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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Questions on Water Births !!

17 replies

pixiella · 23/10/2007 17:43

I really love the idea of having a water birth but everyone keeps telling me that you...poo..when you're in labour and obviously also there's alot of fluid and blood and...stuff that comes out when you give birth aswell SO....I want to partner to be present at the birth and he wants to be too but I'm embaressed to think that he'll see all that stuff floating on the water at the end of it all ...or during it all. I don't want to be lying there in a filthy tub (im quite squeamish and also quite a private/modest person when it comes to bodily functions/nudity).

I voiced my concerns to my partner (in a very toned down prudist way but he knew what i was getting at!) and all he said was

"Don't worry darling I've seen loads of cows give birth!"

???? what are your thoughts?

also i'd love to hear stories from people who've had waterbirths and the positives/negatives and what it was REALLLY like from every aspect!

Thanks so much, im off to work now for a few hours but will read your responses when I get back. LOVE xxxx * !

OP posts:

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Lulumama · 23/10/2007 17:45

your MW and/ or the birth pool come armed with a sieve for fishing out anything solid !! i know some women find being in the pool more protective of their modesty. the blood tends to come at the end as does the poo, so for most of it, things will be fairly clean

also, you don;t need the lights on full, MW cna use a torch and you can use candles and dim lights to light the room, so will be less easy to see the goo and gunk

kitsandbits · 23/10/2007 17:45

I pooped and it was scooped out by the midwife in about 3 seconds. Noone noticed.. I didnt even know till days later when DP told me!

Water births are wonderful - dont let it put you off

choufleur · 23/10/2007 19:05

pixiella i can't remember there being that much 'stuff' in the water. i guess as lulumama said the mw must have fished it out. To be honest in labour i couldn't have cared less about what was coming out, just wanted ds out.

Water was brilliant though - i definately recommend it. i didnt find it helped with the pain, but i was most comfortable on all fours and the water just helped as it supported a bit ofmy weight and took some of the pressure off my legs and knees.

i suspect women and cows are slightly different though

cheritongirl · 23/10/2007 19:35

hi pixiella,
i had a waterbirth at home for my ds nearly a year ago and i have to say that although there are photos of me holding my beautiful newborn son sitting in pretty manky coloured water (mostly red!) i cannot remember a thing about it and i know dh doesn't either (although he did have to empty it later and hasn't forgotten that! His advice: get a PUMP to get rid of the water!!). I didn't poo but if you do the mw has a sieve for that.
Basically don't underestimate how little aesthetic things will matter when you are in thr pain of childbirth and the ecstasy afterwards! You honestly really really won't be thinking about it.. all the best to you oh yeah and water was AMAZING pain relief..would really recommend it

Loopymumsy · 23/10/2007 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 23/10/2007 20:18

I saw nothing after my waterbirth and therefore there was nothing there. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Provided you see nothing, you can convince yourself there was nothing there

I'm a very private person too and I found the pool fab for this as everything was contained and "hidden" by the water. I was mortified when my waters went with DS2 but they went in the pool with DD so no mess.

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 23/10/2007 20:19

Get a liner for the pool too. You (or rather your DH) can bundle the last remnants up and shove it all in a bin bag.

chankins · 23/10/2007 20:23

I have to be honest, I do remember seeing 'things' floating about near me in the water, but surely thats better than being led on the bed and doing it there in front of everyone ?!
I had water birth with dd2, and the pain relief was great, also did not have to push, she just made her own way out. Its alot more relaxing and private, as you are alone in the water and not being interfered with !
Didn't get water birth with ds either, was gutted, it was much much harder work up on the bed !
You can have lights down really low, music on etc, its so warm and lovely.
Also, of you like you can catch the baby and bring it to the surface, and be the first to see its gender. I got to do this with dd2 and it was the most perfect birth experience ever, and I just sat there laughing my head off, holding onto her ! good luck to you

notnowbernard · 23/10/2007 20:27

Hi,

Have had 2 waterbirths. 1st was, I have to say, very bloody at the end. Couldn't see the floor of the pool!

The 2nd was a very 'clean' delivery (virtually no blood, IIRC).

Both times the midwife fished pieces of poo out with her colander! But I can honestly say, this did not bother me at all at the time. I don't think it even registered... and I believe it is inevitable that some faecal matter is expelled at some point during any type of delivery.

I found the experience of a waterbirth a really positive one, on both occasions. If I ever have a 3rd, I would without a doubt opt for it again.

Good luck with whatever you decide

motherinferior · 23/10/2007 20:27

OK, to be frank, yes I did poo. Right at the end, while delivering the baby. However it's presumably going to come out wherever you are; and also I think his point about the cows is brilliant, actually.

I have not asked DP in detail about the contents of the pool he emptied, though, in the four years that have passed since he emptied it.

motherinferior · 23/10/2007 20:28

Oh and yes, I really would recommend a waterbirth, utterly, totally, completely. It was marvellous. Wonderful. Really.

ejt1764 · 23/10/2007 20:45

Also to add to the waterbirth fans ... I had one 3 weeks ago with dd - ds was a dry land baby, and the experience was a lot less modest!

The pool room (in the hospital) was dimly lit, the pool was kidney shaped, with ledges and things to lean on.

The worst part of it was having to get out for the midwife to examine me ... but even then my modesty was preserved: dh and mw dried me off and draped me in towels.

Definitely go for a waterbirth if you get the opportunity!

Sushipaws · 23/10/2007 21:00

My waterbirth was great, everything I expected it to be. Yes, I did poo, but mw scooped it and thankfully you couldn't smell anything.

I delivered in a pool at the hospital, more like a giant bath. Was on my back for 2 hours and she wasn't coming out, so went onto my hands and knees. When I had a contraction my husband lifted me up under the arms and the pressure of the water got her out in half and hour. Afterwards she was handed to my husband and he was busy looking at her while they drained the bath and I had the afterbirth. It looked at bit bloody but that was the end and I felt amazing and not as tired as I expected to be.

When I have more kids I'd love to have another waterbirth. If fact I'm dreading a dry birth, it seems far more icky.

Don't worry about yucky bits, I don't think there's any way to retain your dignity during childbirth, but your dh will think you are the most amazing creature in the world for creating his child.

MillieMummy · 23/10/2007 21:06

I had waterbirths for DD and DS - found it really comfortable, the water helps support your wieght and you can move around in the water. Like the earlier posters the midwife scooped the poo out - not that I noticed/was bothered. With DD there was a lot of blood - mixed with the water it did look a bit horrific (looked like pints and pints), but there was nothing wrong really. I did find with DD (I was in the water for about 5-6 hours and pushed for over 3 hours) that when the water was let out of the pool and was sitting on the bottom taking my full wieght that my hips and lower back really hurt after all the hours of support from the water.

annieshaf · 23/10/2007 21:10

Pixiella

I had a hospital waterbirth with ds1 and it was fantastic. Not sure about pain relief but being able to float inbetween contractions was invaluable and meant that i could save energy for pushing. MW offered me a suppository laxative just before i got in which i accepted.
dont know if i pooed - i didnt ask and didn't look. DH never said i did so maybe it worked but to be honest after the birth the last thing you will want to do is take your eyes off your beautiful baby and look for floaters - it wont even enter your head no matter how much you think about it in advance!!

ib · 23/10/2007 21:10

I had a waterbirth although in the photos you can see the water being a bit murky at the time not even dh noticed/cared, and he was in the pool with me!

I think if he hadn't had the wonderful job of clearing it out afterwards he genuinely would not think there was mess. The presence of a baby makes everything else very hazy...

Pebblemum · 24/10/2007 00:27

I had a waterbirth in May. After two 'normal' births I decided to try something different and I havent regretted it.

I remember on my post natal thread everyone was discussing the pooing issue and I had been adament that with my two previous births I had not done it, I never saw anything and i would have thought Dh would have taken the P out of me forever if I had actually done it and he had been witness to it so for me that meant I had not done it (ignorance is bliss lol). Imagine my shock when in May I had my first waterbirth and discovered that as well as having a baby I had delivered something 'else'. It finally occurred to me that it probably had happened at each and every birth but because I had been on a bed before that it was probably removed before I could see it. This time the offending object was removed swiftly and to be honest I was too busy admiring my new baby girl to worry about it.

As for any other mess in the pool I was suprised at how little there was. For the last few weeks of pregnancy the thought of being in a pool surrounded by all sorts of gooey mess almost put me off but this was by far the cleanest birth of the three. There was very little blood and I was happy to remain in the pool for several minutes just getting to know dd before getting out of the pool to deliver the placenta.

For me having a waterbirth was the best decision I could have made, I cant say it helped with the pain (I was in so much agony I wouldnt have noticed) but the whole birthing experience was so much more easier than my two previous births. I would definately recommend it

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