Question for those who had water birth?

[kitten30]

Hi can you just explain to me how they know when to tell you when to push? Do you need to keep getting in and out of the pool so they can check how dilated you are? How often does this happen? Thanks.

Hi. I had a waterbirth with dc1. Was asked to get out to pee a couple of times in 6 hours. I found the whole experience very 'hands off'. After I had been monitored a couple of times I then positioned the doppler myself. Had no physical examinations once I got in the pool. The MW sat and took notes and then finally said I could push if I wanted to. I think they monitor your behaviour aswell as physical changes. I was on all fours and so I think it was pretty obvious when it was time for me to push. Good luck.x

no one will need to tell you when you need to push. you just will. you can ask to be examined in the pool if it's really necessary (depending on angles) or you may be asked to climb out and have a dance around and an examination.

Had a waterbirth with dc2 a week ago it is very much a hands off experience other than monitoring babys heartbeat the mw did not interfere at all. In fact I was stupidly waiting for her to offer me gas and air rather than asking for it.

It was a great experience. They won't let you in the pool until labour is well established and then there is no need to monitor you unless labour seems particularly slow. I had a failed waterbirth with dc1 due to a failure to progress and after so long the mw asked me to get out to see how dilated I was and I think she could tell just from when and how I was having contractions that things were not going as they should.

This time I just did what I felt I should. It took me by surprise when I felt the need to push and I asked the mw if it was ok and she just said do what your body tells you and she was so right. I told her the head was crowning she didn't realise that's how hands off it is.

DH said it was amazing compared to dc1 as to how natural it all was especially when dc2 floated to the surface.

I was in the pool about 2.5 hours before my dd was born. I was never asked to get out of the pool and like others have said it was a very 'hands off' experience. I think the midwife had a wee mirror which she used to keep an eye on things towards the end. I remember asking if i needed to get out so I could be examined but she said they only needed to do this every 4 hours or so.

My midwife also never told me when to push - in fact when I got the urge to push I panicked because the midwife had stepped out and I didn't know if i was 'allowed' to or not so made dh go and ask. She came back and said just to push if that's what i felt like.

I had two wbs, both times I pushed when I wanted to.

I was never asked to get out of the water to be examined.

Simliar experience here during my water birth with dc2. I went in 4cms dilated and after a couple of hours felt the urge to push. I went with the feeling, midwife didn't say anything apart from encouraging noises about baby being nearly here. So, not examined at all once in the pool.

my midwives with ds2 KNEW I needed to push because of the noises i was making

i had no internals, they just let me do my thing. i didn't actually give birth in water tho (temp issues)

with ds3 i had no midwives present so pushed when i wanted

Wow it sounds great! I like the idea of them letting your body do what feels right. I am a bit concerned if I push too quickly I will tear though will it being my first baby?

In the majority of cases they won't tell you when to push, you'll be telling them that you are pushing!

I think because the pool is your own private space the attending MW's are a lot more hands off. They monitor you and your outward signs a lot more than you realise. From their experience they will be able to tell you what stage you're at by just observing you.

You don't even need to be checked. Just tell them you don't want any internal exams during the labour. But if you did want to I think you might have to get out to be checked.

With water births, I think its more about following your own instincts, because the push instinct is very strong - in my experience its not something I could have fought, not like I could have "held it back" if I wanted to. Its not the same as contractions though, for me, during the crowning stage, it felt like something big was bulging out or emerging and I felt like it just needed a push or two to help it out, and that was the only time I felt like pushing.

If you are worried about tearing, before labour starts hotting up make a point of telling the midwife your fears and that you would like her help to slow the crowning process down.

9lbs 11oz ds shot out in the pool, there was no control or panting going on whatsoever, and I only had a graze. I put that down to the water stretching and protecting my perineum (sp?)

in terms of the tearing i was advised to just breathe when my daughter was actually coming out. I ended up with a second degree tear but the midwife said if i hadn't followed her advice and had continued to push at that point it would probably have been much worse.

just don't push too hard when baby is crowning.

you'll feel when it is happening because it's a kind of burning pain, and if you put your hand down you will be able to feel the baby's head and the skin stretching around it.

try and breathe slowly through that and allow the head to emerge gently and slowly... that's the key to not tearing i think!

Great I will mention it to the midwife and try my best to not push during crowning. Will the baby's head still slowly come out even without pushing..or do you just need to push slowly?

IME it comes anyway!

it comes anyway ime. also don't be surprised if you feel baby go backwards between pushes it can happen.

I had a water birth with dd1 and much like the others it was a pretty hands-off experience, according to my notes I started saying things like "the baby's coming" and "I've got to push" and MW let me get on with it. No exams beyond listening to the baby's heart once I was in the water. And no tearing or grazes, which I think is down to being in the water and the whole 'baby going backward' thing, during which I remember saying "It's never going to come out"!

Water birth is fantastic. My MW monitored DDs heartbeat by using underwater doppler regularly.

It is such a cliche but Mother Nature just takes over and you will know when to push. I vaguely remember MW saying 'do you feel like pushing now?' and that was based on the noises I was making!

DD came very fast - MW hadn't put her apron or gloves on! Did have 2nd degree tear because she came so fast but would love to know how I could have slowed it down (don't think you can!)

Best of luck, I hope you'll love a water birth.

I'm someone who did have to keep getting out of the pool and being checked. But then my labour was going wonky as DS was in an unbirthable LOT (head wedged sideways) position, so although I was none the wiser I figure the midwives were suspecting something was wrong and slowing my 19 hour labour down. Ended up with an em c section but am hoping for a VBAC next time and if I'm allowed I'd be back in the pool like a shot. Hadn't really considered a waterbirth until very late on but couldn't believe just how much pain relief it offered! Amazing!! THe downside was how much more it hurt everytime I had to keep getting out.

I had a home water birth with my DD. The MW didn't arrive until I was 7cm dilated so I got straight in the pool. The MW just sat at our kitchen table (the pool was in the kitchen) had a cuppa and a biscuit while I gave her a running commentary of what was happening

"My waters have gone"..."I'm going to push now"..."I'm crowning". She didn't get off the chair until the head was out to check if the chord was wrapped round her neck. After my DD came out my DH lifted her out of the water and put her in my arms. So all in all, the MW did nothing but listen. It was all down to following my instincts and as everyone else says, your body will tell you what to do and when.

Painful but lovely and very natural experience.

Had vbac wb and it was amazing. Despite being technically high risk so continual monitoring advised,there was actually barely and intervention.from getting in pool at about 5cm I didn't get out. As for second stage I just breathed ds3 out unlike ds2 who was full on pushing. Think me knew I was moving from first to second stage cos I started ranting about going home and giving up so she could see I was in transition. Absolutely amazing experience-pain relief of the water was so good

had waterbirth with ds, very hands off. had good midwife who just let me get on with it.

she knew instinctively when I was going into transition and got the pool all ready, then all i had to do was get in. it was absolute bliss and took away at least 75% of the pain (which was good as the gas and air ran out and it took three other midwives forty five minutes to find another canister , however the whole experience wa so great I didnt need it in the end )

the only small panic I had was when he crowned and I just suddenly felt like I needed to push hard, midwife told me to take it slowly but I didnt and ended up with a tear that required a stitch. but even that wasnt bad, healed up in three days and not much pain from it.

like others have said she pretty much just observed and had a little mirror to check my rear every so often. ds popped out and she brought him to the surface and thats it.

was a complete contrast to dd's birth which lasted 48 hours on dry land and was agony, and included an epidural, stirrups and the threat of "getting a doctor and forceps if you don't push harder". delightful.

I like the idea of it being hands off. The thought of being on my back with them staring and directing me is a scary thought!

Go for it if you get the chance! I had a waterbirth with dd, they just let me get on with it, and although they checked baby's heartbeat (external, stethoscope) I wasn't examined. There are other signs that you are ready to push that the midwife will be looking out for.

I laboured in the water with ds, but got out for the pushing bit, as I had got out to go to the loo, and everything happened quickly from that point.
Both water experiences very positive and the best thing about it is that the water will soften your skin, (like fingers in a hot long bath) and I didn't need any stitches afterwards, despite babies being 8 and a half pounds, and 10 lb four respectively! Will do it again with next one if lucky enough for the pool room to be free again!

Oh, this all sounds so lovely!! I want a water birth now! Sounds like just what I have put in my birth plan (minimal intervention, calm, relaxed, no internal exams, left alone to get on with it in my own time and way). Fingers crossed they will let me (doubt it though due to high BMI :()