Home Birth: My Birth Story

As we celebrate Henry's first birthday I can't help thinking back to that wonderful day when he was born and being thankful that we had such a fantastic experience. It was a beautiful day - I can honestly say I enjoyed giving birth and I can't wait to do it again!

I had a home water birth with Henry, who is my first baby. It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced!! It was wonderful to be at home in an environment that I felt comfortable in and in control of the situation.

Contractions started just after midnight on Saturday morning - I wasn't entirely sure if it was just braxton hicks as I hadn't experienced any of them before, but I thought there was no harm in sticking on the TENS machine anyway. Worst case was it came to nothing and we got to do a "practice run". Once we'd got the TENS all set up (great by the way!!! it really works!) we went back to bed to get some sleep for a couple of hours.

Around 3:30am I woke DH again to say it was getting stronger so I thought it probably wasn't just a practice run and we went downstairs to fill the birth pool. Bit of a nightmare as although we'd blown up the pool we hadn't tried out the hose for filling it and as soon as the tap went on the hose popped off the tap and exploded water everywhere! Poor DH was stood in the kitchen dripping with water & soaked through his PJs!

Just at the same time I had to grab a bucket and was sick - one word of advice, a chilli filled Thai curry might seem like a good idea to get labour started, but on the way out again you'll regret it!!!

Anyway, with the pool finally filled and everything prepared we went back to bed again for a few more hours sleep and called the MW in the morning to let her know that I was happy to stay on my own, but that things were starting to happen.

After a lovely breakfast together we went for a walk - partly to see if we could get the contractions to become a little more regular and partly because I had a letter to post that I knew I woudn't get around to posting once DS was here! The sun was shining in that lovely autumnal way and we walked around the local park getting some funny looks during contractions!

But it worked and contractions became much stronger and more regular, so back home for some lunch. Trouble was that as soon as I sat down to eat contractions stopped again. It was so stop & start and not painful at all that I began to doubt whether I was in labour or not! At this point I called the MW again as I was fed up with not knowing and could she just come and tell me whether I was in labour or not.

She arrived and did an examination (the only one I had throughout the whole labour!) and told me I was around 5.5cm - established labour! Woohoo! I was pretty impressed too as it wasn't painful at all - just a bit uncomfortable during the contractions, but nothing unmanageable at all!

She did tell me that DS was back to back, which probably accounts for the stop & start labour, so I put on my music and started dancing, doing hip circles during contractions to turn him around. (you can see the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nEdqIopqRY&feature=channel_page)

It obviously worked because not long after this the contractions changed and I was ready to get into the pool. Bit nervous about taking the TENS machine off as I had come to rely on it by now, but the second I hit the water the relief was incredible! It was exactly what I needed. I loved the way the water supported my body weight so I could kneel resting on the side of the pool very comfortably without my knees or hips getting sore.

Second stage contractions where completely different to the first stage ones, which were isolated in my abdomen, not unlike period pain. The second stage contractions took over the whole body - not painful, but an enormous effort. At first I panicked a little as the sudden change in them was so overwhelming and I felt I couldn't breathe as the effort was so intense. But I knew I had to find a way to cope and decided to count my breaths - 7 breaths per contraction. So I knew that if I kept breathing - pushing as I exhaled I was only 7 breaths away from a rest.

At this point the MW said most people have gas & air, but she said I didn't look like I needed it. I agreed and said I'd rather not have it - much better to keep a clear mind and concentrate on counting, I thought!

I was amazed at how my body knew exactly what to do - the MW didn't need to examine me at all as she could tell that my body was ready to push. I had two lovely community midwives to myself, including my own MW who had requested to be called even though she was off duty! There was no shouting "push!" at me or anything, they just stood back and kept an eye on things while I got on with it. There were candles lit around the room and a quiet, calm atmosphere.

I felt baby's head crowning and the contractions changed again - telling me not to push for a little while. Then two more contractions and my son was lying on the bottom of the pool. He opened his eyes and looked up at me from under the water, body stretched out in a startle position. The relief was so overwhelming! Contractions stopped immediately and my instinct was to reach out for him, but I wanted DH to pass him up to me so I held back while he lifted him out of the water and put him in my arms. It was such a wonderful, private moment. Beautiful. The MW took photos for us and let us savour the moment.

After the third stage the MW helped me upstairs to shower, get tucked up into my own bed and to start breastfeeding Henry. Then they left us with toast & tea and I lay with my husband beside me, holding my baby close to me and marveling in this new arrival in our life together! By this time it was around 11pm in the evening, so DH would have had to have left me if I had been in hospital. As it was, we spent our first night together as a family, which I was so grateful for.

I couldn't have hoped for my baby to have a better start in life - a beautiful, calm experience that helped to create a happy, calm and contented baby.

Baby Led Weaning: So far...

So Henry is 11 months old and we've been Baby Led Weaning (BLW) since he was 6 months - that means no purees!  Last week we had a meal out at Nandos, which highlighted to me one of the joys of BLW.  Henry sat in his highchair pulled up to the table - included in the meal just as another member of the family should be.  He was enjoying watching people going past the window outside and bopping along to the latino music in the background while we waited for our food.

When the food came we all tucked in to strips of chicken and corn on the cob - Henry included!  He watched me carefully, looking for tips on how to tackle the corn and enjoyed making use of his new front teeth!  As he's had plenty of practice handling food by now there was hardly any mess on the floor and most of it made it into his tummy.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal - talking, laughing and eating together as a family.  It was a really happy experience.

In contrast, another couple came in with their baby who must have been around 9 months old.  Now I have no frame of reference for traditional weaning methods, so I'm not going to make a sweeping generalisation about puree feeding, this is just what this particular couple experienced.  

Their food arrived pretty quickly, as it does in Nandos, but instead of tucking in to a nice hot dinner together, they sat in silence while Mum spoon-fed the baby it's puree.  This took a good 15 minutes.  Then she prepared a bottle and gave that to the baby - another 5-10 minutes.  All the while their food was sitting piled up on the table going cold - poor Dad was pinching the odd chip by now and looking longingly at the chicken!

When the baby was full of puree & milk, they put her back in her pushchair away from the table and turned to their own food, enjoying cold chicken and talking together now that their parenting duties were finished.

Now don't get me wrong, BLW doesn't agree with everyone and for many people traditional weaning methods work.  No doubt about it.  But for me, I am so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to enjoy such a lovely family experience with Henry at such a young age.  I have to say a huge thank you to the people at the Breastfeeding support groups for introducing me to BLW and of course to Gill Rapley for her excellent book on the subject, because without that it would have been me eating cold chicken.

National Breastfeeding Awareness Week

In celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week I thought I should post about some of the reasons that I am still breastfeeding Henry at 7 months old.

1. The UK government guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, which I followed (not an ounce of formula, I'm proud to say!).

2. It's the best food for him - not only nutritionally, but it also contains antibodies to fight illnesses and stem cells so he can reach his 'full genetic potential'. Hence breastfed babies have a higher IQ at age 6 than formula fed children.

3. It gives him comfort and has helped him to be a secure and  independant baby

4. Even though we have begun weaning, he still gets the majority of his nutrition from his milk

5. It means he is less likely to get stomach upsets, colic and reflux. Babies tummies aren't designed for processed & powdered cows milk.

5. Henry likes it!

6. I love the special bond that it gives me with him. It is a kind of comfort that he can only get from me & it is what makes me feel like his mother.

7. So much emphasis is put on why breastfeeding is best for the baby - but us mums benefit so much from it too. It helps me to get my figure back, it releases happy hormones to make me feel all 'loved up' with Henry and it lowers my risk of breast cancer.

8. It's convenient! No mixing up formula, lugging around bottles or steralising. Can you imagine doing all that in the middle of the night?! I co-sleep when I need to, if he needs feeding I just lift him onto the bed next to me & I can dose off again while he feeds. What a life saver that has been!

9. It connects me with other bf mums - attending support groups in my opinion is a necessity. It gives you a chance to get help with any problems and some of my closest mummy friends I have met through bf support groups.

10. I just love it! I love Henry and I love being able to provide for him. Nature is truely wonderful...

Cloth Nappy Review: Upsy Daisy Night Nappy

Value for money: *****

Ease of use: *****

Fit and containment: *****

Comfort: *****

Overall: *****

I've recently been using an Upsy Daisy night nappy which is like a pocket nappy, but without the PUL waterproof fabric. The outer is bamboo, although other options are hemp or soy fabrics, all of which are very absorbent.

It comes with a giant insert that you fold into 3 before stuffing into the pocket. There's also an extra booster, but I've not needed it yet. In total there are 10 layers of absorbent material using this design and it is very quick drying considering the level of absorbency.

The inside of the nappy is fully fleece lined to keep the moisture away from baby's skin. 

I use this with one of their fleece wraps, which is water-resistant so allows some of the moisture to evaporate, keeping the nappy more comfortable for a longer stretch. Here's Henry in his Upsy Daisy night nappy and wrap in Hot Rod fleece!

I'm really pleased with it and Henry has gone 12 hours in it with no leaks at all, so it's definitely up to the job! It's made in Wales by a work at home mum, so it's got less airmiles than most nappies too! 

See www.upsydaisynappies.com for details of these nappies. 

I also have a night notions (www.weenotions.co.uk) on order so will let you know how that stands up to testing soon! :o)

Breastfeeding: Number one tip

I'm feeding my gorgeous Henry and can't help thinking how very glad I
am that I persevered with breastfeeding. In the early weeks it was a
real pain (quite literally!) as we had problems with the latch and not
to mention the tiredness and frequency of it all.

But with the help of Milk & Biscuits an La Leche League we found ways
of improving the latch and now I love it!! I am developing a
beautifully intimate relationship with Henry that I can't imagine I
would get from bottle feeding. I love it when he lies back to take a
break from feeding and gives me a huge grin, when during the bedtime
feed his hand brushes my waist or he looks into my eyes while gripping
my finger tightly in his tiny hand. I love that only I can give him
this special comfort and that as a result I am the centre of his
universe and he is the centre of mine.

So I'm going to share the best tip I had in the hope that it will
encourage a few more new mums to stick with breastfeeding for a bit
longer.

I can't remember where I read it, but the trick is to pull the baby
close to you, hugging him so that his tummy presses against you. Pull
his hips in close and think about his legs wrapping around your body.

I've had a lot of good tips on getting a good latch, but this is the
one that's made the most difference to our feeding and has made it so
enjoyable. I hope it helps you too!!

Cloth Nappy Review: Bumgenius v3.0

Value for money: *****

Ease of use: *****

Fit and containment: *****

Comfort: *****

Overall: ***** 

I've just tried out our first Bumgenius V3 and I love it!! It's the fab Ribbit bright green colour and looks great. I've only used 2 part nappies before and I can't get over how slim fitting the BG is!

Henry has done a nice big poo in it too which was completely contained. I love the airflow wraps for containment and was dubious about pockets as there's only one layer of protection from an explosion, but it coped fantastically!!

I want to get a few more now as they're particularly good for out and about.  You just stuff them when they come out of the wash and they're as easy as disposables!

Gotta get some BabyLegs now to show it off!

Eco-cleaning for lazy people: Removing stains from cloth nappies

I've just discovered the bleaching power of the sun!  Henry's Diddi Diapers were quite yellow with breastfed poo stains, as the one on the right in the picture shows.  The Diddi on the left has been through the following cleaning process to remove the stains:

1. Dissolve 1 cup of borax in a bucket of warm water and soak nappies over night
   
2. Wash nappies in the machine with half the manufacturers recommended amount of non-bio washing powder
3. Run nappies through a second complete wash cycle, without powder to thoroughly rinse out the detergent
4. Place nappies in direct sunlight to dry

The nappies were much better after the washing, but much of the staining was removed by the sunlight.  I placed the nappies inside in front of the window today and within 1 hour the difference was noticeable, even with the January winter sun!

Eco-cleaning for lazy people: Homemade Furniture Polish

I use this to treat my wooden kitchen work tops every month or so.  I find that the wood dries out through everyday use and cleaning, so I clear them off completely and treat them to this moisturising lotion - afterwards they have a lovely silky shine and the colour of the wood deepens again.

• Half fill an old jam-jar with olive oil ( I use a cheap light one, not extra-virgin as I worry about the colour staining)
• Top up with white vinegar
• As an optional extra add your choice of essential oil
• Put the lid on tight and give the mixture a really good shake.  It'll separate out again so you have to shake it every time you use it
• Dip a clean, dry cloth into the mixture and wipe over the surfaces
  
• You might like to use another clean, dry cloth to wipe off any excess oil

It smells a bit like a chip shop when the polish goes on, but as it dries any odour disappears.  I've also used this successfully on other wooden furniture, including garden furniture.

Eco-cleaning for lazy people: Homemade Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray

I wish the supermarkets sold white vinegar in bucket sized bottles, because you can use it for practically everything!

I have spray bottles (empty ecover bottles) that I have washed out and half filled with white vinegar.  I top it up with water to dilute the vinegar and sometimes add a few drops of essential oil.  Lavender and Tea-Tree have great anti-bacterial qualities, but if you have a cat you might like to use Tea-Tree sparingly as it can be toxic to them.

The vinegar cuts through any grease, so it's great for most household cleaning tasks:

• Wiping down worksurfaces (gentle enough for wood)
• Cleaning the hob
• Cleaning the bathroom
• Wiping down cupboards
• Cleaning mirrors
• Cleaning tiles
• Cleaning the inside of Mimi's litter tray (once it's been emptied!)
  

Before getting into homemade cleaning products I had tried every brand of eco-cleaner I could find and this works much better than any of them.  It's much cheaper too!

Eco-cleaning for lazy people: Removing Sweat Stains From Shirts

Yellowy sweat stains ruin all of Hubby's shirts & T-shirts quite quickly.  I couldn't find anything that really got them out until I read this tip in his Men's Health magazine:

• Put the shirts into a bucket with 1 cup of Vodka and top up with cool water until the shirts are just covered.  
  
• Swish the water to mix everything in and leave soaking over night.
  
• Wash the shirts as normal in the machine.

If they are really bad they might need treating a couple of times, but it definitely keeps them fresher.

This tip also works really well with bedding where sheets & pillowcases start to yellow with sweat or hair wax.

Natural Baby Products: Cradle Cap

Henry's got a touch of cradle cap at the moment - dry scaly skin over his scalp.  My health visitor suggested using olive oil, which helped, but we've found this method really combats it:

• Use a soft bristled baby brush to gently brush away the loose flakes.  We've found that putting the oil on over the top of the loose layer means that it doesn't get through to the live skin underneath that really needs moisturising
• Wipe over the scalp with a washable wipe soaked in camomile tea
• Dry the area before smoothing over olive oil

This process needs to be repeated at least once per day.  I tend to do it for Henry before he goes to bed as if I do it in the morning he looks quite greasy all day!

Eco-cleaning for lazy people: Keeping Plugholes fresh

Our bath plug hole gets blocked and drains very slowly - so that you're wading ankle deep in water in the shower.  No need to turn to the caustic soda though.  

• Wait for the water to drain and then sprinkle a generous helping of bicarbonate of soda into the plughole.  
• Have a wet cloth at the ready and pour a cup full of white vinegar into the plughole before quickly covering the it with the cloth.  
  

The bicarb & vinegar fizz and the cloth keeps it in the drain, pushing down the pipe instead of back up into the bath.

To keep the plughole fresh and prevent further build up pour a kettle full of boiling water down it once a week.

Cloth Nappy Review: Diddi Diapers by Nature Babies

Value for money: *****

Ease of use: *****

Fit and containment: *****

Comfort: *****

Overall: *****

Accessories: Diddi Diapers are shaped nappies that require a wrap - I recommend Motherease Airflow and Tots Bots fleece wraps for night.  I also recommend fleece liners and boosters for night use.

Diddi Diapers were recommended to me as a newborn nappy as I wanted to use cloth on Henry from day one.  The picture here is Henry in his very first nappy (a Diddi) at less than 1 hour old.

They are Nippa fastening (the blue thing) which was ideal for the very early days as I was concerned that stiff aplix (velcro) fastenings would rub on Henry's cord stump.  The Nippas were very easy to get to grips with - they're three pronged rubber with plastic claws on each prong that grip the fabric of the nappy through tension.  To fasten a Nippa you simply attach one claw to the fabric on one of the waist tabs, stretch the rubber tight and grab the other waist tab with the other claw.  Then pull the third claw down and attach it to the fabric of the front of the nappy.  This is much more complicated to explain than it is to do!  The trick is just to pull the rubber so that it's stretched as it's the tension in the Nippa that holds everything together.

Aplix might sound very appealing for its ease of use, but Nippas are very easy and quick (no fiddly sharp pins!) and with only a little practice you can get a really good fit on the nappy with them.  I find that aplix can be very stiff and scratchy on Henry's tummy if I get it slightly misaligned.

Diddi diapers come in two varieties - cotton terry and micro-terry.  The micro-terry were marginally quicker to dry than the regular cotton and stayed softer when air-dried, but I found that the cotton ones kept their shape much better, especially around the waist tabs.  Both varieties could be tumble dried and although I had planned to air-dry where possible, the volume of washing created by a newborn baby was so overwhelming that we found it much easier to tumble them, which also kept the cotton ones soft.

The fit on a newborn (Henry was 7lbs 14oz) was quite good - the Nippa fastening meant you could arrange the tabs lower to avoid the cord stump, although it looked quite wide between the legs.  They are quite a stiff nappy too, so where the Little Lambs were squishier he looked much more able to move his legs than in the Diddi which didn't flex as much.  Also, as Henry's got bigger and the fit is more snug it doesn't give as much and I worry a little about it squashing his bits!

Diddi Diapers are very good value for money at under £5 per nappy, which makes it worthwhile as a newborn nappy.  Henry has just about grown out of them now at 3 months.  If you're planning to have more than one baby the cost is more justified as you can use the same ones with each baby.

There are lots of wraps (waterproof outer covering) that work well with the Diddi Diapers - we've tested them with Motherease Airflow, Motherease Rikki, Little Lambs, Nature Babies and Tots Bots Fleece wraps.  Moisture often wicked onto the clothing at the gusset of the Little Lambs, but even though the Rikkis are  also gusseted we didn't have the same problem with them.  By far the best were the Airflows which have separately adjustable waist & leg openings for a great fit.  The Tots Bots red fleece wraps were also very good for night time as they allow moisture to evaporate, keeping the nappy drier.

I would also recommend using a fleece liner with these nappies as it helps to keep the moisture away from Henry's skin.  Its surprising how effective they are!

It took us a couple of days to practice at getting the best possible fit on Henry, but once we'd got the knack the containment was excellent.  Combined with the Airflow wrap these nappies are practically bomb-proof!  What escapes the nappy is caught by the wrap, so although we've very occasionally had a small leak at the legs, we've not had massive leaks like our disposable wearing friends have, where the baby is covered in poo after it "explodes" up their back.

If you're planning to use the Diddi over night a booster is recommended.  This is an extra pad to boost the absorbency of the nappy and placed between the fleece liner and the nappy.  We found that bamboo boosters worked best as they were very absorbent but still quite slim.

To summarise: I really like the Diddi's as a newborn nappy, but I'm not sure they are the best possible  nappies for the job.  Something less stiff like a little lamb but with a Nippa fastening would be better I think.  Having said that I do think they're great value for money and a million times better than disposables (even eco-disposables!).