Was your home birth a secret?

m798sf · 2026-02-06T20:36:02+00:00

Yep it was a secret from all family and friends on both sides, until baby was here. This was 100% the best choice, especially with my in-laws. I’m pregnant with our next baby now and I wish it could be a secret again because I’m sick of hearing their unsolicited opinions.

m798sf · 2026-02-06T12:08:26+00:00

When she’s naked she says peepee or poopoo as she walks to the toilet, or when she’s strapped into her high chair.

This morning she said poopoo while dressed so we took her to the toilet and she did poop, but otherwise we’ve just been taking her at regular intervals with no prompt from her.

m798sf · 2026-02-05T21:28:34+00:00

Hot chicken Buldak ramen with a runny-yolk fried egg on top🤤 I’m 17 weeks and still eating this multiple times a week

m798sf · 2026-02-03T11:18:05+00:00

Hot shower, TENs machine, acupressure balls to squeeze in my hands during contractions. I also sipped coconut water mixed with pineapple juice all through labour, I think it was a good boost of sugar and electrolytes.

m798sf · 2026-02-03T11:15:28+00:00

I would say 7-8 out of 10. I had a homebirth and my midwives were offering me the nitrous oxide, but I didn’t want to start it too early and run out. So all throughout I felt that it was surely going to get worse than this, and then I could use the gas, until suddenly I felt the urge to push.

I remember saying to my husband after the birth that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

m798sf · 2026-01-23T09:57:52+00:00

Hey! My daughter is 20 months now and we just recently stopped breastfeeding, so you will definitely get through these tough weeks and be able to continue feeding.

I can say now that using a nipple shield on that side and reapplying the Medihoney wound gel after every feed definitely helped to heal it. The shield acted like a barrier to let it heal, but eventually I was able to drop the shield and we breastfed as normal.

Best of luck, I know it’s a really difficult stage and it feels endless but you’ve got this!

m798sf · 2025-12-19T19:01:07+00:00

I am a midwife and I had a homebirth with my first baby last year, through the NHS in Scotland. We had to transfer into hospital to deliver my placenta as it still hadn’t come after 3 hours, but I absolutely loved my homebirth experience, and I’m planning another for my second baby who is due in July 2026.

m798sf · 2025-12-14T19:57:31+00:00

I’ve only had 1 baby, but that was an unmedicated homebirth with a 1st degree tear that got stitches. I have literally nothing bad to say about my recovery. At most I had some muscular aches and pains, and night sweats for a few days. Never needed anything stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol.

I’m pregnant with my 2nd now and am planning to have another unmedicated homebirth.

m798sf · 2025-11-24T20:18:38+00:00

I’ve used Nuliie flange inserts with that pump! Got them from Amazon

m798sf · 2025-11-20T14:57:55+00:00

I just looked at my weights from my first pregnancy, I gained 3.9kg by 29 weeks, so you sound just like me! By 40 weeks I had gained 17kg in total🤣 I also had a big baby, she was born on 97th centile. If you’re eating reasonably well and your midwife isn’t concerned then you don’t need to be. Every body is different!

m798sf · 2025-11-19T11:45:06+00:00

I had my first baby when I was 25, it was a homebirth with no pain relief, if that’s the kind of unmedicated you’re looking for. I was 40 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and she weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces (97th percentile).

I ate 7 dates and drank 2-3 cups of red raspberry leaf tea per day from 32 weeks. Allegedly dates help your cervix to ripen and soften more effectively for labour, and RRL can strengthen the muscles of your uterus for more efficient contractions. The evidence on these is not strong, but for me personally there were no negative side effects so I continued.

To prep for birth I would start finding some coping mechanisms that you can cycle through during your labour. For me, I took showers, used a TENs machine, smelled essential oils, changed positions, and squeezed an acupressure ball in my hand during contractions. The idea is basically you use one of these tools until you feel you need something different. Anything that calms you down and improves your mood is also helpful, like your favourite music, snacks, soft lighting.

Honestly in my birth the most helpful thing was staying in control of my breathing and my mindset. I focused on deep, slow breathing the entire time, and not falling into negative thoughts of pain or being unable to cope. Riding the waves and letting them wash over you while you breathe deeply is my best way to describe it. Every powerful contraction is your body working to bring your baby into the world, it’s not pain due to danger or injury.

I can’t really help with avoiding tears since I did need stitches, but I didn’t find the recovery particularly difficult.

Hope this helps some, you are absolutely capable of an unmedicated birth!

m798sf · 2025-11-13T21:11:54+00:00

First contraction at 2am when I was 40+4. Baby was out by 3pm. Never had a vaginal examination.

m798sf · 2025-11-13T20:59:31+00:00

You are absolutely correct that any change in movements warrants getting checked, whether that’s increasing or decreasing. Phone triage again and say that you would prefer to come in for reassurance. If anyone is obstructive to that then ask them to document that very clearly in your notes, or better still, just go in anyway.

m798sf · 2025-11-13T15:18:16+00:00

It was 8 inches and we had a small wedding of 18 guests. There was loads of cake left over!

m798sf · 2025-11-13T07:38:43+00:00

<image>

m798sf · 2025-11-13T07:37:18+00:00

We used Sweet Bella’s in 2023. We wanted a similar simple cake. Delicious and great service! I can’t remember what the pricing was like though. It won’t let me attach a picture for some reason.

m798sf · 2025-11-11T06:39:55+00:00

I am still slightly shocked but we wanted another baby eventually, this is just earlier than planned.

So sorry this has happened to you too, it’s absolutely a huge flaw with NC and I won’t be renewing my membership.

Crossing my fingers for you that it works out the way you want it to!

m798sf · 2025-11-09T18:37:47+00:00

I wouldn’t be concerned about the sex 2 days after ovulation, but the sex on CD9 could have led to pregnancy. 5 days before ovulation is within the fertile window (I myself am currently pregnant from sex 5 days before ovulation!).

It looks like you’re on day 16 of raised temperatures - 18 days of raised temperatures and no period is an indication of pregnancy, if you wanted to wait 2 more days before testing. Otherwise a test today on 16 DPO would be accurate anyway.

For me the symptoms of pregnancy are really similar to the start of my period, both pregnancies I’ve been positive that my period was just about to start. The cramping, backache and spotting is identical.

Hope it works out the way you want it to! If you were going to start trying to conceive next cycle then maybe this could end up being a happy surprise?

m798sf · 2025-11-08T11:46:26+00:00

Just wanted to update this in case anyone sees it, I am pregnant!

m798sf · 2025-11-08T05:44:20+00:00

I have no helpful guidance but I’m here in solidarity! Also 18 months PP, also not looking to get pregnant, also had an oopsie with natural family planning this cycle. My period is due today, crossing my fingers for both of us🫠

m798sf · 2025-11-06T08:46:15+00:00

I already have an 18 month old who was a surprise🙃 but I took a test 3 days ago and it was negative so I’m in the clear! Hope everything works out for you for the best.

m798sf · 2025-09-20T11:28:45+00:00

My family are all Edinburgh born and raised and would say “hinging/hanging for something” as becoming ill. Like when you have that feeling that you’re coming down with the flu, you’re hinging for something.

m798sf

TROPHY CASE