If you're not having a water birth...

[Algebraic]

What are your reasons?

I don't have many friends with children but everyone I know who does (bar 1) has had a water birth.

I'm booked into my MLU to have one but there's only two pool rooms and I'm selfishly hoping they're not as popular as I think The other two rooms are rather pokey with no baths and no space to walk around, so really don't want to end up with one of them!

There are two pools on the MLU at our hospital and one on main labour ward, apparently they're often free (??).

This is dc7 and we are expecting complications so are planning a straight forward hospital birth.

I didn't want one. The thought of being wet and getting my hair wet then cuddling a baby with wet hair just didn't appeal to me. I hate being dry with wet hair it makes me feel horrid so I didn't want the experience on top of labour. Yes I'm weird

Oh I want one so much! But I was induced last time and 9 days overdue now so looking at missing out again.

Would you consider a home birth? I did just so I was guaranteed to have a pool which the midwives brought. I also lived 5 mins from the hospital otherwise I probably wouldn't have done it (and ended up transferring there anyway towards the end).

They tried to force me into the pool when I was in labour with ds, I just couldn't imagine anything worse. I hate having a bath when I'm bleeding and thought of blood and other things floating with me just makes me want to vomit. A friend describing a midwife fishing things up with a little net when she had hers didn't help either.

That night certainly despite the hospital being packed, they couldn't find any takers for the 2 pools in the MLU nor the one in the labour ward.

I wanted one, but when labour started I had some bleeding, so couldn't go in (plus it was occupied). In hindsight, it was better that I wasn't in the pool. I got hot during labour and had noticed when visiting the room with the pool before, that it was humid and quite hot in there.

I did have a bath during early labour, but when it all kicked off I was much happier moving about and being able to stay cool and keep the nausea down. If I have another baby, I'm not going to go for the pool.

I was in a birthing suite in the midwife led area and the room had a birthing pool. I really didn't want to go in it but the midwives kept pressuring me to. I feel like I wasted most of the energy that should have been spent on giving birth, on arguing with them about that stupid pool. I never went in in the end.

I've had 2 very straightforward non water births. Just didn't fancy it! I preferred to be able to walk around etc. DD2 I was on the birthing ball watching crappy daytime TV until 25 mins before she came!

Dc5 here & have never had a water birth & no intention to this time. I like labouring in the bath during the early stages but have just never fancied it once things become established, I think because I like wandering around & staying mobile. My dad did comment that it's odd as I used to swim competitively so I'm very comfortable in the water.

Cos I'm fat and if there's complications it's not fair on the midwives to risk breaking their backs trying to lug me out!

I liked the idea of a water birth until I began to think about the practicalities of it. Being wet; the only options to being in wet clothes (yuck) or naked; having things floating around in the water; being cold as soon as I got out; quite probably being cold in the pool as I like really hot baths... I could probably continue but I need to make supper!

I think I remember reading that only 4%of births in the UK are water births (or some similar number) so you've got pretty good odds really. I had two home water births, they were bloody marvellous. I knew I wanted to be in water as soon as I was pregnant, don't know why, it just seemed right to me.

I wanted a water birth but couldn't in the end because my blood pressure was high when I went into labour. I think there were rooms with pools free. I imagine it might be quite common that people who want water births aren't able to for whatever reason so that could mean that the rooms with pools aren't always being used. It could also apply to you in that you're not able to have a water birth.

I'm hoping I might be able to have a water birth this time round, but know that I'll just have to accept whatever happens.

It never appealed to me, plus I would plan for an epidural, I feel I missed out not having one the first time.

Unless it was like a hot tub, hot water and soothing jets sound appealing!

Mainly because I want an epidural and you can't have one in the pool. Also because I don't like getting wet, it's a sensory thing, I think with all the pain and stress being wet would just be one more thing to worry me.

I had a water birth but wouldn't have wanted to repeat the experience.
I wish I had know that it's virtually impossible to get out once labour is in full swing. I hated being in the water and was desperate to get out but couldn't 😒

I don't mean I don't wash or have showers haha but the idea of being wet whilst doing something like giving birth does not appeal to me.

I should have had a pool for my home birth with DC2....but he was in a hurry and arrived before the pool was delivered
Had a straight-forward, dry land delivery. Baby delivered by DH. Was perfect

I definitely wanted one. They'd told me I might not be allowed one due to a medical condition, but I'd read up on it and was all set to argue my case when I got to the hospital... Until I actually went into labour and found I just had no desire for it at all.

Would still think about it next time, I might feel differently.

I wasn't sure about actually giving birth in the water but liked the idea of using the bath whilst in labour as I find being in warm water soothing and I used to suffer horrendous period pain which baths helped with.
However, waters went before I was in labour so couldn't go to birth centre and ended up on Labour ward with the drip go get things moving.
Due to circumstances birth plans do change and water birth isn't possible in a lot of cases.

I wanted to use the birthing pool - not necessarily for the entire duration of my labour, but for some of it at least. I wasn't able to use it at all, because there was meconium in my waters so I was taken straight to the delivery unit

Tbh I think it's more likely that there will be a medical reason you can't use the pool rather than a pool room not being available.

I was tempted to have one but I saw it on obem and they woudnt let her put hot water in it. They told her it has to be cold. I can't stand cold baths so its a no for me

Water births just sound icky to me - waaaay to many random bodily fluids floating about in there for my liking!

DC1 was an EMCS following a failed induction and we're going for an ELCS with DC2 soon which I feel very happy about. I think we all have a different idea of what an ideal birth looks like

I have high blood pressure and require continuous monitoring of baby during labour. It's not compatible with a water birth, and due to complications in my last labour, I won't be pushing to go against medical advice.