Hello, I hope you don't mind me popping in. I've been asked by Sweetheart to tell you about my water birth.
PRACTICAL STUFF
I was initially interested in a water birth, as it was something that we could do at home and it seemed like a nice way for our baby to enter the world. I found that there are many different types of pool and various options available. The best thing about having the birthing pool is that you can use it in those last few weeks when everything is aching and you just need to relax.
Before you start, you need to think about where you are going to place the pool. It has to be on a floor, which can take the weight ? so not normally upstairs! We had ours in the living room and had a series of pipes running outside and then back into the kitchen window. That?s the other thing, you need to know how you are going to fill it and make sure that you can access the water supply. We were supplied with a pump and extra long hoses so it was really easy to fill and empty.
Most companies offer an unheated pool, which you need to top up with hot water to control the temperature. The logic with this is that bacteria is more likely to breed in warm water and therefore you need to use some form of chemical to keep the water clean, which the companies says goes against the ethos of the type of person who would want a home birth. The advantage of using these sorts of chemicals is that you only have to change the pool water every 7 days, so you are unlikely to get caught out!
I would recommend getting a disposable liner to go inside the pool as it means that after use you don?t have to pay to clean the pool or clean it yourself.
You need to know what kind of support you?re going to get. These things aren?t the easiest to put together, despite getting lots of instructions. Our lady was fabulous as she was on hand pretty much 24-7, gave us her mobile number and told me to feel free to ring her in the evenings and weekends.
I would definitely recommend a few practice runs. You need to know it all works, how long it takes to fill, empty, how long it stays warm etc. We had a small mishap with our pool, and ended up with a leak as I hadn?t tightened one of the connecting pipes properly and we ended up with a very soggy carpet for a few days!
Generally you need to book the pool at least 4 weeks before the birth, if not longer. When I was ringing around many companies weren?t sure if they?d be able to supply me with a pool. I found that local delivery was normally free and nationwide was about £50.
Lastly, you need to get some plastic sheeting for the floors (to protect your carpets!) We found cheap shower curtains were ideal.
MY BIRTH
I was very fortunate with my birth, as I didn?t have any complications and it was relatively quick.
Whilst doing my birth plan, the midwife ha to carry out a home assessment to make sure it was safe for them, and they came round to check the positioning of the pool once it was set up. I was also given a list of midwives who had water birth experience, as one of them would have to attend.
On the day, we decided that I was in labour about 1 o?clock-ish, so we called our midwife and I put my TENS machine on. (Most of the birthing pool companies offer them for hire - I paid £20.) I didn?t think the TENS would work at all, but I was pleasantly surprised. It did take a while to build up, but after about 20 mins I was definitely feeling the benefit. I lasted with my TENS machine until 5pm, although the last half an hour was really hard as the pain was really intense and the TENS machine was beginning to irritate my back, more than it was relieving the pain.
At 5pm, my midwives changed shifts and the second midwife brought some gas and air with her. We then decided that I would get in the pool, so had to time it right with the contractions to get the TENS off and me in the pool! As soon as I got in the pool I felt better. It?s a bit like putting a hot water bottle on a sore tummy, that kind of relief. As the water supports you completely, there is no pressure on any part of you, which is sheer bliss. This gave me a break before the next stage in my labour.
It felt as though I started pushing as soon as I got in the water, but I don?t really remember. I know that my waters broke shortly after getting in the water! I wanted dp in the water with me, so he put his shorts on and got in, which was very brave considering. I?m not sure I?d have done it if it was vice-versa! He ended up sitting behind me and I pushed against him and our little girl arrived at 6.30pm.
Having her in the water, and all of us being hugged up together was just magical. The midwife had left us to pull her up out of the water and on to my chest, but unfortunately the cord was a bit short so I couldn?t reach her! So mw placed her on my chest. They cut the cord while I was still in the water, then dd and dp got out so they could check dd over, and then I got out so the placenta could be delivered (they don?t let you do that in the pool so they can monitor any bleeding). As I didn?t have the injection they put dd to my breast as soon as I got out of the pool to help things along. At this point I remember being extremely cold and shivering a lot, but they wrapped me up in plenty of towels and I soon warmed up.
Lucky for me, dp cleaned the pool up, emptied it, etc. He said that there was practically no mess at all and it was very clean. I know that this was a big concern of both his and mine beforehand!
Originally, I had thought that I would use the pool after the birth as well, but realistically, I just didn?t feel like it, so we packed it up and sent it back a bit early.
So, in summary I would definitely recommend it, although please bear in mind that I don?t have anything to compare it to, and I did have a relatively easy birth. The company I used was Aquabirth although there are others. They are a bit pricier than some, but you get a heater, pump, ?friendly? tablets and solution for the pool, good service etc.
I?m sorry this is so long, but should you want to ask me anything else, please feel free to CAT me.
Scraggy x