water birth and squeamish DH - just how messy does it get?

[mabel1973]

I am keen to have a water birth this time round, but my dh is very squeamish. I am not sure (if I deliver in the pool) how bloody it will get and whether he will cope. I know I should just put myself 1st, but if he passes out or can't look, he's going to be no use to me anyway. Last time he just made sure he stayed at the noisy end rather than the messy end, so didn't really see it all.
Just tell me honestly - how bad does it get??!

It's really not that bad if you birth in the pool, the water goes murky and blooded but everything is contained.
If you birth on dry land and lose a bit of blood he may find that worse cos you'll be able to see it clearly.
The midwives generally use a scoop to retrieve any icky bits like poo etc.
The pool will want emptying though and my Dh said that's the grimmest job he's ever done!
It has to go back to the hire firm the way it arrived, spotless, which is something to bear in mind, given that you won't be cleaning it out I can almost guarantee that.
The division of labour in our house for this birth has already been established! Good luck!!

I take it you hired the pool and had the baby at home?
I am going in to hospital but hoping to use the pool, if it's fee, I assume he won't be expected to clean the hospitals pool??!!
(i'll have to pack to flash liquid and a few rolls of kitchen towel in my hospital bag if he is )

that should say free not fee..

I opted for a waterbirth but had to get out at 10cms as contractions virtually stopped so can't answer for "what it was like to birth in it". I can remember that bits I did pass the mw scooped out following dh's announcment to her.." Urrrmmmm..something has come out that doesn't look right".."Oh thats her show Honey..all is going well"..Bless.

Also neither if us had to clean the pool out. This is done by the hospital. I know about staff shortages etc BUT they wouldn't risk the chance of anything being passed on iykwim.

Go for it, it's the best thing ever. I'm expecting dc2 and I aim for a waterbirth again..In fact giving birth/labouring "on land" puts the fear of god into me as I don't really don't much different...

BTW if I had to rely on dh to do it I would have done it myself as it would have been quicker and easier..!!!

Visions of shhh post birth on her hands and knees scrubbing the delivery suite..!!

Hee hee I wouldn't guarantee you won't need flash wipes anyway if you're going into hospital! Dh would've been shocked if they'd have asked him to mop up in hospital. I got out of the pool once to toilet and had a contraction. I nearly shot through the roof with the pain. I'll just pee in the pool this time around! (sorry tmi) Good luck with the birth

the birth itself was very mess free

also the baby ends up nice and clean from the water

BUT be warned, when I got up to get out I suddenly lost A LOT of blood and during the placenta delivery it was like the somme. Even my normally hardcore dh was a bit shocked.

Ooh I forgot about that bit, yes it was a bit bloody, but still relatively contained. m/w caught the placents as I stood up. Actually iirc standing up to get out of the pool was quite tricky, as had developed bambi legs.

sorkycake I now what you mean.! I remember while in the pool the mw telling me how much pain relief the pool was giving me and how I was doing well just on g&a. I am 99% sure i peeed in the pool (sorry guys) but the mw wasn't convienced and insisted on me getting out and going to the toilet .
I was petrified that the pain would hit me lik a bolt..and ...it did..while I was on the toilet!! Wasted journey as I couldn't pee..!!! Prob through shock.!

Thing is with the blood side of things, the men are going to see it whether on land or in water..DH couldn't believe how much blood I lost..It was like water he said, going green.

hi shhhh,

wonder if people think we are one and the same?

Ooh which one is pregnant on the feb07 board?

OK the pool will be full of shit and blood

then you will get out and 4 tonnes MORE shit and blood will be deposited on dry land

hope that answers your questions

this thread has been very eye opening for me!!! i'm familiar with the mess associated with a birth, but had always imagined a water birth being pristine!

snort @ "Like the somme" enid

When I got out the pool and all the blood started pouring on the floor I thought "Oh dear, next thing I know I'll be seeing a tunnel with my dead grandad talking to me at the end of it" but the midwife just said "ALL NORMAL DEAR!"

sshhh you are confussing even me..!! LOL I read your message thinking " I don't remember typing that".."Surely I wouldn't have forgotten than in 5 mins"..

LOL I'm also expecting, due 31/01/07 so may be on the due in feb07 board..!!

(!!! i'm an alias tho' so will be posting under my 'other name' from next thursday when i have scan!!)

Oh I am intrigued (sp?).....................Although pregnancy brain I will prob forget to check..!!

Good luck xx

Thank you all for your graphic accounts !
think I will have a word with DH and get him primed and ready, then see how he feels.

When I started reading this thread I thought oh it does sound nice - now after reading all acounts, I am thinking - give me a nice hospital bed! With number 1 I was pretty out of it but at least I did not see what was going on at the catching end! Saw a bit of blood and that was it. May be I am just squeamish

mine was fine!
once ds had popped out, nice and clean might i add, the bottom of the pool did look dark but squeamish dh didnt even notice, he was too busy looking at dh.
being in water allowed him to watch ds come out without throwing up. he said as his head popped out there was a little bit of red but that was it, it sort of dispersed in the water.
i then got on the bed where the placenta came out and dh turned around just in time to see that flop out and then he did heave, poor lamb!!
im going for the pool again in a few weeks so it cant be that bad.
ps: im squeamish too!!

(looking at ds)

Good luck - thank you for positive story!