You Want a Home Birth - Now What?

If you've decided on a home birth but aren't sure where to start, check out the post below for some ideas on home birth preparations.

You want a home birth - Now what?

Hire a Birth Attendant
Finding a birth attendant who fits your family is very important; they'll be with you through your pregnancy and labor, and will likely care for you during the postpartum period also. Midwives are typically the care providers for home births and you'll want to interview a few to find one that shares your philosophy about birth. Check out this post for a list of questions for prospective midwives.

Consider Hiring a Doula
A doula is someone who gives support during labor and the postpartum period. You may want to interview a few doulas because, like midwives, they're all unique and provide different types of support. A doula may provide physical and emotional support to a mother in labor, may help take care of other children while mom is laboring, and may provide postpartum support that differs from what a midwife offers.

All photos courtesy of Peace Love Babies | Twin Cities, St. Cloud birth, newborn, family photography

Consider Hiring a Birth Photographer/Videographer
Having a baby is one of the most momentous experiences of your life. Having someone there to document the birth who knows how to achieve flattering angles during labor is truly (in my humble opinion!) worth the investment. Sure, your partner or another family member or friend can take photos or video, but you may want them as support during your labor. Also, having someone with experience really makes a difference in the quality of the finished product, and may be the difference between sharing birth photos with everyone you know or tucking them in a dark corner of your closet where they'll never be seen again. 😉 My one regret about my first birth is that we didn't hire a professional photographer.

Buy or Rent a Birthing Pool
If you're considering having a water birth, you'll want to buy or rent a birthing pool. Personally, we bought a kiddie pool from Amazon for our first birth and it worked great. Here is the pool that we used, and you'll see in the reviews that many other families have used it for home births as well! For our second home birth, our midwife owned ten heated birthing pools and using one for our birth was included in her fee. These pools are more heavy duty and are very convenient if you may have a long labor because you don't need to worry about the water temperature. These pools can also be rented, so it's something to look into.

Think About a Babysitter
If you have other children, you'll want to decide whether you'd like them at their new sibling's birth or not. Either way, you'll might want someone who can care for them while you're in labor (so your partner can be with you) or who can take them away for the duration of your labor. I personally wanted my daughter to be around for my labor, until I was in transition and couldn't handle talking to her anymore-I had my sister there to take her upstairs to play while I finished laboring, and she came down and joined our family as soon as her little brother was born.

Take a Birthing Class
There are a variety of birthing classes available for expectant parents but some are more beneficial than others. A good place to start would be asking your midwife if she knows of any local classes. If they don't, asking local friends and family can also be helpful. A good birthing class should include ways to naturally cope during labor, suggestions for support from partners, the stages of labor and how to know when you're in each one, and what to expect after your baby is born.

Plan for Comfort
Everyone is different when it comes to coping during labor. Some people love to be loud and active, some prefer to be calm and quiet. Some enjoy listening to music while others want silence. Some want to be touched and coached throughout labor, and some want to be left alone. You'll want to think about what makes you comfortable and plan for it - create a 'birth' playlist, have energizing snacks available, talk to your partner about your expectations for them during labor, etc.

Go With the Flow
When it comes down to the actual labor, things may go exactly as planned or they may be completely the opposite of what you expected. For example, I thought my first labor would be very long with at least two hours of pushing, and it ended up being seven hours long with six minutes of pushing (SO fast!). I also thought I'd want to use my husband as support, both physically and emotionally, and it turned out that I didn't want anyone to touch me but I did want him nearby in case I needed him. I made a birth playlist thinking I'd want to listen to some peaceful music during labor and instead I only wanted silence. So make a birth plan, but allow yourself to deviate from it if you feel like things aren't working.

I hope these home birth preparation tips have helped you get started on your journey.
Are you planning a home birth? 

Don't miss my post about must-have items for your home birth!

Home Birth - Is It Right For You?

Home Birth - What to Ask Your Midwife

Disclaimer: This information, including text, images, and links are for information purposes only and is based on my (Amber) personal experience. This post is NOT intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any kind. Always seek the advice of your physician or health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your healthcare, diagnosis, interventions, or treatments. I am not a medical professional and I was under the direct care of wonderful midwives for both of my pregnancies. They monitored me to make sure I did not become high-risk and that home birth was a safe option for me. Amazon links are affiliate links.