PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT ACTUAL BIRTH IN THE WATER

[mad4mybaby]

am going to be giving birth (hopfully) in birth centre my second dc. First time round i planned a water birth but was 8-9cms and wasnt enough time. This time round i WILL ring them and say labour has started as i know it can take like 45 mins to fill the pool?

Anyway, can you 'give birth' to the placenta in the water? I dont want to give birth to baby then have to get out (pics of umbilical cord hanging round my knees dont help!) and traipse to a bed to do placenta...What is the deal with this? I plan on having the injection to quicken it up.

[bythepowerofgreyskull]

I had both boys (and both placentas) in the pool, no injections baby born, cuddles, waited about 5-6 minutes just cuddling babes, felt contraction on its way, cut cord, handed baby to Dad, midwife pushed her hand against my abdomen and told me to try to push her hand off. Delivered placenta. (almost identical both times)

[mad4mybaby]

is that a definite no regardless of the area your in? Why is that?

[mad4mybaby]

that puts a real damper on it for me... With ds i had the injection and dont remember even pushing out the placenta.

Whats it like getting out the pool with the cord hanging away? I could barely move after ds and had the shakes. I got up maybe an hour or so after giving birth on a bed. I couldnt imagine giving birth in pool then having to drag myself out to get rid of placenta!

[Pannacotta]

I had a water birth second time round but just like the first time the placenta didnt want to come out. Had to clamber out of the pool and after an hour agreed to the injection and delivered placenta.
WOuld have liked to do the whole thing in the pool but wastnt to be. Cant see why it woudl be a problem for you though if it was ok last time?

[4madboys]

i had ds4 in the pool and the placenta, i didnt have the injection had ds4 sat in pool cuddling him, nursing etc and about half an hour later? maybe not quite that long i deliverd the placena, i could feel that i needed to push again and gave dp the baby to hold, two pushes and it came out

my midwife was VERY pro delivering the placenta naturally without the injection and in the pool said it was less mess for her to clean up, lol

she just checked the cord every now and then, we didnt cut it until it had totally stopped pulsating and then she said she could tell the placenta was ready to come out by the length of the cord? it gets longer as the placenta comes away? anyhow there was no pressing on my tummy or yanking of the cord or anything, i just had few contractions and felt that i needed to push and it flopped out.

[pickie]

I had both DC in our bath and delivered both placentas in the bath and had the injections. All was fine, I would have preferred no injection but as I was at home MW preferred injection as higher risk of bleeding without.

[4madboys]

oh it didnt hurt btw, the contractions were uncomfortable but i was busy cuddling baby and it just felt a bit ewwwww when the placenta came out and it was a VERY large placenta, a few other midwives came to look at it it was so big, but then so was ds4 (ten pounds thirteen ounces) no stiches or anything needed and i am sure that is cos i was in the pool, esp as labour was only an hour and a half, i was in the pool for about 40mins before he was born, if that.

[mad4mybaby]

no the thought of sitting and waiting for the placenta (for me) just feels wrong. I felt exactly the same with ds, wanted it all over with asap and the whole placenta thing grossed me out. Yes i know thats immature and thats whats keeping my baby alive im just v sqeamish.

[mad4mybaby]

i take it you mean me not 4 mad?? No thats what i mean i WANT to have the injection to get all that bit done.

[4madboys]

seriously it wasnt like i was sat waiting for the placenta, i was sooooo busy cuddling and cooing over the baby that i really didnt notice the passage of time etc, i forgot about the placenta tbh until i felt that i needed to push it out, you really DONT notice, honestly

[mad4mybaby]

hmm. I didnt sit doing the cuddling thing with ds. Like i said i wanted to get it over with. I was so out of it i tried to pass ds to DH whilst the cord was still attached!

[4madboys]

lol its confusing as i get called 4mad but i am NOT pregt (ds4 only just 3mths old) and am prob not having anymore.

btw i had the injection with my first three and fully intended to have it with no4, despite being in the pool was going to get out if necessary but when it came down to it i was too busy cuddling baby and basking in that WOW i have done it feeling, to even think about it

[Nappyzoneneedsanewname]

I got out the pool holding the clamps carrying my cord which was kind of comical really, i cant honestly remember if i was holding my baby or if he was still attached to my placenta. I had inj and delivered it onthe bed. A friend delivered her placenta in the pool but they drained the water out while she was still sat in it wrapped in towels before she delivered it. So she didnt leave a trail like i did which wasnt a pretty site for my squemish dh.

[mad4mybaby]

its wierd as i KNOW you dont know how you'll feel but it is bothering me. Maybe ill ask m/w what protocol is. THey dont encourage the injection here which im unsure of.

[mad4mybaby]

why did they drain the water? If you have a water birth i was hoping (prob misguidingly!) that its less 'urgent' to go off and have a bath? Unless your being stitched up?

[4madboys]

they didnt drain the water for me, and you are right it is then less urgent to go and have a bath, i was pretty clean after having ds4 and waited to shower until the morning (he was born at just after midnight)

oh and re stiching up, they leave you for a while for your bits to 'dry out' before having a look to see if you need stiches, ui think my midwife said they have to leave you an hour? before they can sow you up if need be after a water birth.

i didnt need any tho, hope you are lucky and dont need any either, i am sure the water helps everything to stretch

[Nappyzoneneedsanewname]

i dont know why - i had to have an epidural afterwards to get put back together again and the staff clearly thought it was un urgent for me to have a bath either as they left me a mere 10 hrs before i finally got soemeon to help me to the shower !! I had had visitors as well and was ver and

[mad4mybaby]

oh no really? My sister tore with her ds and they left her stiches for over an hour (not a water birth) and she said that was the worst thing ever as she had time to feel a bit more 'normal' then all that kicked off

[Yorky]

I had DS and his placenta in a pool, no injection. The pool was pretty clean until then but looked like the scene from an axe murder after! DHs problem as we were at home!
Again MW checked when cord stopped pulsing before cutting and it came out pretty easily with a little push, didn't take long.

[4madboys]

mad4, i had that with ds2, i delivered him (not water birth) and then they were too busy to stitch me up and it was left about 2 or 3hrs... by which time i had been up and about had a wee etc and like you say felt 'normal' and then they came and said i needed it stitches it wasnt nice at all, i found it awful as by then i was bruised etc, i had LOTS of pain relief for the stitches (after having none for the birth itself) they used local anaesthtic but as i could still feel it i had gas and air as well.