On 31 Dec 2007 at 16:00, Rachel Myr wrote:

> Gonneke, Heleen, Marianne - Please tell us that the young man in the
> checkered shirt was not a typical component at a home birth!  Was he a
> participant on the Try Before You Die show, with baby-catching as the
> thing to try?  

That is true, Filemon is one of the Try before you die participants. The young woman gave 
birth to her 3rd child. I felt sorry that mom had a t-shirt on when baby was put on her chest 
and that everyone seemed to miss the sucking efforts the baby showed.

> I enjoyed watching the video on YouTube but it made me curious about
> how typical it is for a woman to be lying so flat on her back, and how
> typical for the attendants to be bossing her around the way it looked
> like they were doing?  It reminded me more of a typical hospital birth
> here.  The women in Norway who want to have their babies at home are
> out of the ordinary and they mostly have very specific wishes for a
> quiet atmosphere, maybe with music and low lights, and undisturbed
> time with the baby afterwards.

I only can tell you really of my own two experiences. Unfortunatly I was sent into hospital due 
to (1st birth, Evelien) broken waters for over 24 hours and (2nd birth, Heike) baby had 
pooped in the waters, but the general story is like this
In general you go to a midwife practice. First contact is at about 8 weeks. 8-24th week: 
monthly, 24-30th week: every 3 weeks, 30-37th week: every other week and after that every 
week. I didn't want to do the prenatal tests so my first visit was at 12 weeks. During my 
pregnancy I went to the midwifes at regular intervals. Early on it is about every months and in 
the last weeks it is at shorter intervals, up to twice a week in my 42nd week with Heike. You 
see one midwife at a time and they try to have you see each one of them at least twice. 

With Evelien (broken waters) my midwife took me to hospital to deliver with her as the 
caregiver, but unfortunately I needed the help of the gynaecologists in the end, he helped me 
with the vacuum pump. I can tell you this man was very rough when doing an internal exam, I 
have never had it hurt with anyone else. And this was before he 'rubbed away' the last 0,5 
cm. The midwife let my partner and me on our own during most of the dilatation, when it was 
at a certain point she stayed with us untill after the birth. I am still unhappy that they coersed 
me into having Evelien bathed. But they gave the three of us quite some time on our own in 
the delivery room.
With Heike my labour started and stopped when my partner was snarling at Evelien that she 
had to hurry up to go to school and it started again when Evelien came home. My partner 
was stupid enough to let a playfriend of Evelien come in that afternoon and that didn't help. 
That afternoon the midwife-on-duty phoned just before she handed the duty over to my 
favourite midwife and lo-and-behold when I put down the phone the contractions became 
serious. When she came over to our house she suggested to break the water to have the 
baby's head down a bit more to help me with dilatation and unfortunately Heike had pooped 
in the water so we were sent into hospital. Care was handed over to the hospital midwife, 
who hooked me up to an IV and screwed a monitor onto Heikes head and handed over her 
shift to a male midwife. Although I had never met this man, he was a great midwife to me 
because he was so calm and explained what he wanted to do and why. ("Baby's heart is 
getting very low during contractions, if progress isn't enough during your next contraction, I 
need to give you an episotomy", rather than "after the next contraction you will have an 
episotomy'). Again my partner and I were in controll most of the time, except when 
interventions were necessary according to the team of midwife and maternity nurse. If felt 
supported during the pushing, and I don't believe the support was in the same manner as 
with this lady.
My own midwife was given a call when I was near to giving birth and she was present. Sitting 
quietly in a place where I could see her. She offered to take the pictures so my partner could 
focus his attention to me. This meant a lot to me as we could discuss the labour at the last 
visit at the midwifes' 6 week after the birth.
Again we were given time after birth, fortunately I was the last women giving birth after a busy 
night on the ward!

With Heike, the midwife offered me the option to give birth on a birth-chair witch is something 
like this http://www.verloskundigenpraktijkdekei.nl/baarkruk.htm 
http://www.coloursite.nl/oerbronwerk/badverh/reserveer.html
My midwife Milou is the one top right on the picture http://www.verloskundige-
amstelveen.nl/index.php?Dit_zijn_wij

She has this birthing chair in the trunk of her car.
> This is way off topic, except that oxytocin is involved in both
> processes, and whatever promotes good oxytocin release will promote
> birthing and breastfeeding alike.

I don't think it is too far off topic as there are many things that can go wrong with the onset of 
breastfeeding when a labour happens with too many interventions.
---
Heleen Hayes, http://www.xs4all.nl/~hhayes

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