How safe is a water birth really?

[decafgirl]

I'm really keen to use the pool for pain relief in labour and my hospital has 2 pool rooms so fingers crossed.

However I find myself keeping this a secret because so many people have such a negative reaction to it. They basically think I'm going to drown my baby which obviously I'm keen to avoid!

Is it just old grannies (and my mother) scaring me for no reason or is there some truth in it? At the moment I've said I'd like to use the pool for pain relief but I'm undecided as to whether or not to actually give birth in the water although I've heard the pain on getting out of the water and onto land can be traumatic in itself.

Aaagghhh! Please advise!

Goodluck Decafgirl.. I too am thinking about a waterbirth, was having worries but reading this thread has helped alot, thank you everyone.. (Must get birth plan written!!)

Thanks everyone! Let's all have a waterbirth and fight back against the 'well meaning' grannies in tescos!

I've only had the one DD and was lucky enough to get the pool at our local hospital. There was a questionnaire they went through beforehand (had I ever had heart trouble, that sort of thing) then they let me get on with it.
At some point well into labour they started telling me about how to get hold of the baby when it came out - I was exremely clear that there was NO WAY I could do that (I'd have dropped my gas/air tube) so they sent an extra mw in to "catch" DD as she came out.

This is why I didn't tell anyone I was hoping to have a water birth. My mum was visibly taken aback when she came to the hospital after ds was born and I told her I'd had a water birth - she didn't say anything as he and I were obviously fine (and she could see I'd had a great birth experience) but if I'd told her beforehand I'm sure she would have put niggling doubts in my mind.

If you possibly can, go for it!

I had a fantastic water birth with dd but didn't want one before midwife persuaded me. I am definatly going to have one with the one i'm expecting now.

DD was born underwater I was on my knees, when her head came out then the rest of her a few mins later.
I then turned over to a sitting position before I picked her up from the bottom of the pool.
As her head broke the water she took her first breath, it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, such a wonderful experiance.
Good luck

My two were born underwater and it was great. First time I was trying to hold the head in (with my hand) as it felt 'safer' to do so, so she had some stimulation before she came out but no problems with it. Second time round ds was much bigger and once head was out shoulders did not come too easily so the midwife pulled while i pushed and he came out without any problems so even more stimulation and still no probs.

I had my first baby 8 weeks ago in hospital in water. It was a great experience and I couldn't imagine doing it "on land" if I were to have another.
If your pregnancy is straightforward and there's no reason not to have one, I would recommend waterbirth to anyone.
There's no danger of drowning. I would recommend that you read up about it and visit hospital (mine had waterbirth talk once a month) so that you can reassure doubting old biddies.

This thread was really useful to me before I had dd, and dicusses most of the water birth issues. I gave birht at St Thomas' and they are very flexible: you can go from bed to pool and back again as long as there is a pool free, which apparently there usually is, even though there are only two.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1365&threadid=156986#3302452

This is a really interesting thread, and while I haven't worried about the safety of a water birth I do wonder what sort of birthing positions you can get into? The one at our hospital is pretty small.

Thanks DG!

Echoing the others - go for it and enjoy Had a home water birth a few weeks ago for baby no 3 and it was wonderful. Great pain relief and made me so relaxed for stage 2 - just happily went with it. Also seeing your baby's head as it emerges and bring it up to you is incredible - tears in my eyes now thinking of it. Personally for me to be the first person to touch and see my baby was just the icing on the cake. By the way my Mother thought I was mad and said that she was just glad that she was no where near me so wouldn't be involved with such a crazy decision

Great thread - I'm really keen on a waterbirth - 1st pg and am 27 weeks. I just find being in water incredibly relaxing and it seems logical to me that given my baby will have spent 9 months in water it might quite like to be born into it.

Mind you, you know what they say about the best laid plans. Am aware that my baby may have other ideas......

Will def buy the Janet Balaskas book - thanks DG!

I had a fantastic waterbirth with dd, hadn't planned to use the pool but the midwife offered & I thought why not? Dp was so relieved that I couldn't ask him to get in as he had no trunks; we had no sieve (they ask you to bring one in with you normally), but all was well. For me too, all fours seemed to work best. Good luck!

hi there

I had 2 home births, and my second was born in a birthing pool. I had a fantastic experience, the pain relief was fantastic (I had nothing else). He was born under water and didn't drown!! (an actually loves the water now.....hmmm)

If you think about it the baby is amniotic fluid in the womb and 'breathes' using the umbilical cord (sorry not v technical). When baby is born they are gently brought up to the surface to take their first breath and cord is cut after.

If you have any questions then ask away, I'll be happy to tell you my experiences

Waterbirth lovely and there is no evidence it is less safe than birth on land for normal low risk pregnancies assuming guidelines are followed i.e once babies face it out of the water baby should not be resubmerged. That might sound like common sense but my DD was born in water with a very short cord and it was tricky unwinding it with her still attached without dunking her back in - I had to stand up in the water and sort of unwind her.

Have a look at this link here www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/319/7208/483 clearly shows no evidence of increased risk with waterbirths

Also data.memberclicks.com/site/wi/RCOG_Waterbirth_Guidelines.pdf ACOG guidelines gives a really good overview of the evidence

I had a water birth on Monday. It was really great I wasn't too sure about actually giving birth in the pool, but knew I wanted to try it out for labour as had wanted it for dd1 but had a crap labour ending with diamorphine and an epidural. The pool was great especially in the hot weather and giving birth in water was good too, the midwife asked if I wanted to get out but there was no way that I could of.
I ended up in a kind of upside down crab position to give birth, basically holding myself up with my hands and feet, it was pretty comfy and meant I could sit back down easily to hold her after she was born. The hardest thing afterwards was trying to keep her body under the water to keep her warm but her head out when the cord was short.
I'd do it again so give it a go.

I had not planned a waterbirth with DD, but was open to getting into the pool if I felt like it for pain relief. Once I got in there, it was so comfortable there was no way I was getting out so midwife let me stay in. Ended up having a waterbirth even though it had not been planned, using only gas and air for pain relief. DD was fine - midwife was more concerned that she had the cord around her neck twice.

Overall, I would highly recommend using the pool - to me it felt like the best place to be when in the 2nd stage of labour. Next time (if there is one) I'll be heading for the water again.

I had two fantastic water births. I worried before about whether I'd adopt the right positions but your body naturally adopts positions of least discomfort and no one can tell you these but your own body.
Very gentle and no tearing at all. I hired a pool and birthed in the privacy of my own home.

Like many others who have already posted on here - I had nothing but enthusiasm for water/pool births. Both my children were born in the water, my ds was born in the hospital pool, my dd at home in front of the tv in a la bassine birthing pool. Very relaxing (if that is the word!) and totally natural. No stitches required, only had gas and air for pain relief. Again, like many others, once in the pool there was no way I was getting out. The labour pains before getting in the pool were really bad, but once I was in, the water made it more bearable. All of the midwives I had, both in hospital and at home, were excellent (although none had attended water births before!). Felt totally at ease.
Given the choices of being flat on your back on a bed, or going into theatre, or having a water birth, there really is no other method I would consider should I become pregnant again (dh going for snip in July so better not!!!).
Highly recommend and think that every woman should be given this choice.

Again - really reiterating what others have said - I had the most amazing waterbirth at home for my first baby just before Christmas. The whole thing was amazing and getting into the water was the best thing for pain relief - didn't need anything else.
As long as the water is body temperature the baby doesn't try to breathe (along with not being handled) - so people scaring you with stories don't know what they are talking about.
Would strongly recommend waterbirths to anyone who would listen!!!

DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did an 12.51am 6/6/06 i gave birth to my dd i found it soooo relaxing, i had just that an gas an air i was so calm i was falling to sleep! it was a fantastic experience would do it again! you have to be in pool 45mins plus so that your perineum gets nice an stretchy i had large baby 8lb5oz an only got small graze fantastic!
Your baby will be fine he/she breathing in/out amniotic fluid till you give birth then you give her a hand to come to surface an give her nice cuddle an pose for your pics! good luck
DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!