Water birth? Thoughts and experiences please X

[Jusnaa]

Hello Ladies, I've decided I would like to have a water birth! I would not like to use any other form of pain relief and would like to go au natural. Have any of you had any experiences you can share with me please? Thanks X

[Hidden]

Unfortunately I haven't experienced it as I needed an emergency c-section but that's what I wanted. I find water really helpful with all sorts of pain and suffered terrible period pains and also IBS cramps for years......labour maybe not quite the same thing but if u find water as soothing as me too then I think its a great idea! If you don't like it, you can always get back to a bed asap good luck with it all

[Hidden]

Hi

I admire you're courage "to be honest"

Im a bit of a "old fashioned" girl & I'll be truthful a water birth is something which does look very inviting but I can't help but think once those labour / contraction pains get stronger Id be the sort of person to bail-out straight away.

But definetely go for it. Hopefully everything will remain well- enough for you to be able to do it

Good luck!!

[dons88]

Me! I loved it and highly highly recommend one if it appeals to you. I laboured at home all night and headed into the birthing centre at 7am to be told I was 6cm. Had some gas and air and continued labouring for a couple of hours before getting in the pool. My contractions were on top of each other and nearing unbearable before I got in but the affect of the water relaxed me and I didn't have one for 10 minutes - bliss! Continued labouring in the pool and finally managed to deliver in the pool at 12.32pm with no pain relief during pushing. No screaming and shouting, lovely relaxed birth. I did tear but his head was 5cm bigger than average so I'll let myself off there!

Baby 2 is due in 2 weeks and hoping to labour in the pool again. If I have one tip it's to wait as long as you can before getting in the pool so that the water is effective for as long as possible - if you jumped in at 2cm the soothing effect may have worn off by 5-6!

Sorry for the essay - I hope hearing my experience makes you feel positive about your decision! Remember that births are unpredictable so don't beat yourself up if the water birth doesn't happen this time - so long as we get them out somehow that's all that counts x

[Hidden in reply to dons88]

Thanks for sharing as I'm also interested in a water birth. (Although the first time I mentioned this, my husband's head almost rotated 360 in a look of shock and horror! He probably thinks he has to get in there with me...actually I might make him!...although, on a serious note, how big IS the pool? Could hubby get in too or is that not allowed. (I think he'd rather die, but just out of interest.)

[dons88 in reply to Hidden]

My OH wouldn't have dreamt of joining me for a paddle either! It's a bit gross but the midwife has a sieve which she can use to extract any, erm, accidents or anything else undesirable from the pool (so relieved that she didn't need to use it!) and she jokingly handed it to him when I got in and said "ok dad, I'll leave pool cleaning to you", I thought he was actually going to die!

To answer your question, it's quite common for a birthing partner or even midwife to join you in the pool (dependant on hospital policy I suppose), I was very aware of maintaining my personal space so it wasn't for me - discuss it with him and your MW though, he can always get in and out if that's what you'd both like x

[Hidden in reply to dons88]

A sieve!

[Hidden in reply to dons88]

My friends husband said a load of work mates 'de-friended' a woman at his work because she changed her Facebook profile pic to a photo of her immediately post-birth...still IN the birth pool...with baby...surrounded by 'baby soup' LOL!

[Hidden in reply to dons88]

I'm not going to even ask him about it until we go to antenatal classes in November. Slowly slowly catchy monkey

[Hidden]

I gave birth on Tuesday and was all ready to go in the pool...I didnt get in till I was 9cm dilated as didnt wana get in too early and end up like a shrivelled old prune...I was naked in there and had gas and air aswell. But it got to the vital pushing and my little boy pooed inside me and swallowed some of the meconium so I had to get out and giv birth on the bed. The pool was gd tho it helped a little with the back pain I was experiencing. I wud say go for it and ig u dont like it u can just fet out. X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That's true. I suppose you can always change your mind and not get in...however, deciding you want to get in a birthing pool without planning for one in advance is probably a no-no!

[Jusnaa]

Thanks for your responses ladies! I think I will be opting for a pool birth! My only concern is this 'sieve' matter dons88 has mentioned.. I feel very shy and embarrassed incase I should need to use the sieve.. However I don't see any other cons to it so will be going ahead! Thanks for the feedback X

[mamacool]

I would certainly recommend at least labouring in a birth pool even if you don't get to give birth in the pool. The water is brilliant at supporting your weight as a result conserving your energy, I didn't feel the exhaustion that I had with my first.

Baby pops out ready washed and don't think about the baby soup thing, midwives are used to it anyway. I too had a tear because of a big head, which was really the only pain that I felt (but the gas and air helped). The rest of it was my body responding to primal urges (contractions) and that felt natural and purposeful. If you like a hot bath though you may find that the water, kept at blood temp, is a little cool, something I found annoying but not off putting. All in all it was a surreal experience which is special to me.

Oh and nakedness is the way forward, if you close your eyes (as I did) you can imagine that no one is watching you and relax deeper, but really its not like midwives aren't used to it, and your OH, and I think its important that you can be fully observed for simple safety too.

Good luck

[chocaholic78]

Hi, I had a water birth with my little boy and fully intend doing the same this time if I can. I spent most of my labour at home in the bath and was 9 cm when I reached the labour ward so was told too late for any other pain relief anyway! As soon as I got in the pool I immediately relaxed because you are supported all around by the water. My Hubby had taken his trunks just in case, and there was room had I wanted him to get in but in the end I needed my own space so he stayed on dry land. It felt very natural and like a few other people have said your baby comes out very clean -ready bathed. I would recommend it to anyone - good luck xx

[Rjalmondo]

I can honestly say I thoroughly "enjoyed" my water birth! I stayed at home as long as I could and arrived at hospital at 4cm. I had a bit of gas and air while the pool filled, got in about 02:30 the pain relief was immense and I completely relaxed after that

5.5 hours and she was out not bad for my first

My midwife was very discreet if I did poop, I was in a world of my own and didn't notice! I wouldn't have minded anyway, you do what your body needs to do!

Good luck! Xx

[dons88]

I'm loving all these positive water birth stories ladies! Glad I'm not the only one who got so much out of the experience. Sorry if I scared anyone with my sieve reference - it was just so funny at the time! Don't let it put you off, you won't even notice if it is used. Wishing you all happy healthy and very wet births x

[NanKing]

Second all that. I had my 4th baby in a pool and wondered why I had waited so long to use one! It was a great way of coping with contractions. As people have said, being supported by the water in the positions you choose was wonderful. I was at home so was in the pool from about 4/5 cms dilation and got out two or three times to go to the loo eventually giving birth back in the pool. I hoped that I would just use the pool and have no pain relief and if my son hadn't been back to back - which made the contractions more painful than they had been with the others - I think I would have done - as it was gas and air got me through fine and I didn't have any problem using it because of the lack of effect on baby. As for baby soup - other than blood and a little bit of the membranes over my babies head when my waters went floating around there was nothing objectionable - I had pretty much completely emptied my bowels on the loo about an hour before (sorry if TMI but I know what a worry it was for me before 1st birth) and there was no sieving necessary until we came to empty the pool next morning when, as I say there was a bit of membrane to fish out - if you are birthing in hospital or birth centre of course that wont be your or your OH's problem! Having had my other babies on dry land I would say that the water actually gives you a lot more privacy in that sense - having a midwife actually wiping away any poo seems to me more embarrassing! I guess being in a pool of pinky red water after the birth could be upsetting if you hate the sight of blood but it is pretty impossible to get through birth without seeing some, and you are both likely to be on a big wonderful high after your baby is born and not be phased by it. I would definitely go for it - I've heard people say they would like to try it but aren't sure as if they are signing on the dotted line for a water birth but there is nothing to stop you giving it a go and seeing how you feel about it - you are totally free to change your mind. If your instinct is saying water then go for it. Hope all goes well for you. x