Water births - UCH - temp of water??

[fredsdead]

I am keen to try for a water birth this time round (2nd pregnancy) after intervention heavy 1st birth.

Booked in at UCH so can go to the Bloomsbury birthing centre and hope there's a free pool.....

What's worrying me is the temperature of the water! I like my baths scalding hot and all I can think about is how irritated I will be if the water/room is cold. Sounds silly I know but after the first time I realise one of the keys to a successful labour is controlling your environment so you can zone out concentrate on the important bits. I just think it would annoy me!!!

So, can anyone talk to me about the temperature of the water? Particularly if you've experience of UCH......

Thanks everyone.

No experience of UCH, am opposite end of the country!

But I didn't have a bath all throughout my pregnancy (obviously did shower though!) as I only like baths that make my skin purple and way past the recommended temperature, 100F was far too cold...

Until I was in labour, ended up in hospital when I was supposed to be a homebirth with a birthing pool (went in for a check because of some bleeding and was 7cm dilated, so decided to stay put!).

So i went in the hospital pool and quite frankly, it was too hot if anything. I was roasting and the heaters were underneath the bottom and actually really uncomfy as my shins were burning when I was kneeling!

It was just like a big heated bath and I assume installed prior to the new thinking about waterbirths which, as far as I'm aware, is if it's not too cold for the mother, it's not too cold for the baby and it only needs to be a specific temperature for delivery.

Don't regret being in it, and I didn' t realise how much it was helping till I had to get out!(contractions slowed once I started pushing so had to abandon it) In fact, I'm remembering just now how lovely it was to get in it at the time. Oooooh!

Wasn't at UCH but had a waterbirth with DS. The pool I used was the one in this picture: www.maternity.salisbury.nhs.uk/pg3labour%20ward.htm

It had taps like a normal bath and I could add hot and cold as I wished.

I particularly remember getting cold so adding hot water and 5 mins later getting too hot so rapidly adding cold whilst getting DH to point the fan at me. LOL

Actually gave birth in it too tho don't remember paying any attention to water temp and can't remember if midwife did either..

Beveridge: meant to say, I VIVIDLY remember the 'OOOh, aahhh' moment on getting in. Heaven!

I thought exactly the same, I like my baths hot too. I was reassured that any temperature that was just right for me would be fine... you should have some say over the matter.

But don't forget you're not just sat there doing nothing like you are when you have a bath, your body's working itself really hard and getting hot in the process. And hopefully the background temperature will be nice and warm too.

I got in our pool when it was about 38 C and found it felt a bit too hot. I was really sweating through contractions. It was better when it had cooled to 37 or 36 C.

In our birth centre we have the water between 37 and 37.5C for the birth. You can have it a cooler or hotter when labouring. Most women have it a little cooler and we warm it when nearing birth.

For safety reasons has to be 37c when delivering. If you get in shortly before the birth it will be at that temp, although if you get in earlier then maybe it can be warmer?

Do you know how many pools UCH have? I am booked in a the Royal Free but they only have one pool so slightly anxious - and am thinking of homebirth to be sure of pool.

Don't know about UCH but hospitals are generally warm, I wasn't wearing much and don't remember being cold.

Just had DD in a pool, and like you I like my baths like molten lava so was worried I was going to be cold. The wierd thing is that once labour really got going I didn't seem to notice the temp of the water at all, DH kept an eye on it and topped it up with warm when he thought it was getting a bit cool, and then they got it to the right temp for delivery - I was far too busy to notice.

Have to say it was absolutely marvelous and loved the whole thing - DD was a hefty 10lb 10.5oz and I don't think I could have done it on dry land!!

Does anyone know if there are any problems associated with having a warmer pool? Mine was 39 degrees when I got in (was starting to push at the time), everything intensified and literally 6 minutes after getting in the baby became quite distressed and I had to hop out. Just wondering...

hmm, i had to get out of the pool during the pushing as DD wasn't progressing, her head had swollen and her heartrate was increasing during contractions. plus my contractions were slowing.

I was cooking in the pool for a few hours and yes, i wonder too mrshappy...

oh brilliant everyone, thanks so much for the fab responses. was not expecting that it would potentially be TOO hot. I guess that's the least of my worries then.

MumNWLondon - UCH has 2 pools, but that's not many given how oversubscribed they are since they moved to the new building. Apparently they've gone from 3000 births a year to 6000 !!

if the water temp is too high the mothers temp and heart rate goes up, followed by the baby's. temp should be 36-37 for labouring and 37-38 for birth.

My baby's HR went down so I guess I can't blame the water!