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Childbirth

waterbirth - are they nice and is it messy?

58 replies

jenhden · 07/09/2009 21:21

i was just wondering if waterbirths are messy? its the idea of my dh needing a seive that is putting me off but so many people seem to be having them - do they really make it more manageable?

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Reallytired · 07/09/2009 21:25

erm... birth is going to be messy. Its a matter of containing the mess.

I had a land birth and there is no evidence of it on my cream carpet. I had TENS instead, but I have heard of plenty of people who have had nice experiences with water.

I imagine that a birthing pool would get pretty gross by the end of it, but it would be an effective way of containing the mess.

However by the end of the labour you will not care about mess.

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daisyj · 07/09/2009 21:26

Water provides amazing pain relief - I found it much better than gas and air. Didn't actually have dd in the pool in the end, but it was lovely to be in there for three hours beforehand - really relaxing and nice in every way. It's no more messy having baby in pool than out, though. Trust me, you really really will not care about sieves when you're pushing out a baby .

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SoupDragon · 07/09/2009 21:41

Water can provide amazing pain relief. It didn't provide any for me but I would still choose a water birth over land any time. The buoyancy and privacy of being contained in water is wonderful.

Mess? Who cares - I didn't have to deal with it There is no more of less mess than with any other birth - the same stuff has to come out after all. it's just all contained in the pool.

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Riponite · 07/09/2009 21:41

I had a water birth with DD1 and would have with DD2 - but it was engaged. Obviously there is the blood and gunge that comes out with the baby, also the fact that lots of women involuntarily have a poo while pushing, that would be the sieve job, I should think. I have not asked and do not wish to know if I did a poo in the water. I stayed in the pool to wait for the afterbirth, just since it felt the right thing to do and certainly the water was absolutely disgusting by then. But daughter came out onto my chest, then when I was ready she got handed out into a towel, the when I was ready I got handed out into a towel, and the whole lot went down the plughole, which was nice and clean!

I get the feeling you are talking about a home birthing pool, what with husbands need ing sieves. Do they come with a siphon tube to drain them into the bath or something? That's what I would have thought you would need.

The only mess involved with DD1 was my waters breaking, whereas with DD2 squatting on a bed I was very surprised by the quantity of gore and impressed by how clean it all was the first time.

I would absolutely recommend water birth or at least water labour, the pain relief and ease of movement between contractions were very good, hope it works for you.

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jenhden · 07/09/2009 21:49

its more embarassment at what my dh will have to see - i'm sure he wouldn't care but i think i would after the delivery. i know its daft!

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skybright · 07/09/2009 21:55

I have used the pool twice (DD2 came to quick). I actually think that your OH will see less as you give birth relatively disguised by the water. The poo thing...well i think that can happen in water or on dry land ,the only thing you can do is try to poo either while you are in labour or just before so there is nothing up there.

And yes i did and OH has mentioned it but only cause he knows it winds me up. However i had been constipated for a couple of weeks before birth.

For me the pain relief and the feeling of having my own space is second to none.

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hermionegrangerat34 · 07/09/2009 21:57

lovely lovely lovely. Brilliant pain relief and you can get into all sorts of positions really easily. Mess - I don't remember any except the blood from the placenta (after I got out of the pool). Just asked dh and he says he didn't need to use the sieve as I didn't poo, so it's not necessarily going to happen (and if it does I'm sure the midwives whip it up and away quickly).

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weegiemum · 07/09/2009 21:59

Last time there was a waterbirth thread I think I was the only dissenting voice ....

I hated it. The feel of the water on my skin, all warm adn clammy, was just ....ewwwww!....... no way to describe how viscerally awful it made me feel.

I tried again with my 2nd labour - same. I just could not cope with the sensation of it.

Avoided like crazy in 3rd, when mw was pushing (arf) me to do it (at a different hospital).

So for many (even most?) people the water helps. But not me!

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mel1981 · 07/09/2009 22:03

I had a water birth for DS1 and it was amazing- the pain relief was amazing.
And yes I did poo too and it was messy (but the midwife scooped it out pronto lol....but by the time youve got your gorgeous little baba in your arms you wont care in the slightest.
Ive also had a dry birth and poo'd then too which for me was worse as laying down legs open for all to see it was much more noticable and was more concious (sp) of it.

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Milkycheeks · 07/09/2009 22:37

I had water birth with dd & planning the same for dc2 in a couple of months time - it was amazing. Don't know, or care, if i pooed or not & DH doesn't remember either. Friend's DH asked if the pool looked like a scene out of "Jaws" by the time it was all over but I remember the water seeming remarkably clean after dd was born ( in the water). I did deliver the placenta on dry land though, and that seemed to be the messiest part.

Go for it - as others have said, you won't really care about pooing when it comes down to it and it can happen if you have a 'dry' birth anyway. Don't forget you can always get out of the pool if you decide it's not for you!

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MoonlightMcKenzie · 07/09/2009 22:47

tbh, no idea if the water helped with the pain, but having a walls between me and anyone who I had not specifically invited in or given permission to touch me was the most calming and relaxing thing. I could float over to whoever I wanted and away from whoever I wanted. It gave me control and ensured a very hands-off birth. THAT was what was lovely.

And FWIW, the water was crystal clear after the birth. So much so that I sat in it for a further half an hour cuddling the baby, topping it up with hot water now and then.

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frazzledoldbag · 07/09/2009 22:57

nice -yes
messy - yes
but its nicer than it is messy IYSWIM
I'd do it again (if I was having DC4 - which I'm not!)

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SoupDragon · 08/09/2009 07:49

"its more embarassment at what my dh will have to see"

He'll see it however you give birth! The key is that you never talk of it. Nothing was ever mentioned for any of my 3 births, thus nothing happened

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KatyS36 · 08/09/2009 09:39

I'm with soup dragon on this

I'm planning a water birth and I informed my DH it came on the list of things he would have to get over

(Am mortified about the thought through!)

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MoonlightMcKenzie · 08/09/2009 09:49

Seriously, the experience is such an alien experience that neither you or your dh will care about the mess.

Having said that, my waterbirth was far far more dignified than my land birth. The gory stuff happens under the water and remains private at some level.

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LadyOfTheFlowers · 08/09/2009 09:58

I had waterbirths with DS1 and DS2 and began to hyperventilate when I was told with DS3 I couldn't because there were not enough staff.

Both waterbirths were lovely - not in a hippy way or anything, but in a calm relaxed way. I felt I had some dignity, I felt 'covered' up.

DH is not brilliant with blood etc so it was nice for us to be presented with a clean pink baby! He was also able to see them actually born without all the finer details!

DS3 was a 'land birth' and I felt totally out of control because it was all new to me allover again - I had never done it that way. I found comfortable positions harder to find and I noticed the midwife tried to instruct more, whereas in the pool I was pretty much allowed to do as I pleased.

I am going to try for water again this time as I really felt I only just managed on dry land, I found it all very restricting on the bed etc.
My waterbirths were certainly the least messy - the stuff I saw with DS3 on the bed, pooled around my knees, made me heave.

I would recommend a waterbirth to anyone.

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Yorky · 08/09/2009 10:00

I have had 2 home water births and they were both lovely, but have no 'on land' experiences to compare to.
The second was messier than the first, but it was quicker, I went to the loo several times before getting in the pool with DS, whereas with DD I didn't realise I was in labour!
In the first photos of both kids the water looks clear, but I remember being shocked how much the blood spread when the placenta started coming away, the water looked awful by the end but I wasn't bothered

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dinkystinky · 08/09/2009 10:01

Had waterbirth with DS2 - was great (never planned on having one but when I saw the pool I had to get in) and really helped me through transition. Was not messy in the slightest - but my waters had gone a few hours before I got in the water - and was lovely having a cuddle in the water with DS2 after his birth.

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ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 08/09/2009 10:05

I agree with Yorky.
the photo's of the boys straight after birth the water seems clear (photo on profile)

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princessdaisyboo · 08/09/2009 20:41

if u can get one go for it, my dd was waterbirth it was brilliant, pretty calm and not really messy at all, not i u notice at all, yes there is a seive on the side but u wont even notice if anyone does anything with it anyway,
i really really wanted a water birth 2nd time round and was really scared that i just wouldnt be able to give birth out of water, but i did, but i much prefered the water birth,
go for it if u can x

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gingerbunny · 08/09/2009 21:04

i had land for ds1 and water for ds2. found ds2's so much nicer.
i stayed in the pool all the time, even for the after birth.
when he was born there was no mess and only slight mess afterwards.
it was lovely, go for it.

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girlynut · 08/09/2009 21:59

As everybody has said, it's gonna get messy wherever you do it. But at least in a pool you have a degree of privacy.

The midwife who attended my home water birth sieved out most of the blood clots and poo straight away into her yellow plastic sack. So the water was just a little murky when I delivered and i was happy to stay in the pool feeding and cuddling until placenta came 1/2 hour later.

The placenta was what made the most mess. Afterwards the pool looked like an unset strawberry jelly mould!!

But it's easy to clean. We bought an underwater pump as part of the birth pool kit and simply used to hose which had filled the pool to syphon all the dirty water straight down the drain outside. Then we chucked the liner in the bin. A week later DS1 and his mates were using it as a swimming pool in the garden!

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chickbean · 08/09/2009 22:00

I loved having a water birth with DS2. Don't remember any mess, but it was in hospital, so I didn't have to deal with cleaning the pool out. Didn't poo! And DS2 loves water - bath, swimming pool, sea - can't wait to get into any kind - don't know if it's related.

Tried with DS1 but had to get out and be put on a drip somewhere else - was very disappointed

Will definitely be wanting a water birth if possible with the next one (hope there's not a queue in January).

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Darkmere · 08/09/2009 22:05

I had a water birth for my DD. Had intended to only use water for pain relief but once I was in I did not want to get out. I have nothing to compare it to as DD is my one and only but I felt very mobile and that the pain, while quite overwhelming, was manageable.

There was a tiny poo incident that happened while the midwife was out of the room. Like you I felt mortified at the thought of it throughtout my pregnancy but what actually happened was I sent DP on his way to find a sieve and calmly instructed him to "get rid of it before the baby comes". Frankly I couldn't have cared less by this stage and I think he was glad of something useful to do. Honestly all inhibitions disappear at this point

Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Restrainedrabbit · 08/09/2009 22:09

I had two waterbirths at home, DD the pool looked like there had been some sort of ritualistic slaughter of a goat in it But with DS the water was as clear as a mountain spring so it varies really I pooed both times though and DH provided our most expensive sieve for the MW to do a spot of fishing with.

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