Birthing pool and epidural

[ains73]

I am thinking of using the birthing pool at my hospital for the main part of labour. This is mainly due to me suffering from severe pelvic girdle pain. I could not bear to be lying down for hrs on end and walking on crutches I imagine, would be near impossible in labour.

However, I am hoping I will be able to get out of the pool when the pain gets really bad and get an epidural for the remainder of the birth.

Is anyone else considering this or have heard stories where it's been possible?

Thanks!

Of course it's possible. You may not even want to get out when it comes to it.

I tried for a home waterbirth and had to transfer for an em cs so have experienced labour in water and siting of an epidural. Both positive experiences. Have you considered other measures inbetween water and epidural. There are lots of other options to try.

Show of Hands, what other options would there be? I've just been told to keep upright as much as possible and ideally avoid epidural (to enable me to keep upright and also so I'm aware if I'm being moved into a position my pelvis doesn't like). However I know from talking with friends that it's likely I will need one to help me cope further down the liner. It sounds as though gas and air just doesn't cut it long term.

also check with your birth unit/hospital. They may not be happy with you gettig in a birth pool if your mobility is not good (crutches) It's a 'just in case' you need to egt out quickly.

other options. walking, dancing, swaying, bouncing on a ball, TENS, Entonox, pethidine (or equivelant).

Go with it, you never know how your labour will be. Maybe you'll want an epidural, maybe you won't need one.

ains73 Don't assume you'll need one because your friends say so - PLENTY of women give birth with just G&A.

Remember that with an epidural you're more likely to end up with more intervention further along the labour/birth.

As long as you are in a unit that offers both birth pool and epidural as options then there should be no problem going from birth pool to epidural should you need it.

One thing to be aware of is that most units only have one (if any) birth pool - so it may not be available on the day. Plus if you decide to get out and have epidural they may ask you to vacate the pool room so that someone else can use it if you are not.

As a veteran of both epidural (no 1) and pool births (2 and 3!) I found the pool much more helpful than the epidural! It sounds bonkers and against all you would think but being in the pool really does help - the buoyancy of the water helps take all the weight off your back and hips which is where I found most of the pain was. I did not get the crowning burn that people speak of when in the water as I think everything is softened up. I also could not feel it when under epidural - but then I could not feel anything below my navel!

I think you can use gas and air in the pool too - I did not have it during water birth only after for 1 or 2 stitches!

I would personally avoid an epidrual if you have pelvic issues as you need to feel what is going on to ensure you don't open u pyour legs too wide etc or do anythign else that could give you more pain duringa nd post birth

also, you might well find you don't want to get out of the pool... it can be qutie hard to do in established labour

as has been mentioned, the wait for an epidural can be quite long. if the aneasthatist is in theater, you could have an hour at least to wait, if not longer

i would definitely look into other methods of pain relief...

there is a lot between gas & air/water and an epidural

Thank you all so much for the replies. Definitely given me food for thought. Will speak to my consultant this week about it in more depth. Good points made about the possible wait for an epidural and great to hear positive water birth experiences. My hospital think it's unlikely that both pool rooms will be taken at the same time so I guess that's good news.

Would love to be the kind of person who aims for minimal pain relief but birth scares the living daylights out of me. If I hadn't had these pelvic issues, I would never had thought of a water birth. However after being threatened with possible induction at 39 weeks, I started investigating alternative options on how my condition could be best managed in labour/birth.

Would really prefer to avoid induction if at all possible. Seems pain comes on too sudden/intense and would probably rule out the pool.

it is v unlikely you will be able to use the pool if induced, you will have more monitoring, you will be offered constant monitoring, if the pessaries don't work, you will be given ARM and then a drip, which means oyu cannot get in the pool

a good position for birth if you are not in water is on all fours or lying on the left side with you rleg raised up

I've laboured three times with SPD, twice in a pool. The pool was fantastic for taking the weight off, making it easier to shift my bulk around. For the first two, I didn't have G&A, the pool and calm breathing was enough.

I had G&A for the third and birthed in left lateral as after a few hours of very fast progression the whole thing stalled after a large "clunk" in my pelvis. One of the midwives was very keen to "get things moving" and for me to do lunges and all sorts of other things which would have been great to get the baby moving but not for someone with PGP. If I'd had an epidural in and could not feel the pain, who knows whether I would have been able to dance to her tune?

I had SPD in my last pregnancy, I laboured in the pool (which was fabulous) but towards the end I ended up begging for an epi (DS head was flexed weirdly) and got one.

Both were fab.

HermyaLovesLysander, can you remember how many cmm you were at the time you got the epi? Also, I take from the comment that it was fab that you didn't experience any further pelvic damage as a result of the epi. Were you on your back for delivery? Sorry for all the questions!

ains73 I'm in a very similar situation, having mobility problems since breaking my leg and knee. I have al lot of metal work in my leg and at 28 weeks now I'm back at physio and have a walking stick as back up, this will be worse near the birth. I went on a hospital tour last week and asked them, they ummed and arred a bit but basically if I can get in and out of the pool without difficulty then yes. The birth pool is high sided and as I'm 5'1" it's a bit of a job but as long as they don't want me back flipping in it'll be possible.

I too am going for water then out for epi. This is my 3rd baby so I no longer wish to take part in the endurance contest in showing I can do it naturally, I can, I don't want to so let me relax for a few hours then drug m please

Pethedine in my opinion is evil it makes me sick, drunken and baby very sleepy. Gas and air is brilliant and you can have it in the pool, I'm planning on waiting until the gas and air isn't going it for me then requesting the Epi it cuts out the pain and doesn't cross the placenta, so if your cool with the relaxing pool and then the numb me from waist down go for it, nobody else has to feel your pain so do what you want x