Overweight and wanting a water birth!

[babylove123]

Hi,

I havent posted on here for quite some time but i knew i could come back for some help when i needed it and i do please!

Im 30+ weeks pregnant with my 2nd child and i am the same weight with this pregnancy as i was the last. I had my last child naturally with an active labour and gas & air at 40+5. No problems, 7 hour active labour and normal delivery. I tore though as she came out within 5 minutes of starting pushing. DD is now 20 months old.

With this second pregnancy i swapped midwives as i didnt get on with the 1 from my 1st pregnancy and i have a very nice one. She however informed me to not contemplate the water birth im desiring because i wont be allowed due to a high BMI. I rang the hosp i'll be using and they said i couldnt even labour in 1 let alone birth in it. I'm so sad that this is the case - i heard nothing but horror stories from my midwife and her staff in my 1st pregnancy that i wouldnt be able to push, i'd be too weak, I couldn't possibly have enough stomach muscles, i'd need constant pain relief as i wouldn't cope and i'd be most likely to need a c-section as i stood no chance of pushing the baby out. Having proved medical staff wrong, i hoped second time round they'd be a bit more supportive and maybe even listen to me!

Obviously i'd never do anything to put my baby at risk but i cant understand how something so natural as using water can be deemed wrong to use. I'm going to have it out with my midwife at my 34 week appointment but does anyone have any information/stories that might help?

Thanks!

would you mind posting what your bmi is?

mine is high ( about 35 at the moment-39+6 weeks) and i have not been told that anything will need to be done diffrent in labour.

Hi, uhhhhhhhhhhhh higher than yours! Try in 40's! Its strange, i am overweight of course but im a sz 20/22 and when they see my BMI everyone thinks i'm going to be so massive i cant even see my feet and it isnt true! Dare i say it, i am quite big boned and have muscles (hidden by some fat of course, lol).

I know nothing much about BMIs and births (as I am the opposite end of the scale to you.)

What I can tell you though is that your midwives are talking a load of hooey and I would be angry if I were you. They are supposed to be working with you.

NOt enough stomach muscles sounds like a pile or garbage. Being in water and having a high bmi sounds like it would make birthing easier for you not harder.

What I am hearing them say is that with a 'big' woman they may have to work harder than normal.

You are lighter in water, that means that you will be able to make yourself comfortable more easily and that they could move you around more easily. If they monitor you properly they ought to be able to assist you to get into and out of the pool safely, long before any potential drama.

If i were you, I'd be looking at writing a letter to the Head of Midwifery asking for evidence on how having a High BMI contraindicates a water birth and stating that you don't expect the midwives to be scaremongering.

Also do some research on your own. The home birth website has a lot of information on some of the stuff they like to tell you you can't have because... High BMI is one of them. It ought ot lead on more info on BMI and home / water births.

good luck.

gosh, Dh is built like you. V. High BMI but if he were to lose the amount of weight these charts tell him he should lose, he'd look like a Gulag survivor.

Haven't time to post now but marking my place for later.

All is not lost babylove.

Hi, I am Consultant care due to my BMI and having large babies. I asked this question yesterday at my appointment! They were lovely at the hospital, and have agreeed that as long as everything goes on normally I will be allowed a water birth. This will be Dc4 and I have never required any assistance and was induced with my first, due to his size! also have only needed gas and air.
If you really want a water birth perhaps it would be better to speak to your consultant. I went in with an open mind and didn't demand. I asked if it was possible, willing to just labour in the pool but we were surprised by how supportive and positive our consultant was. Good Luck!

Hi everyone,

thanks for your messages, it is nice to hear some positive ones! I think that i do need to do some more research on it and go armed with it (nicely of course) to my 34 week midwife appointment. I wanted a homebirth with my last child so had to have a meeting with the superior of midwives whose opening line to me was "overweight mothers often die in childbirth". Nice huh? I did change to the hospital at 37 weeks but only because i made them do it on my terms (active labour etc). I think maybe i may have to get a little firm again!

have you thought of joining the homebirth yahoo group and asking questions on there? (google it) They have been very supportive to a lot of mothers in your position and you can also search their database to read past threads on women with high BMI.

the homebirth website is www.homebirth.org.uk (I think)

Thanks for that. I'll check it out.