to be focussing too much on a water birth?

[ChiChiLaRoo]

Sadly looks like I won't be able to give birth in the lovely MLU round the corner from me. I've been told I have to be in the hospital, but I can still opt for a water birth if I want. Ultimately it is out of my control, and I'll get through it no matter what. I'm worried as there is only one birth pool in the hospital. Anyone know if there's a high chance of it already being used? I love the water and would like to labour in it, or at least try.

What will be will be but I'm trying to think positively and failing...

I wanted a water birth, and was all ready for one - and practically bounced out of the pool! Though I love water and swimming I could not stand the sensation of the water on my skin in labour (I swam almost every day in pregnancy, right up to the end). Didn't even try with #2&3.
If you can use it (and I hope you can) don't worry if you don't like it.

I wanted water and was high risk so was on labour ward. Was always told it would be possible.

1st induction which took a while and so wasn't an option, ended up with a section. Did have a lot of baths whilst on the ward!

2nd another induction but non hormonal and fab, sadly the pool would not have been half filled in the time baby took to arrive!

When i was having dd2 I wanted a water birth. I asked and was told they would fill the pool and to have a bath while I waited. Dd2 was born in the bath about 15 minutes later. I think this must be pretty common.

Have you got a bath at home op? I know it's not quite the same but you could hope in there when you're in early labour until it's time for you to head to hospital?

Get a pool for home and use it for early Labour, unless you're induced.

I would try to let go for the perception that you have any control over the birth. It's the position of the baby, among other uncontrollable factors, that will decide what it's like. It's easier to deal with an emergency csection or induction if you're prepared for the possibility.

Plan things for the last weeks of pregnancy maybe? Pregnancy massage, belly dancing to encourage labour, etc. Anything to add your own approach in the aspects you can control.

I wanted a water birth too, but had 3 csections, so speak from learning from experience.

I'm sorry ChiChi, but really the only time you have real control over the circumstance of birth are if you're going in for a planned Caesarian. Everything else is a roll of the dice - hopefully it'll all come out perfectly, but don't build it up in your head to be such a big thing as you're only setting yourself up for worry and stress. It's not really important in the scheme of things, getting your L1 out and in your arms is the charm.

Don’t put any pressure on yourself and don’t put expectations on yourself in a way you may feel disappointed about afterwards.

Nobody knows what will happen, you may have a 3 hour labour in a birthing pool . You may find when you get there that you don’t want to be in the pool as you feel more comfortable elsewhere and this can particularly be the case if your labour is long or you need pain relief or your baby needs extra monitoring. You may end up having a c-section. Nobody can tell until it happens.

The only important thing is you’re doing something amazing and as long as you’re both well that’s all that matters.

You can have an ideal scenario, sure. But if it doesn’t happen don’t beat yourself up. I only know a few people who had the labour that was in their birth plan, and only one of them for a first child! But even though it might not have gone as we expected all of us thought our NHS birth experience was good and we felt cared for.

I wanted a water birth for ds. I got to the hospital to find that all the pools were in use. I completely lost it; I mean I went berserk - dropped to my knees on the floor, punching my fists into the side of the bed in rage and shouting GIVE ME MY FUCKING POOL. Dh thought I’d lost my mind.

They found me a bathroom with a bath in it, I calmed down immediately and had ds in that. It was fine.

I’m normally a very polite, calm, reserved people pleaser sort of person; but being told there was no pool available turned me into an animal. So I can completely understand how you are feeling op. Find out if they have baths is my recommendation.

@VenusClapTrap I'm so in awe of your attitude! we should all probably make more of a fuss to get what we need when having a baby!

Being in water can not only sooth contractions but borderline stop them.

I spent 15 hours in a pool with a back to back baby before demanding an epidural and going another 18 hours.

Nobody tells you that being in water can slow things down! It is definitely not all it is cracked up to be.

Fraula I honestly don’t know what came over me, but it was very empowering! Hormones eh.

Blooming fantastic. We should all stop being so polite and see what we can achieve

As others have said, try to think about lots of different scenarios. I ended up going to the MLU in a big hospital instead of the stand alone MLU that I wanted.

When you call them to say you are in labour, say that you would like to use the pool if possible. That way they are pre-warned you'd like it. It's what I did and, whilst I had a little wait while the previous woman vacated it, I got my water birth. Best of luck.

Should say - ultimately I had the birth experience I hoped for - a healthy baby (I felt rather less healthy initially but recovered well) . I felt very cared for throughout and my needs were listened to.

The MLU and delivery suite are all based on the same site, if giving birth in the city I live in. It’s a matter of going up a floor.

I’d be very reluctant to be in a MLU which required a trip in a ambulance to reach the hospital led delivery suite, if abthing went wrong.

Try not to get too fixated on the water birth - if the pool isn't available you'll be fine. You can always go and stand in the shower, which I found really helpful when I was labouring. The water flowing over my body felt so nice, it took the edge off the pain. Good luck !

Think about what you want, write a birth plan... and then chuck it out the window!

Child birth cannot be planned unfortunately. My first baby I desperately wanted a water birth. It was going well until I heard the woman next door. She sounded like she was being murdered by a mad axeman. I panicked and got out. Good job because baby was born with a heart defect.

Tried again for baby two. Failed because they couldn't get the pool filled in time. He was born after a 1 hour 3 mins labour.

Needless to say that water birth 3 went to shit. Baby 3 was born in the car after a 45 minute labour.

Plan. But don't expect. All that matters is that you and the baby are safe and happy at the end.

A waterbirth prolonged my labour by at least a good 5hrs. If I'd been up and about kiddo would've been able to turn more easily down the birth canal - we had got stuck. We didn't know until afterwards (12hr labour) because his head was bruised the colour of undiluted ribena.

He had got stuck*

If the pool isn't available might a shower be helpful? My mother had 6 births with no pain meds for any of them. She found that a warm shower was very helpful. With one of my siblings she stayed in there until she was 9 cm. Given that it wasn't her first baby they had to basically tell her that she needed to get out of the shower because they were worried she'd give birth right there!

2 water births here, one year apart. 2 pools. No problem getting one of them.

Hopefully you'll get what you want. Good luck!

It'll really just be down to the day but I had my second in a very busy, city maternity unit with only two pools and I got it without a problem. Fingers crossed you do too