Hi friends! Today I'm answering your questions about pregnancy, home birth, water birth and anything else you sent me! I got such an enthusiastic response on my Instagram stories when I asked you all to send in questions so if you enjoy this I'll do another one in a couple more months and answer some more! P.S. I didn't type these out in any specific order, just how they came in on my phone so sorry if they are a little all over the place!
Let's jump in!
Q: Will you be finding out the gender?
A: Yes! We found out with the first three and I definitely want to find out with this one! I like to make myself wait until about 20 weeks. It makes the second half of the pregnancy so fun because I get to start shopping for cute little clothes and special things for the nursery.
Q: When are you due?
A: End of January 💛
Q: How did you decide to do a home birth? Did your mom have home births with all of you?
A: My mom actually had all her babies in the hospital! I would have done the same if my sister hadn't decided to do a home birth first. She researched everything, found a great midwife (the same one I use now!) and encouraged me to do the same! If you're interested at all in going that route or exploring your options I recommend reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - it's eye opening!
Q: I want to do a home birth but hubs is worried it's too risky. How do I get him on board?
A: Talk to a midwife with your husband and let him bring up any concerns he has. Read Ina May's book together. Watch The Business of Being Born. Meet up with other couples that have done a home birth and talk about it together. A good midwife will be able to reassure your husband, talk through different scenarios and get you both to a place where you are comfortable.
A lot of people have the misconception that home births are risky. I think it's because in a hospital 101 things can/do go wrong. We've all heard them, "The baby is in distress..." "The cord is wrapped around the baby's neck..." "You aren't dilating fast enough we need to get you into surgery..." "Your pelvis is too small / shaped incorrectly to be able to birth the baby..." "Baby is breech..." and the list goes on and on. The reality is this: our bodies know what to do! Giving birth should make us feel empowered, not afraid! In every one of these scenarios a good midwife would know exactly what to do. You can have a breech baby at home. You can have twins at home. You can have a small pelvis and still birth your baby at home. Your baby's heart rate can drop just before it is born and usually does. You are on your own timeline at home and can birth however quickly or slowly you want. In my opinion, there are SO many positives to birthing at home. Do your research, read books, educate yourself, be openminded, and in the end birth where you feel safe, supported, and nurtured.
This is a fantastic article about the safety of home births!
"Birth is a natural event that sometimes needs medical help. Not a medical event that sometimes happens naturally."
Q: I have the worst morning sickness right now - TIPS PLEASE!
A: Ugh I am so sorry! Morning sickness is no fun. I'm sure you've already googled this and read the 80 million suggestions to keep crackers on hand and eat every couple hours. I wish that worked for everyone! With this pregnancy I started getting IV drips at around 8 or 9 weeks, twice a week. It has helped immensely! It keeps me hydrated when I can hardly keep liquids down and has made the nausea so much better! So that's my #1 tip. Another tip a nurse gave me was to have a bit of healthy fat when I felt nauseous (like avocado on a rice cake or a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter), wait 20 minutes and then eat a meal/snack. I think it helps! Hope you start feeling better soon!
Q: What's the name of the birth course you do while you're pregnant?
A: Hypnobabies! I've used it with each pregnancy and plan on using it again! It's a 6 week self-hypnosis course you do in your last trimester to prepare yourself for an easy, comfortable birth. I love and recommend it to anyone open minded enough to try it! 😉
Q: How did you find your midwife?
A: As mentioned above I was put in touch with her by my sister! Not all midwives are the same and it is worth interviewing a few if you don't really click with the first one you meet. Try interviewing a few and find someone that you trust and connect with. This is a great list of questions to ask a midwife!
Q: Do you have a name picked out?
A: Nope! Isaac and I haven't been able to agree on names and it's a little stressful to me because I like to have that all sorted out in the beginning and be able to talk to the baby by name throughout my pregnancy! I keep googling more lists of names and bouncing them off of him. (And I keep bringing up the names I like every week to see if maybe he forgot and now he likes them.) 😂
Q: How do you combat PPD (postpartum depression)?
A: While I haven't experienced PPD personally I know it is a very real concern for many mothers. I reached out to my midwife to get her perspective on this and will update the post with her response as soon as I have it!
In the meantime, I have read skin to skin contact with baby can play a huge role in decreasing PPD! This article has more information!
Q: I really want to do a water birth! Can I use my bathtub?
A: Unless your tub is pretty deep I would get a birthing pool (or borrow one from a friend)! Water births are amazing but you need to be able to birth the baby completely underwater so if you're moving through your contractions or up on all fours and all of a sudden you're halfway out of the water that's a problem. The birthing pool gives you more room to move around and choose whatever position is comfortable for you without worrying about the water level.
This is the one I have and I love it - I just buy a new liner ($30) for each birth!
You could still use your tub for labor though! The water relaxes your muscles and melts the contractions.
Q: Due with my 2nd in 3 weeks and I'm having a home birth! What's something I might have forgotten to have on hand?
A: Yay! Congratulations! I am so excited for you! Hmm... pineapple juice and a cozy robe! (I wrote this post about preparing for a home birth that has more ideas!)
Q: Where do you shop for maternity clothes?
A: I love Asos for cute dresses to wear with a bump! If I don't find anything in their maternity section I search for non-maternity maxi dresses and try anything that has a higher waist or fuller skirt that could fit over a bump. Also love Blanqi for tanks and tights! My sister has been telling me great things about Bao Bei so I might try their support bands this time!
Q: Favorite / least favorite part of pregnancy?
A: Haha this is a fun question! I would say my favorite part is either the ultrasound when you see that wiggly little peanut for the first time OR shopping for all the teeny tiny clothes! Least favorite part is definitely the morning sickness!
This was so fun! Thank you for sending in questions! I'll try to do another in a couple months to answer some more! xx
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