Tell me about your water birth experience

[Bellabutterfly2016]

I'm 30 weeks and considering a water birth. Has anyone got any experience of this, good or bad! Thanks

I had a home waterbirth for my first.

The pool was brilliant for me as I had hip problems in pregnancy and then a fairly long early labour where I was only comfortable standing up. Being able to get into the water (waited until 6cm, aside from a few quick baths) was great when I was tired.

It possibly did slow things down further, but every time the midwife said I might have to get out, changing position seemed to get things going again.

I didn’t find the pain relief to be as amazing as some people do, but weirdly appreciated having my own space and a little barrier between me and everybody else as I didn’t want to be touched.

I had an hour in the bath at home then went to the hospital MLU. After a while on bean bags I got in the pool and had a blissful 8 hours huffing g&a and MrNC massaging my neck and feeding me grapes. Sadly minicitrus didn't want to budge so eventually had to get out, but still very glad I tried it.

After a false start 24hrs earlier I stayed at home as long as possible using a tens. I went into the mlu at 8cm and straight into the pool. It was lovely and allowed me to kneel for the next four hours. I don’t think I could have kneeled that long out of the pool.
I’m the pushing stage I was got out due to meconium in the water I’d felt a natural push in the water which was when all the yuck came out. Then out of the water one more deliberate push was all that was needed.

It slowed things down a lot and the hot water made me feel exhausted. I liked the fact that there was a bit more privacy, I didn't feel as exposed as during my first labour (on land). It also felt cleaner - no smells. I wouldn't go for a water birth the next time though because the negatives outweighed the positives for me. I felt much better able to push on land, I didn't feel as exhausted.
There was no difference regarding pain relief.

My first was a waterbirth. Awesome pain relief. I had a back to back baby. DH poured warm water over my back as I knelt in the water. Bliss. Felt very calm (lights dimmed) and looked after (the hospital rule was two midwives for a water birth). Would highly recommend it.

I went into the pool at about 7cms and baby was born about 4 hours later.

I don't feel like it slowed anything down as it all seemed to progress at the same sort of rate it was previously. Maybe it would have if I'd gone in earlier though.

The pain relief was nice, and like a PP said, although I was naked (my choice) I didn't feel overly exposed.

The downsides to my water birth - the MWs weren't very prepared. No net to fish out the nasty bits 😬 and no light/mirror until they went hunting for them, so for a while they had no idea what was going on.

I also didn't have a lot of guidance when it came to pushing (maybe because they couldn't see clearly). By the time I felt I wanted to push I got her out in 3 contractions, which I think possibly contributed to the 3rd degree tear.

I couldn't recommend it enough. Google birth in a box, that's what I had. It really helped me out and when he was born he didn't realise and was under the water. It was fascinating, when brought to my chest he took a huge breath and didn't cry. It was so relaxed.

2 waterbirths in a birth centre and both were brilliant, I couldn't recommend it more. With the first, I didn't get to go in the water right until the pushing stage so while it was soothing, I wasn't able to fully make use of it. Second time round, midwife had started filling the pool when I called to say I was coming and I was able to use it for all of active labour, it was so good and the weightless feeling was fantastic.

If its an option for you, definitely go for it.

I got in the pool at 5cm dilated and within 90 minutes I was fully dilated and pushing, so didn't slow things down for me. I tried to push for a while in the pool but got really hot and bothered, so had to get out, a giant bean bag and a fan was what I needed in the end :) should have known as I have a fan on by the bed every night of the year lol. Otherwise it was nice to kind of float about between contractions

I spent much of my labour in the birthing pool and it was very relaxing (relatively). I eventually had to get out because I was not progressing and that part was much more stressful. I am sure this is in part because it was later in the process, but also the weightlessness and soothing water made the experience much more pleasant.

Your post makes me realise that I would be very unhappy not to have some sort of water component next time around.

Summary: you can't count on staying there the whole time, but it's worth trying because the water is very soothing.

Would 100% recommend a water birth. After months of saying I wouldn’t do it because water makes me very nervous I spent the last forty minutes of labour in there and it really helped to focus me. I did blow bubbles, dunk my head under and snort like a hippo but it got the job done! As previous PP have said the dimmed lights also are very calming.

Couldn't have one first time, but dc2 was born in the water. It was amazing, as soon as I got in the pain eased. That said, I only felt relaxed because the birth centre was part of a hospital so pain relief and doctors etc were only a corridor away.

The whole labour was great in the water. Very hands off. I think the midwives only had physical contact with me for the initial examination and then the monitoring every so often. It felt very natural and very much about my body just doing what it needed to do. I was very lucky, textbook birth, no complications. At the first sign of trouble, I'd have wanted to be down the corridor. My dc1 was back to back and needed an episiotomy so I'm very grateful I happened to be in the hospital bit that time.

I guess my advice would be, if the birth goes smoothly, a water birth is amazing. If there are problems, it's best to be close to a hospital.

I had a water birth and can't recommend it enough, it was a wonderful experience.
Good luck x

I had a waterbirth 3 days ago and it was great. It was so much easier to move around and change position. On land moving around for the baby to be checked was agonising, but in water I could float into any position I felt like. I hadn't been planning on getting in the water, but I'm so glad I did in the end. I got in at around 8cm and it was very quick from there, around 40 mins.

I had a water birth. In the pool at hospital around 6-7cm. Had gas and air during contractions and would kind of just float in the warm water during the breaks which was nice. My waters broke in the pool which was weird as I didn't feel it at all. I found it quite hard to find a stable pushing position in the pool as my feet/knees kept slipping but eventually managed! One thing that shocked me was that after I had DS a few mins later they were telling me to get out the pool as you couldn't deliver placenta in the water! I didn't know this and climbing out with shaky legs holding onto a pair of surgical clamps attached to the umbilical cord (which was still attached to placenta inside me!!) was really something I'll never forget! Haha

Should add... I progressed from 6cm to pushing in about 1.5hour so didn't slow down labour for me. Also DS was so relaxed and didn't cry - the Mw told me not to 'catch' him when he came out so it was v gentle