Question about water birth and sieves

[ardenbird]

So, um, at what point in a water birth does stuff appear that requires sieving?

I'm planning to use a pool for pain relief, and my current plan is to get out for the actual birth, but I'm leaving open the option to stay in if I'm happy there. Depending on when the baby comes, one of my birth partners will be a friend who is on the squeamish side, and I'd like to be able to warn her when "ickiness" might appear (she's said she's going to work on preparing herself to handle things, but the more info she gets, I suspect, the better off she'll be).

I have had 3 waterbirths

With the first there was very littl that required seiving, I'd spemt most of the morning pacing round the living room and to the loo with DH following me around like a bridesmaid holding the tens machine so I was pretty well 'cleared out' by the time I got in the pool - didn't end up using it for pain relief during labour as such as was scare of getting in too early and slowing things down, but was ready to push when MW arrived!

With DD there was more mess in the pool, when you hear them say on OBEM 'big push now, down into your bottom' thats pretty much what you do, so anything in the way of the baby's head will be pushed out of the way at the same time so 2nd stage is 'danger time' for your squeamish friend,

Having said that I needed the loo before DS2 was born (after VE had shown I was 7-8cms) think the MWs expected me to drop him down the loo! so there was very little mess that time either

All 3 were born in the water, and I can't imagine giving birth on dry land now. Hoping DC4 will complete the set in May :) DDs placenta was delivered in the pool, they asked me to get out for DS2s placenta - different areas seem to have different guidelines. It makes me sad when on OBEM etc they dewliver the baby and whisak it away and wrap it up, I'm bizarrely proud that no-one touched my kids before me, but thats not relavant to your question

Hope it all goes to plan for you

I was going to say the same thing as above - what birds said.
You have to concentrate on yourself 100% in labour so you can do your best to get what you need and get the baby out safely with you being ok as well.
You won't want to be distracted by worrying about someone else feeling queasy when you are in labour.

Thanks for the concern! DH is my main birth partner, but my friend will be available for backup and the main plan is for her to help him, if needed, and do running around for us and such. But I want to make sure she's prepared in case it ends up being us two at the birth.

I've had two waterbirths, with the first I had entirely emptied the contents of my intestines in the toilet before I got in. However - I did stay in after the cord was cut and so the placenta came out in the pool. Then I was tasked with finding it ... and whilst fishing around the bottom of the pool for it, I came out with handfuls of stuff before eventually finding the cord and chasing it round the pool until I found the placenta. Now that was something I could have done without although at the time I found it hilarious. However, had it been someone else's gunk I would have found it

I agree the problem occurs only at the pushing stage, I had DD2 in the birthing pool and had been a bit blocked up (ahem) beforehand - was very much unblocked by the time baby arrived and the student midwife had given up fishing...