Induction & water births

[Kt08x]

Is anyone able to clarify for me what the situation is with being induced and being able to have a water birth?

I was under the impression it was ONLY if you had the drip you couldn't

But have read something about if your waters are broke artificially you also can't?

Any info would be appreciated 🤞🏻

My hospital is if you only require the pessary.

I was induced; I only had the propess - I wasn't able to have a water birth. It's a blanket rule at my local hospital.

I had my waters broken the other day and I wasn't allowed a water birth. At my hospital they monitor you before and after they pop them so that can't be done in the water.

I had gel induction and had a waterbirth in hospital.

Once your waters have broken ( either naturally or artificially) , there is an open path from the outside world to your baby. Any bacteria in the water could, in theory, go up into your uterus and affect the baby badly. That's why hospitals have that rule - it's just not worth the risk of introducing infection to your baby.

It depends on the rules at your local hospital. In ours you used to be able to go in the pool if you’d only had the pessary. Now if you have any form of induction you have to stay on the consultant led labour ward, you are not allowed the midwife led unit at all including the pool. No idea of the reasons behind the changing policy.

@Birdie6 that is not a blanket rule though - I had a waterbirth with DD1 after waters broke naturally at home kicking the whole thing off.

OP best to check what local hospital policy is. If you discuss and get the ok in principle, write it in your birth plan or clearly somewhere in your notes if you would like to have the option, to cut down on arguments at the time if the midwife on duty has a different interpretation of hospital policy.

@birdie6 by that reasoning surely no one would be allowed a water birth?

I was induced, had my waters broken and was allowed a water birth.
My local hospital really pushes for ‘natural’ births though so it may depend on the hospital

Seems like it differs entirely on hospitals! Thanks for all the responses. Will give them a call today as still no baby and due to go in Tuesday morning
X

I was induced and really wanted a water birth. My hospital policy was if you had one pessary and that led to contractions, you could have a water birth (assuming everything else is ok). Anymore than one pessary and they wouldn't allow a water birth.

I had to be induced because my waters broke. As I was in early labour, the hospital tried to give me as much time as was safe to see if they could get things going so I could use the pool. I didn’t need a pessary so that was never a factor. They did break some other waters manually. I think that was a last ditch attempt (and I would have been allowed in the pool if it had worked). Obviously once the decision had been made for the drip then that was no pool. One of the things that might make a difference hospital to hospital is whether the pools are only in a MLU. Mine had a higher-risk pool in the consultant led unit as well so I wonder if that facility gave them a bit more flexibility

I was induced due to reduced movements at 41 weeks. I was told the rule at my hospital was if you were being induced for being overdue and no other reason, and the pessary worked with no gel or drip, you would be classed as low risk and allowed in the pool/MLU. Anything else and high risk and on the continuous monitoring.

I negotiated with them that if my monitoring was fine once I was in established labour I could go in the pool on the high risk unit. As it happened her heart beat kept decelerating so I wasn't allowed in the pool, but it helped to know they were looking at me and not just a checklist if you know what I mean.