When can I get in the birthing pool (home birth)?

[claraenglish]

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Ooooooh sounds like your on your way.

Sending good birthing vibes.

I didn't have a homebirth but did have a waterbirth. I didn't get into the pool until I was 9cm dialated, contractions about 4 minutes apart. But I did use the normal bath at home and the shower.

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I know this sounds really stupid at this point, but you do need to rest, even if it's only making a nest on the sofa and trying to block things out, turn off the lights,switch a lamp on and keep the energy levels low - you're in early labour, but your contractions need to get more regular - they'll do that on their own so don't get any ideas about pacing round unless you get an unstoppable compulsion to do that (always best to listen to your body in labour,however bizarre it seems)keep drinking and eating as you feel able and don't forget to wee!
good luck -I shall be expecting to hear you've done it by tomorrow night!
Lisa X

Yes, don't forget to eat, keep your energy levels up.

If you can get some rest, do. I personally couldn't lie down for long period of time, I put cushions on the floor and wriggled about while my dh ran around in a blind panic filling up hot water bottles and downing bottles of bach herbal remedy.

Please post when it's all done.

Or if you need a rant between contractions we're here.

I loved my water birth, was better on my knees rather than my back.

This is the day you've been waiting for.

oooOOooo I'm excited for you and I don't even know you.

I'm excited for you too and also bloody jealous!! I had a home water birth with my second and it was two of the best hours of my life!! I LOVED it!
Dont get in too soon I would say. My midwife suggested that I was on my knees for the contractions and then flopped back onto my bum and with my back resting against the edge of the pool for the gaps in between. I closed eyes and imagined I was in the South Pacific ocean (or somewhere similar) and just let the water flap around me. I found it worked - I used those small gaps really well to relax and re-group ready for the next bout of contractions.
Heck Claraenglish, i dont think I'll be able to sleep now - I shall be reliving my own waterbirth and thinking of you all night. Hope it goes really well for you

Getting in the water definitely slowed things down for me so as long as you're OK out of the pool I would hang on - but if you feel you really need to go ahead and jump in! You can always come back out again (I did this in and out thing for about an hour )

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Clare,

As the others have said, get some rest however you can and eat too - whatever you fancy.

Yes, the contractions will get worse but when you start saying 'I can't do this anymore' it means you're very close. I had two long labours but pushing my babies out was the two best moments in my life and am thinking about doing it all over again!

When you think they are getting too painful get the MW round and hit that Gas and Air girl.

Good luck, you'll be fine and soon you'll have a baby!!!! Wow imagine that!!!

I'd try going on all fours in the bath Clara - back pain usually means your baby is back to back so gently encouraging LO to spin round a bit could be helpful , it's also a reason why your contractions have been niggling for so long, your body will try to turn the baby so it's back is either facing your tummy or your hip - when that's done , you'll be off and running (btw,if you call the M/W out, don't let her break your waters if they've not gone -the padding helps, speaking as one whose DD took the scenic route!
Lisa x

Oh Doll, if I can do it, anyone can and I'm the biggest wet blouse there is.

It's different for all of us, but sounds like your doing well so far.

Good luck, here's wishing you a lovely birth

Don't worry about what you know, just go with your body. It'll do the necessary.

Make sure you update here! We are waiting!

Jamila,

Good tip abut the all fours but for me breaking my waters was the best thing both times! After days of labour they shot out in 1.5 hours once they'd stopped trampolining on my water sac. If I have a third I'll be begging them to pop them with the first contraction!

Have you blown your mattress up yet clare?
get yourself comfy with OH on back rubbing duty and enjoy the quiet
Lisa X

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Glad you got some rest Clara - am thinking about you now and hoping you have your baby with you on this beautiful morning.

Thinking of you and wondering if there's a baby by now.....

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Oh well done and congrats!

wonderful ! a great birth story , well done xxxx

re not bonding..your partner could try lots of skin to skin with baby, it is so beneficial. my DH did this with DD when she was a newborn and really enjoyed it.

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hi claraenglish

I'm not a mum yet, but I do have friends who have become fathers recently and who have told me that it actually took a few months for them to bond with their little ones. They just couldn't relate to a newborn baby, but once their little personalities started coming out and once they started being more responsive, then the bonding really started - and now they are the most amazing dad's you've ever seen and absolutely adore their babes.

so, just knowing what I do about their responses, I wonder whether it might be good to try not to put too much pressure on your DP to 'bond' and just wait and see what happens. I reckon it's a very safe bet that, in their own time, a little relationship will start to develop and you'll look back on this as just a weird start to parenthood.

i know that's probably much easier said than done, but seriously - at least three of my male friends have had this experience, so I don't think it's particularly rare or unusual. Just typical of men to make a situation more difficult ;)

hope you and your babe (and DP) are doing well.

the reality of having a baby is very different from the excitement of TTC and the birth.

some men don;t 'get' it, until the baby is a little older, and can smile, or coo or respond in some way

some men feel pushed out if you are breastfeeding

try not to force it, he will come round to things or not, but it is early days and very scary/ exciting/ not what you expected for both of you

DH felt very much as though DD were my baby,not his this time round, as after i had DS by em c.s, he had to be there and do stuff as i was morphined up to the eyeballs and couldn;t get out of bed. whereas with DD, i had a vb and was out of bed feeding her and doing things 2 hours after birth.

your hormones are going bonkers right now, so try not to get too far head of yourself in t terms of splitting up etc

Clara - do you think he might be a bit traumatised by the birth? We women talk about it a lot, think about it a lot - it just sort of happens to men sometimes and might not have been what he was expecting at all. (I don't know, though, if you were having a home birth I'd expect him to be a bit up to speed.)
I hope things settle down soon. What would happen, say, if you went out for a half hour walk just to stretch your legs? Would he be all right with your ds?
Congratulations btw!