Water birth

[rach6122]

Hi all, overdue with second so going to happen any day now. Just wondered those who had a waterburth, how do the midwives check how labour is progressing? I am thinking of going down this route but worried about this!

When I arrived the midwife did an internal to see how far along I was. Then I got in the pool they very much let me dictate how much or how little interaction I had. Just before I started to push I asked her to give me an internal again so I knew where I was at. She also had a mirror which she used to look at how I was progressing.

It was my 3rd DS and first birthing pool. By far the best birthing experience.

Good Luck!!

No internal this time. She just used a mirror.

Thanks guys. So is it left to your judgement when to start pushing or can they tell how dilated you are etc?

I had a speculum exam on arrival at the hospital and was 10cm so they wheeled me to the pool and DD was born about an hour and a half later. The midwives used a mirror (well, it was more like a shiny metal spatula) to check as things progressed and left me to push when a contraction came. In between contractions she listened for the baby's heartbeat with a sonicaid. It was a brilliant experience, so glad they offered it as it wasn't in my birth plan.

Same as PP. Examined on arrival and was 5cm iirc.

Straight into the pool and wasn't touh by a midwife after that. She had a listen once or twice with the doppler.

I could here her telling dp that my waters went and that I was going to start pushing. I told her I wanted to deliver the baby myself so she just sat and watched.

Was easilythe best of my 3 labours.

I wasn't examined at all in established labour. I got to the birth suite and midwife started the water running. Once I got in I started pushing straight away. They couldn't have stopped me pushing if they'd tried. Think she had a mirror to check what was going on and she asked me to slow down the pushing when dd was crowning. My body took over and did what it had to do and dd was born in 15 min. She didn't touch me at all just let me get on with it.