Housework and Homebirth

Journey to Homemaker

Okay, I have to admit it. I'm slacking off again. Not keeping up with the house, etc. I spent several days doing massive amounts of laundry, and even getting it folded...but then it sat stacked in the living room for a week. I have almost all of it put away now, and have done a couple more loads, which need to be folded.

Our computer room, which is right off the garage, has been piled with boxes. I put most of those away, but then we brought more from our storage unit, and the room's a disaster. *sigh* And the floor in the dining area off the kitchen...well, we just won't talk about that!

I'm trying to unpack all the baby stuff and wash it before the baby is born. I have nine weeks left, but it might take me that long, lol. I think I need to re-read Fascinating Womanhood for more motivation. I've started making a study guide based on her end-of-chapter summaries and assignments, to keep in my household management binder. That way it will be easy to review the FW principles on a daily basis, without investing the time each day to read.

Recently, I have decided to try again for a homebirth. My first birth I planned on a homebirth, but couldn't afford a midwife so I decided to do it myself. But I had horrendous back labor, got scared, and went to the hospital. It was all downhill from there. I ended up with a completely unnecessary c-section, then another one 13 months later, and another 13 months after that. I had looked into a midwife with my last child, but couldn't find one who would do a VBAC at home for me because my births were so close.

I'd pretty much given up hope of a "normal" birth. But I decided to try one more time. I've found three midwives willing to take me in this area. I am really praying it works out, because I feel really "messed up" after all my cesareans. It was so draining emotionally and mentally. I feel that it contributed to my low milk supply, depression, and lack of bonding feeling with my children. I have a lot of anxiety abou the pain, and a lack of confidence in my ability to give birth. I feel "broken".

I think that having a VBAC will really help a lot. Then I finally won't feel like I missed the experience of giving birth. I've done a lot of research, and having a home VBAC is a lot safer than continuing to have even more c-sections. For previous c-section mothers who are NOT given induction/augmentation drugs to induce or speed up labor, the risk of uterine rupture is only .8-.9%, less than the risk of many other birth complications that any mother could have, such as a cord prolapse. THowever, the risk of developing other dangerous complications like placenta accreta or placenta previa (or much worse, both conditions together) increases astronomically with each new cesarean a mother has.

I could really use some prayers that I am able to have a wonderful, safe homebirth experience, and a healthy and content baby. I hope to have a waterbirth, which I think will contribute to a less painful, more relaxed delivery for both me and my baby girl.