Water birth...talk me through the actual delivery please

[FlirtyThirty]

Am hoping for a water birth...or to be specific to labour in water and see how I feel when the pushing and big moment comes.
I'm now overdure so could happen any day...

Anyway, I'm wondering what happens at the actual moment of delivery...
Do I have to catch the baby??
Am worried I may not manage this through pain or just not being with it enough at the moment...
So .... What actually happens...??

If you give birth in water you push the baby out and then you or the MW just lifts him up to the surface. They jsut sort of drift once they come out they don't sink like stones or anything scary!

I thought I would want to touch baby's head etc but when the mw asked me I was so focussed in coping with the pushing and in the zone that I chose not to feel his head.

His head was out for a few mins and then with final push mw brought him up through my legs into my arms. I then chose to get out of pool with cord still attached for delivery of the placenta.

It all flowed, I made each decision as I needed to and I don't think any planning could have changed how it ended up working out. I would suggest its best to go with the flow and decide at the time how you feel.

My mw's were fantastic and very non-intrusive in the whole process, just asked direct questions when it was my turn to choose etc.

If you're interested then maggie howell has a birth video on YouTube, search 'a natal hypnotherapy birth'. It's how I imagined I wanted my birth to go, so at least I had an image in my mind. It wasn't too different for me.

Good luck

I think if you labour in the pool and like it there'd be no chance of getting you out to deliver. Once I was in there (bearing in mind my labour was super quick and I must have been about 9cms when I got in) there was no moving me. Being in the pool, physically separated from dp and the midwives, let me separate from them mentally a bit too and I went completely into my own little zone. I know they were talking to me. It I couldn't have cared less what they were saying. I got myself almost into a ball against the tap end and when it was time to push just spontaneously sat a bit more upright. The midwife reassured me his head was fine being 'out' while I waited for the last push and I just guided him up into my arms. I was happy to stay in waiting for the placenta which took about half an hour, the water was perfectly warm and clean until the midwife dropped the sac and placenta at instead of catching it, I got out pretty sharpish after that. I'm sure if you didn't like being in there someone would help you out, but I know in my experience they'd have had a hell of a job getting me out when labour was that well established. I was so focused on getting into that pool that I waited til a break in the very freer contractions and pretty much dived in as fast as my little waddly legs would carry me. The relief was instant.

Big help! Thank you.
I was worried I'd have to catch the baby...and concerned I may not manage in the moment. Glad midwife can do this if necessary! :-)

Once it came time to push my midwife told me the water had to be a certain temp so added some home water then told me once the head was out I had to keep everything under water and not try to get up or anything, once Ds's head was delivered the 2 midwives and DH placed their hands firmly on my lower back just in case but I had no intentions of moving! Anyway between contractions we discussed who would lift him from the water and I said I would so the midwife kind of sent him my way, he sort of floated up between my legs (I was on all 4's) and I lifted him out. Totally amazing experience, kind of jealous you have it ahead of u!! Best of luck and a big push for mumsnet