Birth Plan for Home Birth and other Possibilities

Personal Information: Melissa and V are having their first baby. It is important to them that they try to deliver naturally, in their own home. Both enjoy living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that involves organic foods, as well as vegan and vegetarian choices. They like to practice yoga, travel, and love the company of animals.

Birth Support Team: V (fiance), C [midwife], J [midwife], L [doula], M [backup doula]


First Stage
-I would like to be encouraged to move and change positions during labour.
-I may need reminding to breathe during contractions and would like encouragement to do so.
-I want to stay mobile as much as possible during labour (ability to walk around). If I am admitted to a hospital, I would like to discourage being hooked up to IV, fetal monitor etc...
-I would like to have minimal vaginal exams.
-I would like only the midwife (s), doula, V and midwifery student present during home birth. I would prefer not to have any medical students present if I am transferred to deliver in a hospital (exception-midwifery student).
-I would like a low-key, quiet environment with low lights and only the above people present if possible.
-I would like to be encouraged to eat and drink throughout my labour.

Pain Medication
-I would prefer to labour without any pain medication, however if it is needed at home I am accepting of saline injections.
-I do not want any morphine, gas, demerol, stadol or nubain administered.
-If I am admitted to a hospital and the midwife believes an epidural would be critical for delivery, both Melissa and V would like to make the decision together. I do not want an epidural mixed with any narcotics.

Second Stage
-I would like to labour/deliver in a more vertical position. ie) Birthing stool, hands and knees or in the water.
-I may not like to be touched during contractions/painful moments and would appreciate it if people would ask if I wanted certain comfort touches.
-I would rather risk a tear to the perineum than have an episiotomy, and would like assistance if possible to avoid an episiotomy or tear (ie. warm cloths).
-We would like photos and possibly video taken during the birth.
-I would like the baby to be placed on my chest immediately on my chest (if possible) after birth to support bonding and breast feeding.
-We would like to prolong cord cutting as long as possible, and V would like to cut the cord if possible.
-We would like to prolong the eye drops as long as possible (until baby is sleeping).
-We consent to the Vit K shot.
-I consent to the oxytocin shot post-delivery to assist with bleeding.
-We would appreciate as much breast feeding support as possible.
-We would like to see the placenta after it is delivered and we plan on keeping it (possibly for encapsulation or planting in the garden in the summer).
-I do not want any guests immediately after the birth, we believe the first hour after delivery is important to bond with the baby.


In Case of C-Section
-Do not want a general anaesthetic (possible baby may have malignant hyperthermia).
-I would like V to be present in the room with me during the procedure.
-If possible, we would like to take photos/video (not of the actual procedure) but when the baby is delivered. 
-I would like to attempt skin-to-skin after the operation, if this is not possible, we would like V to be able to place the baby against his skin/chest.
-We would like to prolong the eye drops as long as possible (until baby is sleeping).
-We still want to keep the placenta.
-If baby is required to leave the room, I would like V to go with the baby if possible, and the doula to remain with me if possible.
-We do not want the baby to have any formula or pacifiers.

Source: babydustdiaries.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Week 34 Pregnancy

Symptoms:  Insomnia, night sweats, waking up during the night and feeling 'off,' hemorrhoids.

Cravings:  Eating lots of grapes.  I've had to be creative in my meal planning, because for 2 weeks I am working at a different location for work and I am out of the house from 10:30-8 pm, which makes eating a little odd.  I've been bringing a thermous of soup to work every day, along with grapes, herbal teas (and my own kettle), dried bananas, hummous and veggies/crackers, and dark chocolate covered almonds.

Baby Movement:  Still reporting lots of movement and baby hiccups!  I counted 80 consecutive hiccups the other day.  Poor girl.  She was getting frustrated and started kicking and punching my innards.

Baby Shower:  See post below.  I had my shower on the weekend and it was wonderful.  One thing I didn't mention in the post below was that during the shower I got really, really hot and sweaty.  I didn't want to hug anyone at the end because I was so moist.  Ugh.  I also had cramps after the shower, and had to use the heating pad at home.  They went away by the next morning, but lasted longer than I would have liked.

Prenatal Class Update:  I received a few emails this week from 3 couples from prenatal who have had their babies!  There were only 6 of us in the group, so the count down is on!  (I have the latest due date at Feb 20th).  2 out of the 3 tried for homebirths.  However, one couple had meconium in the water and had to transfer.  She still ended up delivering naturally though with no complications.  The 2nd couple laboured at home for 12 hours or so, then transferred.  She ended up having an epidural, then a c-section was decided upon because the baby was just not descending properly into the pelvis.  The third couple planned on delivering in the hospital, and also had a c-section because the baby's cord was wrapped around its head and body.  But they all seemed really positive about their experiences, and felt that they made informed decisions rather than being bullied by a medical team. 

Midwives Apts:  I have one this week, and then they continue every week until delivery!  What!?

My Baby Shower

This weekend I had my baby shower. It was hosted by one of my cousins, who put so much effort and work into it I was blown away! She made me a diaper cake (of organic disposables), vegan baby cupcakes (check out those faces she made!), vegan chocolate banana loaf, lemon cake, veggie quinoa chilli, quiche, sandwiches, veggies and dip... Wow! She planned two short games for the shower, one was guess the amount of diapers in the cake, and the other was guess the baby item in the paper bags. She had little peony flowers to give away at the end to all the guests with pink chocolate kisses done up with pink safety pins... Amazing! I received a lot of items, mostly clothes, and everyone brought me a book which they were to sign for the baby instead of giving a card. So we now have a small little library started for our girl! The day was a little overwhelming, seeing so many people and trying to open so many wonderful gifts in a timely manner while being appreciative to everyone who took the time to come and give us something. I definitely felt over stimulated when I got home that night.  It was really a special day. Even my dad said he felt sentimental afterwords, because he was thinking of my grandma who is deceased.  She loved children and a lot of us had a special close bond with her. It would have been so wonderful to have had her there with us.  The picture underneath was the first present I opened-it was a copy of 'Are You My Mother,' from my dad.  The book represents my dad's personality to a tee-and his little inscription inside made me a little teary the following day. 

Source: google.com via M on Pinterest

Nursery Decisions for Small Spaces

One of the major issues we have in our house is space. Although we adore the location of our house, and its quaintness, the lack of space means being more creative in storage and furniture purchases. We only have two bedrooms in the house, and one is fairly small with some really awkward space issues. There's no wall space to place a crib/bed, so it needs to jut out vertically, not horizontally. After measuring and remeasuring and looking at dozens of cribs, we decided on the Stokke Sleepi System. It costs a bit more money than I would like, however, it solves all of our problems. It starts out as a bassinet which we can keep right next to our bed for the first 6 months. The bassinet is also on wheels, and rolls through doorways so we can move it around the house wherever we go (which is good when you want to keep an eye on sneaky cats who might want to sleep in the bassinet). The bassinet then grows into a round, or oval crib which does not have to be placed horizontally against a wall. The crib then grows into a toddler bed and a youth bed for later on! We also decided on the change table, which allows you to face the baby vertically (rather than sideways like most change tables), and the table also turns into a desk when you're finished with the diapers. I really like the idea of the Stokke System-it's modern, and great for small spaces.

Source: houzz.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: nessaleebaby.com via NessaLee on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Diana on Pinterest

Source: stokke.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Week 32 Pregnancy

Yeah, okay. Week 32 was 2 weeks ago. But I have pictures with my belly stickers for it!

Symptoms: On and off back pain. Pins and needles under left breast that comes and goes. Fatigue. Sleep is terrible! The other night I peed 5X! I've always had bad insomnia, so it has tripled now with my pregnancy insomnia. I'm worried about how I am going to cope with work, being so sleep deprived. I'm also out of breath because baby girls legs are taking up a lot of room in there.

Baby Movements: Tons of movements. We can actually feel her foot pressing into my side, and we push it to make her push back.


Baby Buys: Three organic onesies that were on sale for boxing day. Prepping: For the past 2 days we've been organizing and cleaning the room that will be the babies. My baby shower is coming up soon! Hopefully we have furniture soon and a few more supplies. I want to start washing her clothes, prepping cloth diapers, and put together my emergency hospital bag soon.

Pregnancy Comforts

Here are some various things that have become a comfort necessity throughout my pregnancy.


The first is a Mexican Bola charm. I've actually owned one since I was 15! (I had to have one after seeing Brenda from 90210 sporting it with a hippie boho outfit). I wear mine almost every day. I find it reminds me of my connection and relationship to my little one in my belly. The idea is that your baby hears the bell chimes in your tummy, and when he/she is born they recognize the sound and feel comfort.

Source: mexicanbola.co.uk via Melissa on Pinterest

Next is dark chocolate covered almonds. Can't live without them.

Source: gourmetnut.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Maternity jeans eventually became a necessity-and I love them! Thyme Maternity has some really nice pants. They're comfortable, practical, and they look stylish! I only have 3 pairs of pants that I generally rotate, but I think everyone should have these in their wardrobe.

Source: toysrus.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Stretch mark creams! Yes, we all hope to fend off the battle scars with magical creams. I've already told myself that I will not care if I get them, because it represents life and love. However, I still like to lather my tummy like no tomorrow. My favourite has been this butter by Now. It's a raw cocoa butter, solid in nature, food grade, that I melt and rub on. It smells like chocolate and is very moisturizing.

Source: amazon.com via Melissa on Pinterest

This Third Trimester Tea is a fairly new drink I've been indulging in. It's very tastey because it contains other leaves aside from Raspberry Leaf. I've been trying to drink at least one cup a day, and am working my way up to drinking a more potent version of it in a few weeks.

Source: earthmamaangelbaby.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Seriously, I've never loved my pilates ball more than now! This picture shows one of three of my favourite positions during pregnancy. This is one of the only positions that has eased my upper back pain.

Source: mynaturalchildbirth.org via Melissa on Pinterest

I purchased the Snoogle Pillow early on in my pregnancy, and I could not imagine sleeping without it. I rotate during the night on both of my sides, and it helps me to get into a managable position. Definitely recommended.

Source: sears.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Baby Gender/Sex Reveal Party

It's a...  GIRL!!  

So back in early December we finally had a small gender (or for more accuracy, sex) reveal party for our little one.  Although we knew way back in early October what the sex was, we decided to wait until Vytas's parents returned from their worldly travels to tell them in person.  We had just a few close family members over, and ordered some chinese food for lunch.  I brought over some vanilla vegan cupcakes that I ordered from a local bakery (they were delicious!), that they filled with pink icing.  My cousin was overjoyed when she tore into hers before everyone else, thinking she heard me say 'go!'  She's been willing the baby to be a female for months, and has even named her Penelope (which isn't the name we've chosen).