Water birth!?

[sophiejoandbump]

Hi all, I am 38+4 and I am thinking of having a water birth, I really want it although I am going in with an open mind I would like to go with nothing but gas and air, and I am even hoping to go without that if I am in the water, but obviously I dont know how much pain I will be in and how well I will cope ect...
Was just wondering if any of you are planning on having a water birth or have had a water birth before and whether it did anything to help ease the pain!? I am so nervous about labour, more nervous than I am about actually being a mum.

Thanks in advance for the answers x

Had 2, both at home. TENS until MW arrived then water for 2nd stage

lovely

Good luck and don't worry

Have had 2, both in hospital

V positive experience

Couldn't have done it without gas and air though ('tis lovely)

I hated the way water felt on my skin when I was in labour, though to be fair I hated the way everything felt on my skin.

Hi, I laboured in water for dd's birth 2 years ago. I gave birth squatting in the bathroom for the actual birth! I managed not to use any pain relief, and I don't think that I could have done that if I had not been in the water; when I stood up for monitering the pain was much worse. Are you thinking of having a home birth?

had 2, both in hospital, v good, didn;t need any other pain relief.

Write a birth plan and put your prefs in it (ie water, pain relief on request and not before, no intervention unless clinically indicated, immediate skin-to-skin, your 3rd stage management choices etc) and (this is important) keep banging on about it to the staff.

With dd I nagged the staff for 2h before I could get access to the pool, and these were excellent mws who referred to my birthplan.

With ds the mw (who I don;t think had ever done a water birth before) kept asking questions that my birthplan covered and DH and I had to be quite insistent that I really did want the pool.

thanks ladies. Would love a home birth, but a little bit to scared to do it as my auntie had one and it all went wrong, and even though I know it is different for everyone it still did scared me...I am so nervous but I cant wait. Also did anyone feel sick on gas and air???
xxx
xxx

Re gas&air: didn't make me feel sick, no

Just wanted more and more of it

Helps regulate your breathing properly, IME, because unless you breathe deeply and slowly and evenly you don't get the benefit of it

yeah, have you been watching one born every min, the girl on it last week was deff not using it properly!!
xx

I have had 2 water births. For first, I entered pool around 7 cm (prior to transition). I coped really well up to transition and the water really helped take the 'weight' off and so it is easy to relax your muscles between contractions which is good.

It does not take away or ease the pain AT ALL. If you don't want any administered pain relief, you have to be strong in your mind. You have to believe you can cope and cope with the pain using focus and breathing. Once the pain gets extremely unbearable (hopefully), if you dont want epidural/other, you will be in transition (nearly at 10cm) and it will be too late and you will just have to go with it using gas and air or without until you push.

It is amazing reaching down and grabbing your own baby and bringing to the surface of the water. The first one to look into their eyes and the first one to know the sex. To hold them against your skin and be ready to bf as soon as babe arrives.

Don't beat yourself up if you find a lot earlier in your labour that you can't cope as well with the pain as you though, say you feel it is totally and utterly unbearable at 2 cm; no one could possibly blame you for wanting a bit more pain relief if this is the case.

Good luck. I would highly recomend water birth, dim lighting and total and complete internal (ie. dont tell anyone else) resolve not to have any other pain relief (worked for me.)

I planned a home water birth but DD was premature so had to go to hospital

I would def plan to have a water birth again, so I say go for it!!!

P.S I had no pain relief other than gas and air which did make me feel very sick, but I was completely frantic and probably didn't use it properly as labour was really quick (4 hours) and she was early so I was a bit of a mess!!!

thanks alot guys I am so excited and cant wait to meet my gawjus baby
xx

Hate to burst the bubble here but I had a water birth and absolutely hated it. I was in agony, thought I was drowning and they wouldn't let me out of the pool so ended up completely traumatised. I had gas and air but yes, it made me retch over the side at the same time.

Having said that, on paper the delivery and recovery looks good, I just personally felt that I would never be the same mentally again

I loved being in water but agree with the person who said it had no effect for pain relief- this was my 3rd so I have something to compare it with. However, it was worth it for the physical support it gave me (I was in from 5cm to birth - about forty mins) and the safe space it provides. Nobody else touched me and I brought the baby up to the surface myself and we sat in the (rather murky) water ｕｎｔｉｌ　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　&#65 347;ｏｌｄ．　Ｆｏｒ　ｑｕａ ｌｉｔｙ　ｏｆ　ｅｘｐｅ&#65 362;ｉｅｎｃｅ，　ｉｔ　ｗａ ｓ　ｂｙ　ｆａｒ　ｔｈｅ&#12 288;ｂｅｓｔ　ｏｆ　ａｌｌ　 ｍｙ　３　ｂｉｒｔｈｓ．

I too am interested in having a water birth (there are few things that can sooth me like hot water) and I have to say this is a lovely thread full of wonderfully sensible advice. I particularly feel for what you're saying eggontoast - you've basically described my ideal birth experience and I was quite choked up reading your post!

Just started reading Janet Balaskas' Active Birth - there is a big section on water birth - I would highly recommend it for anyone seeking not just at water or active birth, but those looking for a strong mind to guide them through what should be the most natural and incredible experience of your life.

I think I'm going soppy in my old age!

jumblequeen - I hope you achieve the birth you desire.

I always try to remember there are things I can aim to control, so I go ahead and do my best to do that, however, I accept that there are eventualities beyond my control that may occur.

i had my nd child in water having had my first on dry land, was in hospital and was a very positive experience compared to my first. Had g and a in the pool which i defo needed so i had something to concentrate on, i thnk the novelty of it all took my mind of the pain a bit too and the support was good. I never pinned my hopes on one but by luck the pool was available so i said ooo goody and popped in and stayed in - delivered ds in it and it was unreal seeing his head emerge then like previous poster pulling him up to the top - the water was still clear - no murk at all till i stood up to get out to deliver placenta the it got a bit bloody - climbing otu at the end knackered holding a baby attached to an unbilical chord and a pair of clamp on scissor things still attached to it seemed a bit hazardous but we survived then i got cramp in my leg as i got on the bed and nearly dropped my newborn

might sound an odd question but expecting my third hoping to try water but first two have arrived very quickly so just depends on time...but were u freezing whe u got out of the water to feed etc??

no not at all - guidelines say room must be a certain temp (ie roasting) and they wrap you both in towels very quickly

I laboured and delivered my first two on land, but with my third I entered the pool just before transition and delivered him in the water.

The waterbirth was absolutely the best birth of the three. Were I to have another, I would do it again - even to the extent of hiring a private midwife to ensure that I would labour in a pool.

The warmth of the pool was an immediate comfort, and calmed me down wonderfully (I had been booked for homebirth but had ended up going to hospital by ambulance because there were no midwives available to come out to me).

Transition was exactly the same as in the other births: the G&A suddenly stopped doing anything for me, and I flung it across the room in annoyance.

Being in the water gave me just enough pain-relief that I was not overwhelmed and I was able to concentrate on helping my body give birth, rather than on coping with the pain. It also gave me enough support that I was able to be upright all the time, despite not having the strength to support myself in such a position on dry land.

It was such a gentle birth. I didn't push at all, gravity's help was all my body needed to birth the baby. I also did not tear.

It was amazing.

Had a instrumental induction with ds1, was horrific from start to finish and almost put me off having any more.
With ds2 I was determined it would not end up like ds1s birth, I used tens and walked around for the most part, until I was almost howling through contractions, mw then gave me the g&a and ran the pool, got in and it was bliss. For me personally it did provide pain relief, at one point they had to get me out and onto the bed to moniter as my temp went high-I was in agony and skirming around the bed until they said it was ok to get back in, ds2 was born in water and hour later. It was fab and I would highly recommend trying it. The worst part was I had decided to have a physiological third stage and I started to bleed quite heavyily so I had to get out and onto the bed almost straight away, looking around the room, it looked like chainsaw massacre!! I wouldnt go for physiological third stage again, but would have/hope to have another water birth

Hello
Lots of good replies here but thought I'd add my experience too

I had a planned home waterbirth with my DD nearly a year ago (where did that go!??)

I laboured from 6pm on sat when it started quite fast and hard to 10am on sunday morning when DD was born. I got in the pool at about 1am on the sunday morning.

For me it was absolutely what I wanted and it was hard to know how different it was to land birth as it was my first, but I know when I came out of the water for examinations and to get speed it up (slowed down at about 5 or 6am as I was so tired) it was excruciating by comparison. Getting back in was bliss.

As someone said it is amazing being able to lift your baby out of the water yourself and see him/her for the first time yourself and not via the midwife. I will never forget the sight of my DD's big eyes looking right up and me.

I had G&A but it made me really sick, so didnt use much. My DD was nearly 11lbs so it was quite hard going labour. I dont think I would have done it with about 10 puffs of G&A only if I'd not had the water.

I used natal hypnotherapy cds for relaxation before and the techniques were great in early labour for getting through the contractions.

Easy to say but try not to worry about it too much- there is little you can do to change how it goes - but try to ensure that you are rested and relaxed.

If you need to channel your nervous energy read as much as you can about the first month or so etc and breastfeeding. I thought it was a case a of putting DD to the breast and she'd do the rest but it wasnt and I wish I'd been better prepared in my head.

GOod luck.

PS sorry for essay. Seems most woman loves to talk about their birth experience

I had a waterbirth at home with my second child (now 4 months) and for me it was brilliant. I found the water DID help with the pain - being semi-bouyant seemed to help. I remember getting in (about 6 cms) and instantly feeling better, think I felt more in control of things. I did try gas and air at transition as I was losing it a bit, but found it made me feel really out of control and the pain was no better so gave up on it. Stangely, though, when i had my first child in hospital (22 years ago!) I found the gas and air really helped - guess every labour is different. This time round is was a really calm birth and having my DD at home meant I could cuddle up with her and my DH afterwards on the sofa and just relax. The midwives were great and did all the cleaning up and made us tea and toast! Would recommend it!

Just had DD in water this week - no other pain relief except g&a, and she was 10lb 10.5oz!
It was wonderful and I would highly recommend it!