Water birth vs dry land

[Crazymummyto3]

I'm due baby number 4 in just over 5 weeks and planning my second home birth. Each time I've planned to have a water birth but it hasn't happened yet - baby one was a complicated birth which resulted in forceps, baby two arrived 20 minutes after I arrived at hospital, baby three was a home birth and I had my own pool but didn't have time to fill it. I've hired a pool for this time, I might not get time to fill it if I have a quick birth again but the option is there. Those of you who have had both a water birth and a dry land birth, which did you prefer and why?

Water birth all the way! It was so tranquil and the way the water supported my body felt so amazing. It was like a wonderful warm cocoon enveloping me.

Although overall that birth was easier and more straightforward than my non-water birth so that's probably a factor too. But if I was ever to give birth again I would 100% want the pool!

I've had both. The water birth was far far nicer. For me it was all about privacy. I know everyone says "by that point you won't care about dignity" etc but I did. I didn't want a whole load of people staring at my bulging vagina/anus again. I am absolutely sure that's why it took me ages to push DS1 out as I was on my back, in pain, everyone staring at my bits and I was pulling really ugly pushing faces and knew it and couldn't do anything about it. Sounds stupid and vain almost but I felt inhibited by the lack of privacy.

With DS2 I wore a vest top in the birth pool and the water held me in a squatting position. My lower half was under the water, so no one could see. My DH was behind me, arms around my neck, and I gave birth to DS calmly into my own hands and pulled him up to my chest. It was private and controlled. Such a difference. Plus no monitors. It was great.

I've had both.
DC1 was a water birth which really helped with my long labour.
DC2 was a birth on dry land purely because baby arrived 15 mins after are at the hospital. I would have had the pool though had things been a bit more drawn out. I laboured in the bath at home, in really warm water not knowing how quickly things would move this time.

If I did it again, I'd want it to be like the second time, purely for the speed rather than the exhaustion of my first birth, but preferably with the pool....!