Don't know whether to try a waterbirth again

[blissieblue]

When DS was born I was already 7cm when I got to hospital after 4 hours at home with tens, showers and walking about. I got straight in to the pool where I laboured until fully dilated.
I found it wonderful, very relaxing and was falling asleep between contractions with my head on an inflatable pillow.
But.... it was while in the pool that things started to slow down and become more erratic. I got quite shivery and eventually insisted on getting out of the pool so the MW could check how far I had progressed. I was fully dilated but the urge to push never came.
I ended up on a syntocin drip, with an epidural and subsequent ventouse delivery, episiotimy and PPH. Which was pretty gutting for me when it had looked like it was all going to be so easy in the beginning!!
I'm now 34 weeks with DC2 and just don't know whether to try a waterbirth again as this seemed to be the beginning of a slippery slope for me last time. Is it possible to be too relaxed in labour? Am I wrong to think the pool could have been to blame for everything grinding to a halt? Has anyone else had this experience?
Thank you!

I've had 2 waterbirths, both v successful. Trick is not to get in too early. Think I was nearer transition than you when I got in the water. Also, couldn't the mw have warmed the pool up when you got shivery by putting in more hot water and letting out the cold? You know you can ask to discuss your birth afterwards with the hospital - at the J R Oxford it's called Birth Afterthoughts. They probably have it at all hospitals.

I didn't think that 7cm was too early for getting in? When is the best time in your opinion? They did put more warm water in the pool but unfortunately I was still shivery. This birth was at the Royal Free in Hampstead and no discussion was offered and I was too dazed and knackered afterwards to ask for it. We have since moved so I will be at a different hospital this time.
Anyone else got any thoughts?

waterbirths can slow things down

I got out of mine to go to the loo and my goodness did it speed things up

it was an opportunity for my dh to put some more hot in too.

Your shivers probably had a lot to do with being in transition. If you didnt have an urge to push it may have bene that the baby was not presenting ina straightforward position - ask to see your notes. If that is the case be assured that 'mal' presentation is less likely with subsequent births.

if you are not confident about the waterbirth this time, that in itself can slow things down

Michel Odent , who pioneered water birth, recommends getting in the pool at 5 cm , not before, so you didn't get in too early

however, as happened to you , you can get too relaxed! but, the urge to push does not always come the minute you get to full dilation.

Shivering is often a sign of transition, but can be followed by 'rest and be thankful', a pause in labour before you get the urge to push which allows you to get some energy back. Some hospitals are not terribly comfortable with this , hence you got given syntocinon...and all the subsequent interventions..

have you thought about a homebirth, and then you can labour on your own terms, use the bath for pain relief early on, or hire a birth pool..

that way, even if you have another pause in your labour you won;t get the whole thing of synto/epi etc...

hi BB - i had a home waterbirth 3 months ago and my labour was pretty long and slow but that ended up being because my ds's head was a bit to one side. I got in the pool at about 4cm but got out after couple of hours to try and speed things up but to no effect and i was getting quite stressed and panicky so the wise mw sugested i get back in to try to relax. This really worked, my waters went and i gave birth about 3 hours later.
I know this experience is really different to most people's though but just wanted to add it. All the best!

Thank you ladies - that's really helped me to think back to the time and what might have been going on. I really was quite down about how the birth ended up - and DS was a very unhappy baby for the first few weeks which I'm sure was connected to his ventouse delivery. But I never had the chance to discuss it with anyone.
Looking back once the MW knew i was fully dilated she got me out of the pool and on to a birthing stool to push - even though I had no urge. I remember being wet and bedraggled and cold with just a towel round my shoulders which kept slipping off and with every push I was just gushing wee everywhere (couldn't seem to go sitting on the loo!). In retrospect i probably should have got dried off, got comfortable and just tried to relax for a while which would have set me up for my contractions getting going again. Lulumama think I will read up a bit of Michel Odent and also have a chat with my midwife. Not "allowed" a homebirth this time because of the hemorrhage last time.
Thanks again

Sounds like your mw was a bit nervous about waterbirths, BB. Having a mw who is confident and keen to do waterbirths makes all the difference. People are not offered birth afterthoughts as a matter of course, btw, you have to ask for it.

For my first waterbirth with dd2, I was only in about 45 mins before she was born. (Whole labour, 3.5 hours). Could this have anything to do with the fact that the mw overfilled the pool so I had to stand up or drown? 4 years later, I was in the pool for 2 hours, out of an 8 hour labour - much slower but then I was getting a bit long in the tooth.