeding there’s not much I can do! Will consider my options after I finish breastfeeding but I am thinking I will see a dermatologist and discuss the option of isotretinoin / Accutane. I have taken this once before when I was much younger and it was incredible (despite the side effects) so it might be what’s needed again.
Stretch marks
I started getting these at exactly 34 weeks despite lathering myself in Palmers Coca Tummy Butter, and initially I was furious! I was all like how can I have avoided them for so long, having religiously applied as much moisturiser as possible and STILL get them?!? It must have been as the baby ‘dropped’ – I can’t tell you how they will be for me yet, whether it will be a few or a lot but either way as much as I dislike it again there’s nothing I can do about them. Like the acne it is another aspect of this pregnancy which has sadly taken its toll on my skin. (Sorry don’t mean to be a whinger….)
Exercise – still going!
Well I’m still Crossfitting at 34 weeks, 2, sometimes 3 times a week and going to Pilates once a week. Getting slower as the time goes on and bump is also so big now I find I am adapting a lot of things to compensate. I also have to rest a lot, but I figure just turning up and trying things is better than nothing at all, so I keep dragging my beach ball body to the classes each week!
How I’m feeling
In general, really well. My only pregnancy problem is pelvic pain, more commonly known as SPD which I developed at around 32 weeks. I have all the classic signs of SPD, but mine is limited just to the pubic area rather than affecting my hips or lower back which I know can be problematic for other women. SPD is basically pain in the groin or pubic area that is worse on walking, parting your legs, getting up from a chair, in and out the car / bath, or moving in bed. And lucky old me I literally have all of them! My pain is worse at night when I’m lying down in bed and I think this is because I’m really terrible and sleep on my hips, but with my pelvis pushed into the bed, so I am effectively squashing my poor pelvis every night. However I’ve just got on with it really, I’ve taken paracetamol on two separate occasions in the 4 weeks I’ve had it so far, so I’m sure I’m not suffering half as much as some people do. My midwife wasn’t too worried at my 34 weeks appointment, she said baby’s head was pretty low, so we figured that was contributing to a good deal of the SPD, she also said things should go back to normal pretty quickly after baby boy is born as I’m generally fit and well.
The only thing I would recommend if you do have SPD in your own pregnancies is Bowen. I have been seeing a bowen practitioner on a monthly basis for the past two years to help with my mental and physical wellbeing, and since the SPD began we have been really focusing the techniques on just my pelvis and hips and it makes SUCH a difference instantly. For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, Bowen is a hands on therapy where the practitioner uses their fingers and thumbs to stimulate muscles and soft tissues in the body. It is incredibly relaxing and has helped me a lot to deal with stress and also sports injuries / muscle problems / neck ache / back ache / clicky shoulders basically any little niggles I’ve had in my body have at some stage been alleviated with bowen!
There’s lots of information here and here if you’re interested.
I might get another post in before baby’s arrival, if not you’ll next be hearing from me after he is born!
Alice x
Congratulations! 34 and a bit weeks here. We’ve just relocated from London to the North and I’ve found it a headache to transfer care. The hospitals have different criteria for different things so after being cleared for some things I’m now being told they are an issue. Using the same results. Stupid. Go figure. So lots of time in hospital here. And with a toddler. It’s quite fun to see all the new first time Mum’s in the waiting room looking at me aghast as I bribe her with buttons and Pom bears and sticker books with expressions that say ‘my child will only have wooden toys and eat organic food’. I remember thinking that. Their time will come.
Second time around we still have no name, no baby clothes, nothing. If I pretend it’s not happening I’ll just be able to pick it up from John Lewis click and collect instead yes?
Haha this was me in the ultrasound waiting room last week- doling out biscuits and making stupid faces at an overexcited toddler determined to climb into the fish tank….
Hope it is all resolved soon and best of luck with the final stretch x
Wow congratulations on beautiful little Franklin! I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment to see whether you managed to get your home birth! Also well done on staying so fit during pregnancy! I only managed pregnancy yoga once a week last year. As to the birth, I never considered a home birth. I am working as a doctor in gyn/obs and we have a saying that with friends and colleagues the statistics are higher of something going differently to the original plan. Well it turned out to be just the case, as I had had to have a Caesarean in the end. It took me a while to come to terms with it, but in the end it really doesn’t matter as long as my little boy (8 months yesterday) and I we’re healthy! So as a note to everyone still pregnant: What Alice said is really really important. Don’t be too adamant about your birth plan. One of my favourite sayings is, life is what happens while you’re busy making plans!
Massive congratulations! Gorgeous baba.
I want to know if you got your home birth too! I so hope that you did.
My plan went tits up the minute Madam decided she didn’t fancy arriving after all, despite waters breaking. I was gutted. But we still managed some things from the birth plan in spite of a botched induction and forceps- my husband told me we had a daughter, and we had a delayed cord clamp and skin to skin. So I am evangelical about making a detailed plan as you don’t know which bits will happen and which won’t- well worth preparing either way.
You’ve also inspired me to get back out exercising- I’ve been so unwell with morning sickness all my hard earned fitness is gone. Starting to feel better so back on the bike soon I think!
I’m pregnant with my second baby… 27 weeks ? I had a home birth at my mums house with my first little girl Daisy and I am hoping for the same again this time around.
It was my midwife that suggested I have a home birth with Daisy as I too was low risk etc and I’m so glad she did. It was a lovely experience to have my baby in the house (even the room) that I had grown up in all my life. Very comforting and a big privilege for my mum she’s very excited to do it all again with baby no.2. I chose my mums house for the same reason as it is only a few minutes away from the hospital incase of emergency and it was also quite nice to be spoilt by my mum during after and labour and then take Daisy home to a peaceful tidy house
I hired a birth pool and that was all set up the week before my due date. And Daisy was born in the water which again I loved and I am hoping to do the same again.
I would definitely recommend a home birth to any low risk mums to be and if it’s what you really want to do don’t be put off by anybody’s opinions or horror stories. Everybody’s labour is different and all you can do is plan for what you want to do and hope for the best. Good luck for your home birth Alice xxx
Congratulations! I had a wonderful home birth 6 months ago with my first and would recommend it. It was so calm and peaceful. Good luck, I hope you get your home birth x
Awww congratulations Alice! What a gorgeous little boy – I really hope you got your home birth too. Super impressed that you’ve managed to do so much exercise during your pregnancy, I was all about the swimming, walking and yoga, can’t even imagine doing crossfit with a huge bump!
Sending lots of hugs and hope you’re doing ok – be kind to yourself xxxx
Congratulations Alice!! I hope everything went well for you and look forward to the next update. Mine was a hospital birth for a variety of reasons I won’t bore anyone with, I didn’t consider a home birth but I do think it is lovely idea if you are low risk and more comfortable with the idea of being at home. For me, other issues aside, I have been in and out of hospital for various reasons for years, so I find them weirdly comforting and I didn’t give it a second thought. The birthing suite would have been lovely but alas nothing went to plan!! Everyone is different though!! Good luck with the early days, Franklin looks gorgeous. x
Congratulations! I would also love to know if you got your home birth as it’s something I would definitely consider next time around.
Congratulations! Hope you are enjoying these early days with your baby and that you got the home birth you hoped for. A few things you’ve said rang true with my pregnancy, mainly your bad skin. I suffered terribly (seem to have on/off since being a teenager) and went on Roaccutane in my mid-twenties which seemed to do the trick for a little while..alas it got a whole lot worse when I was pregnant. It did get me down but I always tried to focus on the fact I was growing a little baby and as long as baby was ok, nothing else mattered..not as easy as it sounds though sometimes. Anyway, since having my baby girl in April and breastfeeding, my skin has totally cleared up, so now I am just hoping it stays that way! And hope yours clears too.
I also hope you were able to have a positive labour experience using hypnobirthing. Although I didn’t have a homebirth I “enjoyed” a water birth in the birth centre using everything we had learned through hypnobirthing. Which included perineum massage! I like to think it helped massively so would encourage any expecting mamas to give it a try! Look forward to hearing about your labour and enjoy this special time.