did anyone labour but not actually give birth in water? Can you tell me about your birth pool experiences?

[everybodysang]

I'm now 39+2 and am hoping to use our very lovely local midwife-led unit. It only has two rooms and one birthing pool, I don't have my heart set on using the pool but I would very much like to give it a try if it's available. I like the idea of using it for pain relief in labour but not so much for giving birth - though I'm open to that too, just not quite sure about it.

I have only just realised that despite being told 4 weeks ago that I would be ok to use the midwife-led unit, barring anything untoward arising before the birth, and having researched every other element of labour etc until it's coming out of my ears (not literally, obviously), I haven't actually really thought at all about the water part. So I suddenly feel a bit freaked!

If you laboured in water but then got out to give birth, was it difficult to get out of the pool? Why did you get out? Or if you stayed in - how was it?

Thank you for reading my slightly panicked rant.

PS having now read thread properly, agree with everyone who says difference in pain after midwives made me get out pool was pretty damn astounding. Maybe something to think about?

My contractions were not coming as regularly as the midwife would have liked but I'd has a quick labour before (only 6hrs) and I knew that I was in labour. I suddenly felt and huge amount of pressure in my bottom this was the sign last time that I was fully dilated and was ready to push however when the midwife checked I was only 2cm dilated I was in alot of pain and was using the g&a I really felt like my dd wasn't far away the midwife was puzzled to as she said I looked like somthing was happening but as I was only 2cm dilated I would have to go to the ward where there was no g&a and wait until I was further along I said there was no way I could do it without pain relief.

It was decided that I would go into the pool as thus would probably stop my contractions I could then go down to the ward. I was also not allowed to use the g&a so as I could learn to cope without it in preparation for going down to the ward.

I was in the pool for about 30mins I think it did help a little but didn't touch the sides of the pain like the g&a. All of a sudden my waters broke and there was mecconium in them I had to get out of the pool and back to my original room as nothing had been set up in the birthing pool room if my baby needed extra help. But I felt a real need to push so has to be literally dragged out of the pool by the midwife and my dh.

The midwife then did an examination and found dd head was just about to start crowning this led to a mad dash with me stark naked in a wheel chair while the midwife ran with it down to our room a couple of pushes later dd was out.

My advice would be,

1. be prepared to give birth in the water getting out was one of the most painful parts of the whole experiance for me thus wasn't because the water was really good at taking my pain away it's just that when your baby's head is about to crown and your in the zone for pushing you don't want to be moving anywhere.

1. If you do have to get out for whatever reason make sure their prepared for you to give birth in the birthing pool room.

Congratulations and good luck with the rest of the pregnancy and labour

P.s the labour in total was 1hr 36mins I knew I was in labour

I laboured in the pool for about 10 hours or so, got out to wee and couldn't physically find the strength to get back in in time for baby to be born.

I loved being in the water and found it relaxing and very helpful with the pain.

I needed both the midwife and my husband to help me to get in and out. But this was mostly because the pool I used had no steps, just a really wobbly plastic stool which didn't fill me with confidence! If there was proper access I'm sure I would have been fine getting in and out myself.

Hope all goes well!