Once your waters break..

[wonky]

Are you allowed a water bath or a bath? Or is it an infection risk?

sounds dodgy, I would jusxt shower to be safe

Sorry, should have made more clear. I have a baby already. I had a bath after they had gone and was offered a water birth.

Well, plenty of people are advised to have a bath during labour, and I was in a pool more than 24 hours after my waters had broken, so as long as the water is clean, it should be ok?

i was told it was fine to have a bath. the water in the birthing pool is only the usual tap stuff

I'm sure it was fine too. But my friend was arguing that she was advised not to and that its' written in all the books not to too.

well plenty of people give birth in water... that's the idea of a water birth surely?

and assuming most people's waters break before they have their baby then anyone who has a water birth has already had their waters gone! no?

There are mixed views on this but I think now it is generally accepted there is no risk from bathing once waters have broken. Our unit does not restrict bath use.

I was told to go home have a bath and 2 paracetamol when my waters broke.

Thanks Mears. I shall tell her you said so!

She was in an awful hospital and I was in one with a very good rep. Visited there after DS born and would say that the M/w seemed very out of date so would make sense really.

Not in principle but it depends whose bath you are in! My waters broke with ds1 (not in labour) and I had to stay in hospital, had a sweep etc. I wouldn't get in their bath, it looked filthy - I had a shower instead.