We had a home birth with Elliott for many reasons (and if you’d like, you can read about those reasons here). And while I believe his birth went great, I have things I wish I would’ve done differently.
Set Up the Birth Pool Ahead of Time.
I was so focused on how I was going to give birth to Elliott on November 25th (he was due November 28th) that I didn’t even set up the birth pool prior to my last day at work (I went into labor at midnight the next day, right at 38 weeks). Needless to say I didn’t even get to use it. Next time, I’ll set up the pool as soon as I hit 37 weeks!
Set Up My Camera with the Tripod Ahead of Time.
I was going to hire a birth photographer but opted to buy a camera and tripod to record the birth myself. I mainly wanted a video of the birth versus pictures anyways. However, I didn’t have anything set up ahead of time because I thought I had more time. Luckily our midwife snapped a few photos right after the birth so I got to see my reaction.
Make and/or Buy Frozen Meals for the First Two Weeks After Birth and Have High-Calorie Snacks Readily Available.
Again, thought I had more time but next time I will definitely prepare and have meals and high-calorie snacks ready to go before 37 weeks. My husband loves to cook and made us breakfast every morning and dinner almost every night but I wish I would’ve had a few things available and ready to go.
Drink Extra Water!
I already drink a lot of water but next time, I’ll be sure to drink extra water AFTER birth. I didn’t realize how much water you need after birth and definitely did not drink enough.
Accept I was in Labor.
I had convinced myself I wasn’t in real labor until I had the urge to push. And because of that, I told my husband to go to work only for me to call him 30 minutes into his shift. My mom and sister didn’t find out until I was pushing. My daughter was 1.5 hours away with her dad at a wedding so she didn’t arrive until about an hour after Elliott was born. Next time, I hope to realize when it’s happening and let everyone know earlier.
