For all first time pregnant mums (and others) - WATERproof

It is not necessary (I certainly have been - as a doula - left without a MW in a water labour)... the key word is "watching".... feeling observed or judged is again not condusive to labour....
A MW can be present but she should not make her presence felt!

got to go now - will look on Mumsnet tonight again.

Actually thinking about it...I was left alone for 80% of my labour, just me and my mil and I'm sure dh was there sleeping somewhere. But it was so wonderful, and peaceful. My contractions were quite regular at that point and then I was put in a pool and stared at (maybe a safety regulation?) and thats when they slowed down. So on reflection you were correct Pupuce. Fear slows down contractions. Is it neccessary for mw's to be there watching you when you're in the pool? If so I won't bother next time.
My step sister is contemplating a water birth and I don't want to put her off the idea, but she does want to hear my view. So I really want as much information as possible to show her.

Ruth21 - I was allowed to have gas and air in the pool, but they didn't want me to have it beforehand. Something about if I used the pool they would want me to start without gas and air so that there would still be something in hand to add later!

He has written many books.... maybe wait for his next one in April - I know it will cover that topic.

I will definatley take a look thanks Pupuce. You have mentioned this book before, saying that in part agrred with my dh's view on childbirth.

Bekki - You should read Michel Odent's books as it would probably explain what you experienced.... the more people around (the more noise/disruption/light) will impact your labour negatively.... you need to be left "alone" (i.e undisturbed but knowing you will be supported when you want to) to labour....

I think I might have benefited from the pool when I was between 3-8 cm. but they wouldn't let me get in until I was 8. By the time I was allowed in I was tense, exhausted and it was all too much. It is a shame that water isn't allowed before that point.

How odd Pupuce. My contractions slowed down when I got to the midwifery unit because I was so happy to finally get there and to be surrounded by helpful happy mw. So when I relax my contractions slow down. When I got in the water, although the contractions were exactly the same in strength they felt stronger because I had lost my coping mechanism. But the contractions did slow down because in between contractions I was relaxed. ? Even more confused now!
Oh and when I was int he pool everyone (two midwives, a student mw, my mil and a very unhelpful h) started gawping at me as if any minute the baby would pop out. Is this an expectation mw's have that babies should just shoot out once you get in the water? That was another reason why I got out- suddenly I could feel all 3 mw's eyes on me waiting for their text book, ultra fast, natural birth to happen, and I knew it was no where near.
Perhaps thats something that mw's should definatley keep an eye on. They should keep themselves in check making sure that they aren't putting too much pressure on women.
It is very interesting to hear how everyone copes with their pain. Not everyone is affected in the same way by pain relief and not everyone has the same coping strategies.

Interesting that the midwives didn't want you to have gas and air and water at the same time, Distracted. Did they say why? I had gas and air just before I got in the pool, and continued with it while I was in the water until the second stage, when they took it away. (Only about 45 minutes I think.) I did get a bit woozy from it and toppled over slightly once, but I don't think I was at risk of drowning! Is there another reason not to have them at the same time?

Mears - to many midwives are not interested in pools and so do not inform the mums correctly and it leaves women with inaccuarte information to base their decisions on

As you ahve once said.... why is it that getting an epidural is "never" a problem but asking for a pool often is !!! Which of the two is riskier? Both require proper MW monitoring anyway....

That's interesting as that's exactly what happened. Now you've made me think - maybe it's still worth a try next time...

Each to his own I think. I've read the wonderful stories about waterbirths and would love to have that experience. I did book in for a waterbirth first time round but had a bath while I was in hospital and found that although it made me relax more between contractions, it didn't help with the pain of the contractions at all for me, so I changed my mind. Perhaps all partly bad timing as contractions were getting bad at that point so got out of bath and called for gas and air and didn't get it for an hour or so as MWs telling me I should delay having it if going in the water, even tho' I was telling them I no longer wanted the water - kept trying to persuade me. By time I got gas & air didn't find that helped either (altho' did keep on with it as controlled my breathing and gave me something to do during contractions). Ended up demanding an epidural - anyway won't go into the rest of the long story!

Still think a waterbirth sounds nice, but perhaps different things help different people. We're not all the same and we certainly don't all have similar labours or similar experiences of pain and what helps it. So I suppose it's not for me.

The reason why contractions feel more intense and painful in water is because when you get in the pool, your adrenalin levels drop dramatically (as you immediatley feel better.... before the next contraction) which means your oxytocyn levels (that's the hormone that makes you contract) will be raised. Oxytocyn release is inhibited by adrenalin.... this is one reason why some women's contractions slow down or stop when they arrive in hospital.... they start being more fearful.

This is why it is often the case (but not always) that women get in the pool and dilate and deliver their baby faster in pool than they might have on dry land. Also the pool will usually help you build your endorphins too.

As Mears said some women really need/want to get out to deliver outside of the pool and some have different needs/feelings from one birth to the next... so you may well have a different view next time.

I really found the pool helpful as well, but I can see what you mean, BekkiKay, about bobbing about and not having anything to hold onto--I wouldn't have liked that sensation. I think I mostly kneeled or squatted on the bottom of the pool, and held onto the side, so no bobbing. Maybe the pool you were in was too deep for you?

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I don't know if I tensed or relaxed or what. I got in when I was pretty well ready to deliver (partly because dp had only just finished filling it up) and I could feel the burning sensation of the baby beginning to crown and I really wanted to push even though the midwives were telling me not to because I wasn't fully dilated; I climbed onto dd1's little step, got in, felt a whacking great contraction during which I took an enormous drag of gas and air and thought 'oh damn, it hasn't made any difference, that was incredibly painful'...and then the m/wives shoved the stool under me and told me - at last - to push and I pushed and I pushed again and the baby swam out. And I don't remember any burning sensation as I pushed, so presumably the water was working...?

And another who swears by water - did it twice myself.... and totally agree about the privacy

Life would be boring if we were all the same. -Z( another one who found water effective for pain relief)

In my experience its the mw who go on and on about the miracle effect of water. All I hear are mw saying its so beautiful! Is that because they don't get to see the gory bit?
People often say its the only 'natural' way to give birth. But really how many cultures from how many countries jump in water when they start contracting?
From books that I have read the common childbirth element is upright in a crouching position. Water is never mentioned. Am I reading the wrong sort of information?
I am curious about this. I'm not entirely sure why but I am hankering after a natural birth at some point. I feel like I failed last time around because yet again my waters had to be broken for me and I didn't deliver in water like the mw suggested I should.
I wonder how many women don't like being in the water but stay there because the mw are pushing them into it (not literally btw )
In my case it slowed my contractions down even though I was 8 cm. I have heard that this is a normal effect of water, but who wants labour to slow down at that stage?
Sorry I am going on aren't I? I'm just curious as to what I missed out on last time. If it is as good as everyone says then perhaps I would reconsider it next time around. Or perhaps I should give up my obsession with the perfect birth

That's interesting. I'm going to try for a water birth this time (in July!). Don't know whether they'll let me give birth in the water with a minor heart condition and given that DS was over 9lbs but it can't hurt to try.

Can anyone point me to a birth story of a water birth?

The only draw back for me is that TENS machines aren't waterproof. I thought that was wonderful last time - till it broke!

Its funny everything you liked about your water birth is everything that I disliked.
For me tensing my body was a way of displacing and controlling the pain. When I relaxed like the mw told me over and over again, I was overwhelmed by the pain and I felt quite scared by it all.
When I was in the water I didn't feel it was at all private. I was starkers, floating about and feeling quite helpless. And the thought of my waters breaking in the water and me still in it was quite sickening to me. Infact sitting in there thinking about that made me immediatley call out for someone to take me out and break my waters. I was also terrified of my waters breaking and breaking my concentration. Therefore scaring me witless.
I've just answered my own question. Thanks Beetroot.