The little things I didn't realised I needed until I made my birth plan with Mary was towels and lots of them. Water poof sheet for under the birthing pool. Face cloths. Blankets, Sheets. A Box for the placenta, to which I told Mary I wasn't going to do anything with it so she can just do whatever they do with it and to my shock she informed me I had to dispose of it myself and suggested I buried it out my back and plant a tree over it, which is a lovely idea, unfortunately we have just dug up our garden so it was a running joke in the family as what will we do with it. It was suggested to maybe make placenta ice cream. (Andy's Uncle owns an ice cream store and he was giving us the box for the placenta so in return with offered it to him to make ice cream with it, didn't take off like we hoped)
We bagged all the blankets and everything we needed together so when the time came we would just know where everything was.
We also needed to sort the kids. I have 2 other children Jack aged 5 and Emily aged 2. Where would they go during it or would they stay, we made a plan for day and night. I always felt I would have the baby during the night, so unless we were disturbing the kids we would leave them sleep through it.
Who did we want there? This is a tough one I wanted to share this experience with everyone but I also wanted that intimate setting with Andy. I wanted him to be involved and not just stand there on the side line like he did in hospital. We decided that we both wanted Andy's sister to be there, I really wanted to share this experience with her, also she could help with the kids if needed and someone else to talk to during labour. We also said we wouldn't let any know when I'm in labour, that we would just let them know when baby is born. Didn't want people sending texts to find out how far I was ect. Also the fear of them just arriving at my door while I was mid push or something like that, because they could! I mean I am at home like!!
Mary talked to me about what pain relief I could have. There was water, either a birthing pool or a bath or even sit on a yoga ball in the shower which is an awesome idea. But I could also have gas and air which I felt at that time I definitely would need the gas and air!! Or so I thought.
Mary explained to Andy and I on a visit to our house, what the process was. I'm to ring Mary at the first signs of labour and having 2 previous births that were fast, Jack 5 hours and Emily's 2 hours. She would come straight away. When she arrives she will do an internal and set up her equipment. We should set up the pool and have the hot water on. She rings the ambulance when she arrives and lets them know I'm in labour. She will also ring the second midwife who has to be there just for the birth and afterwards, but she wont arrive till closer to baby coming. And that's it really she said.
After care then Mary will stay about 2 to 4 hours with us after baby is born. Just to make sure we are both OK. Then she will visit for the first 2 days after baby and then on the 4th day to do baby's heal test. After that then it will be twice a week or so, but she is at the end of the phone at any time day or night and just ring if I need her. All in all, I'm under her care afterwards for about 2 to 3 weeks. Then she signs me off to the Public Health Nurse.
Now that we had all the details on what to do and what we needed, we were sorted and everything was ready, it was a waiting game from now on.
At the end of any third trimester, every little pain you wonder is this it? Is this the start of labour? Am I in labour? I guess when you've done it before you kinda learn that baby will come when they are ready and you'll be ready when they are.
At 38 weeks and 5 days I was done. I was ready for baby to come. I just wanted to meet him or her. I wanted my home birth!
And then it all started.
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