Planning a water birth

[Blueeyes91]

Hey.

I'm hoping to have a Waterbirth in the birthing unit at Harlow. My midwife spends very little time with me so planning my birth plan hasn't really been talked about.

So my question... how do I plan this? I know that I am not guaranteed a birthing pool. They might be taken or I might not get my plan for whatever reason. But I'd still like to know that should things go how I'd like that I can use a pool.

Help and advise welcome!

Thanks!
Nervous new mum to be

I had my DD at Harlow. I think you need to firm up with the MW and be clear about your plan. Get it written out and hand it to them for your file. If you have someone with you, make sure they know the plan too. Be clear and concise as you'll probably get more than one midwife as you go through labour.

Then write birthing pool on your hand as the contractions start. Hold it up so the midwife on the day knows!

Best of luck. My birthing plan went out the window unfortunately but I still had good care at Harlow.

I never really made a birthing plan I don't actually know why when in labour and I got to the hospital they just said do you want water birth as the room was free. However, whilst the midwife was running my lovely warm bath my blood pressure went up and I had to be moved back down to the delieverly suite. Got to say I was at this point 10cm and ready to push I was not best pleased.
Anyway I think my point is whilst definitely be more firm with your midwife if your not happy. But after hearing so many people say they were upset their birth plan didn't happen try not to be too focused on it. I am now glad I never had a plan I just went with the flow. I was actually amazed how calm I was (I'm not naturally a calm person) I think if I had my heart set on the birthing pool I may have got upset which may have made labour harder.
Good luck

Harlow is apparently not often busy so you have a good chance of a birthing room free. Put it in your birth plan and when your contractions are close enough together to go in, phone the birthing unit and tell them to start running the bath.

However it is worth noting that they they won’t let you spend too long in the pool because spending hours in there makes your skin waterlogged and more likely to tear. So usually you get in towards the end.

Doing hypnobirthing will help enormously in managing the pain so that you don’t need need an epidural which would obviously put a stop to a water birth!

But whatever happens remember the next 18 years are the important bit to get Iggy not the birth - as long as you both survive that it’s all fine however it happens!

Good luck - I hope you get to use the pool. I was in one from 7.30 am till my little girl was born at 12.03 (lunch time!) so they will let you be in it for a while. Think about what you want to wear - I had a tankini top and I was much more comfy in that than being naked. Take hair conditioner as after 5 hours in the pool with your hair possibly tied up you'll need it - mine was a tangled mess!

Definitely make a birth plan with your midwife...there’s usually a part of your notes where it’s listed to discuss at that visit?
I laboured (and delivered) in water for around 2 hours and it was such a positive experience. I would second hypnobirthing which I also used.

One random thing to hear in mind is no nail polish! It marks the baths so they don’t allow it (at least where I was!)

I would make a birth plan and make sure every one who is involved is aware of all your choices, it is important that you make all your choices and have someone there to support you and to make sure those choices are listened too. You could hire your own birth pool or even buy one, a lot of people do this in their own home and find it a wonderful experience, that way they have a lot of control. You could consider hiring a doula to be a bridge between yourself and the midwife, she will support you during preganancy adn childbirth adn be there to make sure your choices are communicated to the doctors and nurses or midwives. You could sit and talk with your midwife and say you feel she is not taking enough time with you. Alternatively you can switch.

I recommend two books that helped me a lot in making decisions and learning about what will happen, that is really important when you know what to expect it is less scary

at the end of the day women are amazing and sacred and our bodies have all the tools and power to give birth if we just listen to them and support them.

these are the two books:

www.amazon.co.uk/Choices-Pregnancy-Childbirth-Professionals-Practitioners/dp/1848192193?tag=mumsnetforum-21

AND
www.amazon.co.uk/Positive-Birth-Book-Approach-Pregnancy/dp/1780664303?tag=mumsnetforum-21

PS. make a birth plan and a birth plan b and c, that way you have planned for whatever might happen :)

My dcs never let me birth in the pool. Both times it made me relax so much my contractions faded. This was after being in for 6 hours. In the end i had to get out and as soon as i did they were both born. I had a water birth in both my plans but it never planned out.

We got told to bring a mirror and a sieve if we wanted to use the pool for a Water birth

Is it a MLU that has the pools? As long as you are still low risk when you get admitted I think you have a high chance of a pool being free - they get used less often than you would think.

My midwife gave me a big honking "I WANT TO GIVE BIRTH IN THE MIDWIFE-LED SUITE" sticker for the front of my notes, which meant after I arrived in labour and was assessed, I was whisked there immediately and they started filling the pool for me. It was bliss :)

Definitely document it as a key part of your birth plan. Maybe the stickers are available somewhere online? Good luck!