Great home birth - now what?

You've had your beautiful home birth, your midwife has wished you well and taken off, and now you're left alone. How should you spend the next few hours?

 

1.  Eat.

Especially if you've had a long labor (and even if you haven't), eat something. You'll be shocked by how hungry you are.  That's why they call it labor!  Have your partner, doula, or any random companion fix you something healthy and nutritious with lots of protein because if you've lost blood, you'll need to replenish your iron stores.

 

2.  Rest.

Don't rush to get up.  Your body has been through a lot, and if you get up too fast, you’ll feel woozy and could pass out.  Just take it easy, let your body adjust.

 

3.  Sleep.

Your newborn likely will take a nice long slumber after birth - take advantage of this rare stretch and catch some z's yourself.  You'll be excited and hopped up on the miracle of home birth, probably wanting to post a zillion Facebook status updates and get some pictures on the family blog, but all of that can wait. You won't have another shot at hours of uninterrupted sleep for a few weeks so enjoy.

 

4.  Don't be afraid to call the midwife.

If you think something's wrong (for example, you start bleeding heavily) or you just don't feel right, call your midwife right away.  She may be able to assess your situation over the phone, or she'll take another trip out to see you.  Either way, she'll want to know if something isn't right.  And if things take a major turn for the worse, dial 9-1-1.

 

5.  Bask.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done. Feel proud of your accomplishment.  You're in the 1% of women who birth at home, and you've given your baby the best start in life you possibly could.