how can MW help you not tear with a waterbirth?

[mad4mybaby]

Im planning on a waterbirth as never got time with ds1. I tore badly and want to do everything i can to prevent needing stitches. Alot of people say down to listening to MW but when i had ds1 was on a bed and MW could see everything and i DID listen to her but it still happened. Ive my bottom half is underwater how can they see well enough (apart from mirror) to help prevent tearing?

[SolosWhompingWillow]

LOL@ ny. Easy mistake to make.

[foxytocin]

ah yes howdie. the other list has the more detailed story.

[notyummy]

aaaaaaahhhhhh, I see.



ny goes all British and doesn't know what to say..

Nice anus Howdie. (Not that I've seen that many....oh, I'll just get my coat)

[Howdie]

Ahhh, have read your birth story on another list we must both be members of Foxy. Fab story!

[Star1ightExpress]

Reallytired

Foxy's birth story

[Howdie]

notyummy, No, not fingers, that is my bum!! ROFL. I have no shame me, am happy to have my anus on the WWW!!

[SolosWhompingWillow]

Notyummy, I think that's mummys bottom IYSWIM.

[notyummy]

Wow Howdie, that is a fab picture! Is that his fingers beside his head? Looks like he is giving a little wave to me.

[Reallytired]

"had wb. no tearing. no mw in attendance"

Seriously you had an unassisted birth?

[foxytocin]

had wb. no tearing. no mw in attendance. i didn't push at all. allowed contractions to do their job. good luck.

[SolosWhompingWillow]

I didn't tear with Dd in a waterbirth and was worried about it due to having had a previous EPI.
Massage the area with a carrier oil and stretch the area a little each day in the bath or shower.
I also think that your skin softens the longer you are in the birthing pool...I only got about 20 minutes in mine, so that didn't help me, but I'm sure an hour or more would help.

[Howdie]

Sometimes a tear just cannot be prevented. As others have mentioned, sometimes the baby comes out in an awkward position (superman pose - hands up in front of head etc).

Possibly the worst position to be in for tearing is on your back. Often the birth of the head is well controlled and then the midwife pulls the rest of the baby out and the shoulders are what causes the damage.

With a waterbirth the resistance of the water seems to offer some sort of control of the birth of the head anyway and the perineal tissue seems to be more "pliable" in the water. Also as the midwife is forced to be hands off when you are in the water you are not going to have anyone hauling your baby out and therefore causing unnecessary damange with the birth of the shoulders.

Re the midwife being able to see, you use a mirror. If anyone is interested, I have some fab pics of my DS2's head being born under the water taken from the view of the mirror www.mcmidwives.co.uk/7.html

Howdie
Independent midwife

[MarmadukeScarletbloodstains]

I had a water birth with DD, I had a 3rd degree tear (which believing in little/no intevention they didn't stitch - I had to go in at 11 wks and have it resected and stitched under GA)

[mellabella]

i gave birth in water as well and only ended up with a small graze. the midwife was hands off but was still coaching with the pushing. i was actually reluctant to push and she had to tell me to push harder! dh and i did the massage but since ds came out with a hand by his face i think it was luck more than anything else. can say that i definitely want another waterbirth in the future because it helped with the pain so well.

[Reallytired]

I think there are times when tears are inevitable, ie I don't don't think that whale music, water birth or pernenial massage would have stopped me having tear with my son. He was born with his hand coming out first.

Inspite of having a terrible presentation he was born healthy without the need for forcepts or ventose, thanks to the skill of the midwife.

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

Christ thomcat your waterbirth picture just made me well up.

[ketal]

I also tore badly in the water (3rd degree). I think it was partly due to the fact that it was so hands off - I was told to do what I felt like doing, I felt like pushing, so I pushed. Baby out very quickly, but a bad tear... all this despite the fact I did everything to prevent it - massage, waterbirth, on my front to give birth and so on... Nothing helped me! I think some people may just be more prone (I did have a lot of scarring from DD1 and a back to back labour, as I found out!)

[mad4mybaby]

that was my thinking of it but so many people have torn on here despite water...

[mabel1973]

I thought the effect of the water softened the skin so that it was less likely to tear in water?

[mad4mybaby]

seems to be luck of the draw then? I practised hypno birthing with ds1 but the labour was so quick and so intense from the second it started that i didnt have time to 'get in the zone' so to speak! Ive put on my birth plan i want as much help as poss with it but i guess im going to have to take 50/50 chance on it?

[Thomcat]

There ws no bhlood in the pool after I hd DD3. Think a pic is still up on my profile if you want proff. I stayed in for as long as poss with her. Then got out to deliver placenta. Don't know how to prevent tearing. I never did tear and think it was 8 parts luck 1 part preperation 1 part breathing her out and not doing a thing once the head was out.

Good luck.

[Star1ightExpress]

I had gas and air just for the pushing stage. I was told I did a fab job of 'breathing' the baby out, which the g&a definately helped with but.......I still tore!

[reikizen]

The midwife should be 'hands off' in a waterbirth so as not to stimulate the baby to breathe, so won't be able to control the head or your perineum. Have you thought of natal hypnotherapy or hypnobirthing as a way of taking more control of your delivery?

[chocbiscuits]

lol star1ight