Water Births. Your experiences please!

[Fabulousshoes]

Hello all

I am new having discovered this site only yesterday so forgive me if this subject has been done already but from what I have read so far if you lot dont have the answers then no-one does!

I'm expecting my second baby in July, had my DD 12 years ago and although a pretty straighforward labour to begin, ended up having Pethadine late on and a Ventouse delivery which was completely hideous.

So this time around I have vowed to go with nature, no pain relief or intervention but really like the idea of having it in the water. My local hospital has the facility for a water birth but i'd like to hear from anyone who has recently had a water birth in hospital. I can only find experiences of home water births.

Hi ladies, im considering using the birthing pool at the hospital to help me through the contractions, its something iv thought about since i found out i was pregnant, and after our maternity tour round the hospital yesterday and seeing the pool its made me want it more!!!
Im just wondering what is the best thing to wear?? i know it mite sound stupid and most wemon wear nothing but what is the best option???
A nightie?? Tankini?? Baggy teashirt???

Thanks

Shell xxx

Thanx mrsjammi!!

Im just laughing at the way i spelt t-shirt LOL!!

Yeh i think il opt for a tankini, and if i feel more comfy i can always remove it!

Thanx for your reply xx

Search birth announcements for starlightmckenzie. she had a waterbirth in a MLU I think.

i had one at home. it was fabby. if you search my name you'll find mine too.

starlight's

I had a fab waterbirth in December at a Birthing Centre. Was very pleased to need no stitches at all afterwards as had had a bad tear in my previous pregnancy. I didn't wear anything in the pool, though started off wearing a big T shirt before I got in. I think I was still in the pool when I had the injection to get the placenta out, but for some reason cannot remember that bit of the birth really.

mine

Sorry, don't have time to post lots but my water birth was great (didn't wear anything, by the way). If you're really thinking of going the full natural way as far as poss, definitely check out hypnobirthing.

I read all the research papers I could lay my hand on recently. There are two apparent areas of risk - the temperature being too high, and the baby aspirating water.

If you monitor the temperature according to your personal comfort (i.e. not too hot and not too cold), give birth definitely under water and not half on the surface, and lift the baby out quickly immediately after birth, this minimises any risks.

As interventions tend to be lower, this reduces risk further.

So go for it, I say. I have done it three times.

hello all, new to this site, at 39 + 4 days. I have the option of a water birth at a midwife led centre. I'm with shellmc - go for a tankini top - at least for starters, before throwing caution to the wind!
One question - re 'floaty bits' in the pool - does this get embarassing? is DH expected to sieve them up, or just a myth?!

If it's in hospital with dd they just pulled the plug after dd was born so I could deliver the placenta on dry land, then filled it up again for a relaxing float before I got out.

apologies, I am being a bit demure. (blush] DS is worried about me using birth pool in case there are bits of poo floating around as a result of the labour process! I have told hime he will just have to put up with it, if it means I have a good experience with pain relief, feeling calm etc...

But if he was asked to be responsible for the sieve, I think it would be too much for him. Is it too obscure to put in the birth plan 'please don't ask DH to be sieve supervisor'?!

I had a horrid first labour, but had ds in the pool at our hospital last september. The mw fished out the bits of poo
I wore my tankini top (also wore that for my dry-land delivery of dd - the benefits of nakedness without actually being naked!)

My waterbirth was wonderful, I loved the fact that they can't examine you and believe you when you say you need to push. I was on my back with my head against one end of the pool and my feet braced against the other - a midwife put her hand on my hip to make sure ds was delivered totally underwater, but apart from that it was intervention free. They lifted my leg out of the water for the injection, and I delivered the placenta in the pool. They then drained the pool and suggested perhaps I ought to get out! It was a really positive experience, if there's a next time I'll be going for the water again! I had a small tear but no stitches.

I have two cautionary tales about water though (both from my first labour):
a) I had read things like 'when I got in the pool, the pain just melted away'. That was NOT true for me. The water gave me freedom to move, and I love the feeling of being underwater - I was on my back and just had my face above water, but I still found it horrendously painful, more so because I'd just taken my TENS machine off to get in the water.
b) I had a fast labour, gas and air and the pool, and passed out in the pool. It was very very scary. Go easy on the g&a!

thank you carriebo - you've put my mind at rest!!

Hi again,

iv heard a few stories about hubby having to seive out any floaters and cleaning out the pool after wards so on our maternity tour with antenatal class last saturday i asked if it was true, people laughed wen i asked but u gotta know these things, the answear was no!!! So tell all ya partners they are safe LOL.

Shell xxxx

well done shellmc - you asked the question I was too shy for!! I think cos the midwife had just explained the 'birthing stool', I felt a bit inhibited to ask something else 'warts and all' of the poo sieving variety

Anyway, the tankini is packed, now DH can be reassured, and all I need to do is the small matter of going into labour (39 + 5 today!)

They have to be really careful about hygiene with hospital pools for obvious reasons, so I don't think they'd want lay people like DHs getting involved with the cleaning tbh, as there would be no quality control.

I had a fantastic experience giving birth to DD in a birthing pool at hospital. Being my first baby i was concered about giving birth and the labour so always planned to have a water birth. Got in the pool at 8cms i think and had DD half an hour later. No floaters or gunky bits as far as i can remember! My husband also thought it was an amazing experience as he saw our DD born without any intervention and had an 'unobstructed' (!) view of the whole thing. I had gas and air towards the end and had 1 tear which required a few stitches.
Can't recommend the pool highly enough. Do it!

Ha ha littleweed!!! Yeh i asked i thort well if i ask while hubby is there at least he knows for himself and he was very put off about the thought if he did have too- just shows what stories can go around eh??

U avnt got long left now is this ur first??

Also anyone who has had a normal birth then a water birth was the water birth better for you and less painful or just about the same??

Shell xxx

shell - yep 1st baby, trying to keep full of positive thoughts!
boffin mum - I am laughing at your thread - DH might be squeamish but he is a fastidious cleaner - wouldn't dare say no. So lucky it all seems to be a big fat myth
And.... variety thank you so much for your positive note - this is going right into my positive mantras for a good experience

Had a lovely water birth with DD at home so my DH did have to clean out the pool afterwards. Tbh I think I would have been very disappointed had he kicked up a fuss for having to do that! But then I had had a fairly traumatic hospital birth with my 1st DS so that put things into perspective.