Labouring without water

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

I'm consultant-led because of high BMI. In my last pregnancy I was forbidden from using a birthing pool so the midwives wouldn't have to drag my immense bulk from the water were anything to happen to me. By a stroke of luck, a rogue midwife let me labour in the one pool on the labour ward (also luck that it was available), and it was a wonderful experience. It really helped me deal with the pain (also had G&A but didn't need anything else), and meant I could change position easily in the water so I was active and comfortable. I ended up getting out of the pool to deliver, but labouring in the water was very beneficial to me.

Now I'm pregnant again I'm obviously facing the same issues, but I'm terrified of labouring out of water. Can anyone who has done both advise me as to whether it was awful out of the water and much more painful? I'd rather avoid an epidural but I worry that G&A won't be enough on its own.

I'm hoping to demonstrate that I can safely use the pool given my past experience (I got in and out by myself a number of times), and hope they might see me as a whole person (a fit and active one) rather than just a BMI.
Of course this all relies on the one pool on the ward being available when I want it

And of course if I can't have the pool, I will have to just get on with it, but I do worry that it will lead to further intervention without the water as an aid.

Is this your first baby four? If so I'm sorry if I've frightened you!

Yes... #1... so it doesn't take much to frighten me! I'm not actually a shy person, like about bodily functions/nakedness etc. but this just struck me as really poor.

Even hardy soul me knows that during labour I'll be in pain, scared and frightened. It hadn't occurred to me that one of the things that would be an issue would be bloody washing and toileting facilities.

Coz, you know, this is 2016!

What did your friends say about how they got around it?

I'm a student mw and my unit doesn't have en suite facilities in most of the rooms on labour ward. It's absolutely shit.

The only friend who gave details said that she managed to go to the loo a couple of time but that she also had an accident in the corridor once... she said that she couldn't shower because the only shower was in use... sooooo that helped how I feel!!!

Ah jaysus I'm fretting now that I only saw the two rooms that do have en-suite facilities (one being the pool room, go figure).

Doesn't it offer a description on the maternity section of your trust's website? That's how I found out.

I never got to use the pool with dd1. She was back to back and the pain was awful due to her positioning but I had meconium in waters so they wouldn't let me in pool.
Despite her position, I managed to deliver on just gas and air and breathing techniques.

With dd2 I had a homebirth and got all the way to 10cms on dry land then delivered in the pool just as midwives arrived so only had gas and air right at delivery.
I did prefer the pool but I managed on gas and air for a 30 odd hour labour from first contraction with dd1.

I'm a total cynic with hypnotherapy and stuff but I found it helped my breathing and helped me stay calm and helped me understand my body better.

I'm consultant led due to BMI. I've met him Several times and I'm fukky aware of the risks.

SOM at MLU has been supportive and I still need to do personalised risk assessment. However I know she is worried about manual handling risk of pool so that's out of bounds.

For me this is very disappointing as I don't tolerate gas and air well. Nor did I like the tens with my first child. However every labour is different so we'll see.

For now Im planning on home birthing ( 11days til term) with a pool with an agreement to transfer in to my or consultant led unit on advice and discussion from midwife. I'm confident in their ability and my body's ability.

See I don't understand why they say they're worried sbout the manual handling aspect. Won't allow you in the pool in a hospital with multiple staff, but it's fine to use a pool at home with one or two midwives.

Obviously I know they can't stop you using a pool at home but surely apply some common sense!

Just because you can do something considers risky or unsafe while at home, does not mean that your healthcare providers have to accommodate you in doing it in their facilities. You cannot compel them to offer you something they deem unsafe.

Well they need to use their brain and think if a person is going to do something unsafe at home surely it's better if they do the unsafe thing in hospital with more support about.

I had my first using a birthing pool and it was such a positive experience I couldn't imagine how anyone could do it 'on dry land.'

However, my waters went first when I went into labour with my second baby and there was meconium in the water, and they wouldn't let me use a pool as they said I couldn't be monitored closely enough. It was absolutely fine, my experience of giving birth was no less positive than when I'd been able to use the pool first time round.

Good luck and congratulations!

Lots of common sense here thanks. MLU only has two staff. Same as home. Mlu pool rigid with no hoist. Pool at home could be punctred and lounge flooded if desperate.

Highly unlikely to be necessary but plan is there if neccesary. I'm active and mobile. Not concerned.

Hi OP. If it helps I was determined to labour in the pool. I frantically wanted the pool filled up and once I got in bloody hated it! I was like a cat in the bath jumping to get out. I think it was physically wanting the put as much pressure on my feet.

Do they have a hoist? My MLU had a ceiling hoist for disabled women to use the pool, which reassured me as I was in a wheelchair from SPD. The MWs then confessed they'd never used it since training years ago and really weren't happy. However they said as I had a strong partner or two, then they were happy for me to use it on the understanding that getting me out in a hurry might not be comfortable or elegant. It wasn't elegant!

2nd labour I had an epidural immediately after check-in, but before that was OK with Tens and being on all fours as much as possible. Second labours tend to be a lot quicker.

2 dry births here. Homebirths both times, both no drugs, just TENS. Both been absolutely fine - I'm one of those nutters that loves giving birth and would happily do it over and over again I've not hypnobirthed but am naturally very good at relaxing into the pain, breathing through it, staying calm etc (not a brag, just a fact) which I think are the key tenets of hypnobirthing.
Agree that you need to push to be looked at as an individual and get your own plan in place - you may end up getting the pool after all! But if it doesn't happen for whatever reason, don't worry, you'll be fine.
Second baby likely to be much quicker too - my first was 17hrs from first tiny pain to baby; second was less than 4hrs! I wouldn't have had time to get the pool up and filled even if I'd wanted to. Be prepared for the possibility!