Waterbirth

[Sleepyquest]

After being told about all the many options of birthing and pain relief at our antenatal classes, I feel that water birth might be a good fit for me.

Can you please let me know what your water birth was like and if you would recommend it?

My main motivations are due to not wanting to have extreme pain relief if possible and trying to minimise the risk of tearing.

I had a home water birth for my second and i found it entirely different experience to my first dry land birth in hospital. I used only gas and air and had no tearing. Much more positive experience. It felt more relaxed, midwives did not examine me at all pre to pushing.
I do like a hot bath though, it is a way to relax for me so that definitely helped.

It has to be at a certain temperature for the baby to be born into, which was uncomfortably hot for me, but I'm quite sensitive to heat in general. I had the water at a lower temp until it was time to push, then my midwives brought the temp up to what it needed to be

It's meant to be body temperature but they seem to aim for the higher end (37.5c). The midwife said that if the baby's head comes out and it takes a while (as it often can), cold water will make the baby gasp underwater.

I had a water birth and praying I can have one this time round too.

I arrived at the hospital about 7am, was in the pool by 7.30am and had her just after 10am. Spent the whole time on my knees breathing and pushing, midwife kept topping the water up and checking heart rate. When the baby was there I turned onto my back and she pretty much swam out and I pulled her up onto my chest.

Obviously can't compare it to any other type of labour, but I definitely think it helped with my pain, I also had no tears or issues afterwards.

100% go for it. Worst case scenario is you don't like it and get out!

I had a water birth. I was in the pool from 4-5cm until birth. I used gas and air until pushing. It was a million times better than being on dry land with a tens machine. I tore but didn't feel it at the time.

I used the pool with my first baby in the MLU and it was excellent pain relief, but unfortunately my labour slowed so I was made to get out.
With my second I got my home water birth and it was fantastic. No pain relief, but I did get a second degree tear. The pool took a while to fill though so I got in before it was really deep or hot enough, my poor mum was running back and forth to the kitchen with kettles trying to get it to temperature. Totally worth the faff though.