Anybody laboured/given birth in the bath?

[ICompletelyKnowAboutGuineaPigs]

Just that really ... planning a home birth but for many reasons it isn't practical to have a birth pool. I really like the idea of birthing in water but my bath would be the only feasible option and just wondered if it is, well, feasible. Would love to hear thoughts/opinions/experiences.

Ricki Lake did. And in a normal sized NYC apartment bath not some mahoosive celebrity jacuzzi. There's a clip of it in her documentary "The Business of Being Born" but you should be able to find some clips on YouTube.

I spent most of early labour (up until we went to mlu) in the bath. Not sure if I would have been comfortable enough to actually give birth though. Not easy to move around/change position etc.

I laboured both mine in my bath at home before going to hospital.

DD1 - 7cms in 2 hours in the bath, born 7 hours later.
DD2 - 4cms in 2 hours in the bath and then she was born 2 hours later.

With DD2, it was the middle of the night and I left DH asleep, the bath keeps me so calm that I was happy on my own. In fact I think I was on MN for most of it!!

I had a birthing pool for DD2 and didn't really like it. It just felt a bit chilly.

For the other two, I had a bath, one in a labour ward, the other at home. I much preferred the bath, anyway!

It would be OK in early labour but I don't think UK midwives encourage giving birth in the bath.

I would imagine it would be very uncomfortable.

The baby needs to be delivered underwater, so that it doesn't gasp for air.

To make sure of that, you'd have to be pretty much flat on your back, or at least reclining, and immobile. There'd be no way you could lean on the edge of the bath for support as you could with a pool.

Also, temperature is important, and there just isn't enough water in a bath to moderate the temperature easily.