Your experiences of birthing pool

[Dozeyland]

How did you find it?

I spent 6 hours of my labour in the pool and it helped a lot, but I got out for the actual birth - not surer why, just felt like it. I had a small tear but the water stayed very clean and clear. I had a long labour last time (23 hours) but for my DD's birth I did not have time to fill the pool as it was only 2.5 hours start to finish!

I would really recomend the pool, I found it really helped with pain relief. I hadn't realised I wouldn't be allowed in till 6cm, nor did I realise I'd have to get out for examinations (I thought, with it being a lovely birth centre, they'd be able to do the underwater thing but sadly not). For me, I had to get out before birth because my contractions were slowing & my waters hadn't broken @ 10cm :-( at that stage the baby was in distress & I was transferred to hospital for a forceps delivery. I will definitely try for water next time! Oh yes & I did have to take my own sieve!

I had a pool birth for my dd and it was an amazing experience got in at about 8pm and as I lowered in my waters broke two hours later she was here and I pulled her up out of the water...so lovely! I had a tiny tear that didn't require stitches and had gas and air, felt that the heat of the water definitely helped with the pain! Hope all goes well with your birth!

Had decided on natural birth in water for first DC and it was so comforting being in warm water. BUT it all went horribly wrong for me. I was in labour over 3 days, they kept sending me home in the middle because contractions would virtually stop in the water (though this might have had something to do with the cocodamol they gave me twice-I never asked for any pain killers and wish I'd never taken them!). Ended up in theatre with failed ventouse, episiotomy, forceps delivery and third degree tear! I guess lots of factors played their part but feel really let down by midwives, especially towards the end. I don't think they had a clue what was happening with me and I felt like I was dying! Am pregnant again and having Elective caesarean in 3 days time. Solely because of the damage caused to my under bits from the first delivery!

it was brlliant so fantastic that this time the local one is broken but I am planning to drive to another hospital as I dont think I could give birth without one. It takes so much of the pain away and its the best experience ever.

I will add I tore a lot of my labia though and it had to be sewn up at a later date as it was missed but that was a whole other story. It hurt after I got out and the after bit as it went unoticed and I was never checked but that isnt anything to do with waterbirth that was hospital mistake as they were so busy. Anyway I think it tells you something when the near entire side of my labia ripped off and was hanging off but in the water and on the gas and air I didnt even realise!

aprilfoolsbaby I got out after 45 mins or so; skin-to-skin with DS that whole time. Only got out then as hadn't delivered placenta but this came out a couple of mins after - think gravity helped.

Stitches didn't seem to be an issue with having been in water; and I had 2 internal exams in water - didn't need to get out for them. They also monitored baby's heartbeat under water too.

molly - I am utterly shocked by what happened to you. That sounds horrendous.

Thanks kdiddy for that - these are the questions that I will be too embarassed to ask in front of a room full of strangers when I go for the active birth session at the local hospital next week. (It's a hospital with one pool, they don't offer c sections or epidurals so if things look like they won't be straightforward you have to travel to a larger hospital 30 minutes drive away)

April, it is worth really thinking about the 30 min thing. When they realised my baby was in distress there was no option but to transfer. By this time I'd been in labour over 20 hours & getting strapped to the stretcher was awful- I was allowed to take the gas & air but I hated being on, my back. I hate to say it but I hadn't really thought about something going wrong for the baby, in hindsight it was scary to be 30 mins away. If there is any option of going to a birth centre attached to a hospital I would definitely look into that option (I had thought in my area I couldn't do this, I thought I had to choose 1 of the 3 they offered, in fact I could have chosen others!). Enjoy the tour and ask lot's of questions, they won't think any of them are silly x

I found it made me feel sick (don't know why) and had to get out.
It was day 2 of a 3 day labour, maybe I was just knackered.

to answer a question further down im not sure aboutbeing waterlogged ti much to stitch though it was 2 hrs later when i finally got took to theatre were after my gas and air fuelled proud water birth i got to have a biig juicy eipdural so they could stitch me back together again - a downer you would think but actually it was positive to as with first they stotched me for an hr whilst iwas on gas and air only and it was hideoue - having a pain free stitching experience was great and they did a lovely job

Thanks for the replies everyone! Really good to hear all views, how ever different they may be!

With DD (15mo) I had a speedy first labour, very intense. I had a PPH of 1000mls 2hrs after giving birth as the placenta was "ragged"... They thought some was left in me, but thankfully it wasn't. but where DD came fast, my body didn't have time to catch up and then delivering the placenta naturally was easy but the uterus wasn't contracting quick enough i think hence the bleeding - so i don't want this happening again, because other than that it was a great first labour. it just literally started so clearly and then progressed quickly, So I wonder if i'm even going to have time....?

I was hoping for a water birth with her but there was a lady in the pool, and i'd gone in and had DD and she was still 8cms! :s

I like the idea of the warm water too, but just wouldn't want to make me have a slower labour? even though SIL said maybe a little slower is what i need this time lol!