to think having a water birth is not selfish?

[Kalypso]

A childless acquaintance has stated that having a water birth is selfish of the expectant mother, as "it's only to relieve pain and doesn't allow a midwife to do her job properly". This person is related to a midwife, who is now retired and who presumably shares this view.

According to this person, a midwife needs to be at eye level with your bits in order to best see how the labour's progressing, and therefore unless you're on a bed with legs akimbo, you're potentially endangering your baby.

I was all for a water birth, but due to certain circumstances I wasn't able to. Had I been pregnant when I heard this, I'd have been upset and worried to think that anybody thought like this.

Anyone out there (particularly midwives) who can tell me whether I am being unreasonable to think this is bollocks, provided the pregnancy is classed low-risk?

My community MWs are very pro-water. When I booked in as soon as I said I was hoping to be in the Midwife-led Unit, the MW said 'Oh great, you can go for a water birth if you want to'.

No mention of putting the baby at risk!

I am a midwife

I have attended many water births

My second child was born in water

If i have any more babies I would plan for water birth again

Absolute rubbish about potentially endangering the baby. At my sons birth and those i have attended as a midwife, it is very much the mother in control of the birth. I lifted my baby to the surface and I encourage mothers to do the same. One of the nicest water birth I attended was when I was 34 weeks pregnant. I sat on the birthing ball next to the pool while the baby was born, moving only to listen to the baby's heartbeat. With my own bump in the way there is no way I would have been eye level with the poor womans bits and nor did I need to be.

When I gave birth 23 and 18 years ago you had to lie on your back with stirrups! I wanted to move around was told I couldn't. Was a long 14 hours.

I wanted a water birth with both DS1 and DS2 but for reasons outside my control it didn't happen. I am definitely intending to try again with current bump when the time comes.

I had water for my third, but due to some bloody lawsuit they had to drag me out at the actual birth bit. I was holding onto the side and they were apologising...it was awful getting out.

Buzz how awful/ what lawsuit? dragging you out? this amounts to abuse they cannot make you do anything you don't want to, I hope you made a complaint.

God not I meant figuratively not literally, they were lovely about it. They had told me ages before but I had forgotten in the middle of it all...and when they said you have to get out I was a bit upset and really didn't want to. I think they got my Dh to "encourage" me out.
You have to agree that you will get out before you can be signed up to use the pool. There was a big inquiry into a perinatal death in a birthing pool but it had already determined there was no link to the pool, but then theres the lawyers, so......

Erm! You get out of the pool for examination. (or that's what happened to me whilst I laboured in the pool)

I delivered in the pool too but really what's the big deal the baby doesn't breathe until it is in air so how is it endangered? It can't inflate it's lungs until it's out of you by which time delivery is done, well the bit where you could be deemed to be selfish.

I don't get it, it doesn't make sense.

I think they make you get out of the pool in the maternity hospitals in Glasgow. My MW for Dd2 said she'd been in a training visit there and asked what their pool birth rate was. They gave her a funny look and said zero.

Even if there's some truth in it, you could give birth and all fours in the pool and that way the MW will be at eye level with your bits.

It sounds logical as the water distorts the view and seeing to the bottom of the pool can't be easy. But if it was so dangerous, they wouldn't allow it surely.

I had a water birth with DS who got stuck once his head was out and I've never been so terrified. Every second felt like hours as I tried to get out of the pool with a baby hanging out of me. I stood up and he kind of fell out thank god.
He was the colour of a fish, deep grey and blue, aspar (sp) score of 1.
Neither MW was at all fazed by this so obviously it's something they deal with and they did a fantastic job but it frightened me and everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
Personally I didn't find the pool made much difference but it might be fantastic for you and if the HCP's want you out of it they will tell you.

Not selfish at all. I had a home birth and my poor dh blew the pool up and filled it and I refused point blank to get in it.

The mw was saying "come on, let's try you in the pool"...I remember being on all fours in my bedroom snarling like the exorcist;

"I am NOT getting in that thing".

I was so up for a water birth but when the time came, no chance in hell was I getting in that. I think it had to do with how HIGH it was...I'm 5"3 so the sides, with a baby bump, looked impossible.

I'd recommend it a home/water birth as I've seen and heard other mums cluck about how great it was. If it was a bad thing and the it could prevent the mws from doing their jobs surely they wouldn't equip hospitals with them?

Yanbu, its your birth, just do your research! I had a fantastic midwife but sadly a truly hideous waterbirth, I still shudder at the thought of it and still wish I had looked into it more thoroughly! It was my 2nd though, so I was too busy with my 1st!