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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

water birth

11 replies

rachel1 · 07/02/2003 13:50

Am due to give birth in 3 weeks with my third child and am really keen to get the birthing pool. Have read another thread on people's positive experiences with waterbirths but wondered if anyone regreted it. Also those of you who had oneand enjoyed it, do you have any tips? FInally, if I decided I can't hack it and need a shot of pethidine (as I had with no. 2), or even an epidural, how easy is it to convince the midwives that this is a good idea? Thanks for your help in advance!

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robinw · 07/02/2003 19:51

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KMG · 07/02/2003 20:33

I had both boys in the birthing pool - no regrets at all - fantastic experience. Can't think of any tips - sorry! Go for it!

kaz33 · 07/02/2003 20:40

I too was in the birthing pool which I found excellent. However, towards the end when it started to really hurt when I muttered something about extra pain relief ( after about 7 hours in the pool ) I was told that I was doing so well there seemed no point. As it happened DS decided that he wasn't ready to come out so in the end I got everything and an emergency c-section.

However, as this is your third no doubt baby will just pop out - so shouldn't be a problem.

I suggest that you just tell them before you start, when you still have some strength what your wishes are and if you ask for pain relief YOU WANT PAIN RELIEF !

Good luck and enjoy, I'm going back for another go at a water birth with no 2.

melaniespeaking · 08/02/2003 14:59

Good idea to take a little step to help you get in and out (the type toddlers use to reach the loo) is good, as they can be quite high, and you are not at your most adaptable. Also a blow up bath pillow is good for leaning on. Flannelto wipe your face with, as I found the temperature feels quite hot and water or apple juice so you don't dehydrate.

I had a water birth with my second, and delivered in the water although midwife and husband wanted me to get out, used gas and air.

With my third I again used the pool (I think it makes a remarkable difference), and had to get out to deliver because I had a swollen cervix, but all okay. Again used gas and air.

I agree that there is not always midwifes who can deliver in water, but even if you use it for pain relief it really helps, and keeps you calm as you can float out inbetween contractions and get into so many more positions.

Don't know much about pain relief, but I cannot see why they wouldn''t let you do what you want, although once you do any of the above you cannot get back in the water.

The other thing they don't like giving the injection to get the placenta out quickly whilst you are in the water, so if this is important to you, let them know you want it as soon as you get out.

Hope this all makes sense - hope it all goes swimmingly!!

pupuce · 08/02/2003 15:10

Well... one of my favourite topics...
I had 2 water births as well...
I do have tips :

Be flexible... you may love it and deliver in water or you might hate it and need to get out
Try to get in once dilated past 5 cm... a good/experienced MW in water birth would tell you this (and might even "stop" you from getting in there earlier)... the reason for this being that water will relax you AND increase the strength of your contractions (though they won't feel more painful because your endorphins level will have risen).... this means that most women then deliver their baby within 1h or 1h30... this has been my personal experience as a doula (I have been at 5 water births besides my own)

You can't get pethidine or an epidural in water (as you might have guessed) so you would need to get out of the water... it is worth remembering that an epidural from the time you ask for it and the time it actually takes effect can easily be 60 minutes... by which time baby (if you had stayed in water) might have been born. Also they could refuse the epidural if they think you are too far along -

You will probably find that in water you will feel more relaxed and maybe sleepy... that's GOOD and not to be frightened of!

Babies born in water are usually more calm at birth... likelyhood of tearing is much lower

If you want more info there are several sites out there including
www.sheilakitzinger.com
www.activebirthcentre.com/

pupuce · 08/02/2003 15:13

Don't want to say that what Melaniespeaking is wrong because this is what she has experienced but our maternity ward is very different as we have the cushion, the flanelette and the stool... and also they give syntometrine IN the water (however they tend to recommend a physiological 3rd stage if they do not see any reason to give the injenction... this varies from MW to MW though)... so basically I am saying : SPEAK to your MW about these things and she might tell you what is available and what isn't.

IME MW who are not familiar with waterbirths avoid them like the plague and will shift with another MW if possible!

Joe1 · 08/02/2003 15:20

I spent most of my first labour in the pool and loved it. I was advised to get out because I was getting very tired and my midwife thought being out of the nice warm water would help. It really helped with my back pain. I hadnt planned on being in the pool, my midwife suggested it when I arrived at the hospital. I booked it for my second baby but as they were running it my blood pressure shot up and had to be moved. I am sure it would have helped with pain relief much more effectively. Go for it, you can always get out if you decide you dont like it, bet you stay in though.

Janus · 09/02/2003 08:34

I really wanted a water birth with my first but it didn't happen as I went from 2cm to 10cm without anyone noticing and it was then too late!
Do discuss with your midwife asap as I had to make sure I'd had my HIV test before they would let me use it and also they do check your anaemic levels to make sure they are above a certain level (if they are below you are likely to feel wafty and they wouldn't have let me in). That may have just been the hospital I was in but worth checking you have done everything you need to beforehand to avoid being turned down.
I ended up doing most of my first stage in a bath (ridiculous I thought that they refused to let me in the birthing pool until I reached 5cm but then suggested I had a hot bath!!!) I was actually pushing in there with my partner and he had to literally drag me out to get to a midwife, I felt it so much better when I was in the water, didn't even think of pain relief.
Good luck, let us know if you get your water birth.

jemw · 09/02/2003 13:40

Second all that pupuce says....
I had a home water birth with second child -
for my first child I had an epidural at about 2cm dilated (I think) For the water birth I managed without any pain relief at all, once it got to the stage I asked for some, the MW suggested getting in the pool as now past 7cm dilated, and found the effect of the water helped so much, I did not use the gas and air.
Would recommend it, much more relaxing, had baby in water which I had not been sure about beforehand but once in the water did not want to get out. Baby born about 1.5 hours after getting in the pool. Also, delivered placenta under water with no injenctions which I prefered. Really good experience, helped by having 2 lovely MW who were experienced in home & water births.

gingernut · 09/02/2003 22:50

I was in the pool for 7 hours and thought it was great. Used gas and air too. Eventually got out due to exhaustion (I asked for an epidural so I could sleep). I would go for it again if I had the chance.

By the way it gets VERY hot and humid in the pool room so if you have a birthing partner he/she might want to take some shorts/T shirt to change into.

Other tips - take plenty to drink, as someone else said. Also, if you want to listen to music, take a battery-operated CD player with you. My hospital had CD players in the delivery rooms but not in the pool room as they come under bathroom regulations (no electrical sockets).

HTH.

Greengage · 10/02/2003 12:13

Getting in the water is fantastic. I had terrible back pain and the hot water really helped. I was in the pool for about 3-4 hours but then it was my first baby.

I wished I had taken my bath pillow though. You can get them in BHS if you haven't already got one. Pool is really deep and I found I needed two hands to support myself (so I was virtually floating in the water) and the pillow would have stopped my neck aching. The only other pain relief I had was gas & air, which my DH held for me.

I didn't have the option of any more pain relief cos I was in a community MW only hospital. It made things simpler. If things had started to wrong though I would have had to go to another hospital.

I'd also recommend taking a relaxing CD if you can.

Good luck.

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