Thread: Erika's (Erika Archer) twins homebirth lodge!

Sounds like your MW situation is pretty much resolved! I'm glad your original will be able to be there - what a special treat for her. I so admire your ability to make this the positive birth it deserves to be!!

Congratulations on your lodge, Erika! It sounds like all the pieces are falling into place for the gentle birth you are seeking. (Especially with the purchase of the plane ticket for your flying MW). I look forward to reading your entries and following your lodge. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.

We drove the 2 hours to our prenatal visit with our second MW and Kyle met her for the first time. She's so cool - I love her and Kyle was very comfortable with her. My urine was good and BP still real low (102/68 today). The lower baby is head down and the other one is my monkey. She flips and bounces every which way, but always moves clockwise. We talked about how in some cases it's better they NOT both be head down. That way they don't jockey for position or fight about who is coming first. The MW said births with one baby head down baby and one higher up often go much faster b/c of the elimination of "who's first" game. See ladies, it does all start in utero! lol :cheers: to years of arguments!! The heart rates were both in the 140's and she is completely pleased with my nutrition efforts, weight, and mindset. We talked about envisioning a labor senario. Since with Olivia I was basically unattended until she was crowning and how I want that to be handled since now I have 4+ midwives plus my attendant for olivia in the house. So I have that think about - I'll add it to my "to do" list

Also,
Our MW often partners with another midwife. Whom I had contacted months ago - b/c I heard she did twins. She declined me at the time. Saying she wasn't taking any births and going back to school, and it was too far ect ect.......Well, now that she heard that her partner is being my second she has decided she'd really like to attend this birth for the experience - so she is offering her services and attendance for no cost. Plus it will give me two and half sets of complete rescucitation equipment/O2. So I guess I now have 4 midwives (one there technically as a "photographer" *wink wink*) and our birth assistant who is a L&D RN/Doula/certified in neonatal rescusitation. I should be so prepared that I won't need any of them. I am basically asking them for a very hands off "attended" vs assisted style birth. Unless of course there are issues with one of the babies ect.

Oh and get this... you'll all love this. Kyle my computer geek husband started brainstorming today. He was contemplating setting up a video camera on a tripod to do a direct feed to a downstairs TV so my homebirthing passionate girlfriend, who is watching Olivia and one of the Mw's baby, can see even if the kiddos are all awake and she can't come up. So then he started elaborating and joking that he should set up a private web link and have a password system so you all could watch too! I'm not sure about the whole camera thing..... Did any of you video your birth?? I didn't want to with Olivia b/c i was afraid it would change my perception of the birth and how I handled things and then there is the "live" thing that's kinda weird - don't you think? I don't know - my brain is too tired to think about that right now.....

Wow- the video thing, that's a toughie. I know Jennie videoed her birth so I'm sure she'll have lots of input for you. I didn't but am now kind-of-sort-of wishing I did. But still not sure. The live feed - wow that would surely be a first for our board! You would certainly be a braver woman that I. But women do it all the time on the "baby story" type shows. You know we're going to be cheering you on and how cool if we could all be right there with you. But as I said, you'd be a braver woman that I...

I just think it's so freaking cool that after all the hard work you did to find MWs to attend your birth you are now going to have so many! You just know this is all meant to go just the way it is working out. I just LOVE that!

I don't have an opinion on the video aspect, that is totally up to you and your comfort level. I just wanted to tell you how excited I am for you that things are going so well

I'm not sure where I saw/read this, but I remember learning somewhere that some women get disturbed when they watch the video of the birth because they seem to be in so much pain, and it affects the memory of their birth experience. Instead of remembering things through an endorphin haze, they remember the raw images captured on a video.

I don't really have any advice, but I'm sure you'll do your own research and decide what's best for you. Obviously, you're a champ at researching and all that stuff already!

Omigosh, a live feed... I will take off the day from work for that! That's a thrilling possibility!

Ok, seriously now... (wait, that was serious). Here is my thing about the video. You can always destroy it afterwards, but you can never go back and redo it. The moment passes and that is it.

I used a tripod, but it wasn't 100% effective because I moved at the last minute (remember the fall?). I would highly recommend that one of those extra hands shoots the video. I have a friend who has a 3 hour birth video of her husband's back because he set it up and stood in front of it. (What a goof!)

Here is a very personal reason why it was helpful to me. After I fell, I asked for brief help in getting upright. I didn't realize later that I'd said that, and seeing it on the video made me feel a lot better about the birth.

If you don't want to share it with anyone, you don't have to. But if this birth goes the way we all expect it will, then you have a powerful resource that you could choose to share. And a wonderful memory of when you first meet your daughters.

So think about it, but I would strongly encourage it.

Glad to hear you liked the 2nd midwife. And that is interesting about the two head-downs and jockeying for position. It makes total sense.

We video taped, but only a little. I didn't want to see what I looked like pushing and such. ITA with Jennie on "you can always destroy it but you can never go back and redo it". Good thought.
Sounds like you will have lots of support (if you need it), but I'm doubting you'll need them!

I agree with Jennie & Collette - if you hate, hate, hate watching it - simply trash it. Otherwise, you've got an amazing keepsake. Plus (assuming you're comfortable with it), your midwive(s) could certainly use it for training & education purposes in the future. Just a thought!

Glad to hear all is going well, all my fingers & toes are crossed that those babies stay put 'til it's time!

LOL I'm all over a live feed! Only half kidding...

We didn't video. I just didn't want to know what I looked like, and it sort of struck me as invasive, kwim? But if you're comfortable with the idea of having the camera there, then I'd go for it. For me it was a problem with the camera more than a problem with the tape. (We almost didn't tape our wedding, for the same reason - I'm very happy that we did end up taping it!)

xo