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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

thinking of a waterbirth? do they REALLY reduce the pain? experiences?

100 replies

needsanswers · 30/07/2011 02:15

hi there, im currently 20weeks with number 2, 1st labour was litter ally traumatizing for me, i had nightmares for months and even my new midwife said i have 1 hell of a story and its unlikely for me to get a labour like that again.. anyway i have hurd alot of stories about water births and how they are ment to reduce the pain? some people tend to agree and some tend to think it slows labour down? i dont think i actually want to have the baby in the water but i would like to spend a majority of my labour in the pool with just G&A as pain relief, has anyone had any experiences with a 'normal' birth and then a waterbirth? would really love to get some feedback..

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Rupeomatic · 31/07/2011 21:54

Honestly - 2nd labour I tried to cope with the pain in water - it made it worse and I hated it (but having spoken with friends my experience was quite unusual). Have given birth three times - and can't say that any were 'easier' or less painful than the others. It may have been psychological with me about the water - I was completely unable to relax in the pool and really wanted some sheets to 'scrumple' in my hands when the contractions hit IYSWIM

higgle · 31/07/2011 22:05

I had two, one in hospital and one at home, could not imagine doing it any other way.

Original poster

needsanswers · 31/07/2011 22:28

hi all wow i am so amazed at all the people answering! thank you all so much, generally most of the comments i am getting are really positive!sorry i would of replied earlier but DH broke my keyboard connection so had to go buy another!
PrettyCandles i haven't talked to a specialist midwife i wasn't even aware that i could do that, i have a different midwife for this pregnancy and iv talked through bits of my labour with her and she was generally shocked and said i got really poor care ( was strange because my previous MW is her work colleague and i thought she was really really lovely lol) she is being really nice about the whole experience and plans on doing things alot differently this time around, with DS i was stuck at 6cm for 17hours before MW decided i needed an epidural to try and speed things up (which lasted 1hour but did speed things up a little) my new MW saying they wont let me go that long without doing something which is good, she has made me feel alot better about things because she understands i have a 3yr old to come home to afterwards and would be hard to go through a labour like mine and have a newborn and 3yr old to come home to. ( i will have Dh with me but DS rather a mummy's girl) i also had to stay in hospital 5days afterwards having blood transfusions so im really hoping that does not happen again. I have just found out yesterday from, asking DH that my daughter was back to back lol no one told me, but that may have been why labour was so painful.
the only things im really worried about having a water birth is like a few others have said, the mess, i dont know how comfortable i feel about DH having to get my poo out of the water with a siv but probly wont care at the time lol, i also have endomentriosis and that can cause retained placenters, i had a retained placenter last time so am likely to have 1 again, how am i gonna fit it going to theatre to get it removed, getting warm/showered/dry/dressed and somehow managing to have skin to skin and bfeading all within that 1st hour? i also dont want to be completely nude in the pool can i wear a tshirt or something?
thank you so much for all your advise, i truley am overwhelemed :)

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Original poster

needsanswers · 31/07/2011 22:31

oh 1 last thing, did anyone find it strange delivering in the pool and the baby being underwater? the reason i ask as i had a near drowning incident when i was younger and since then do not like water on my face at all, im not afraid of water and love baths and going to the pools with my daughter but just cant have the water on my face, im wondering if i would freak out seeing the baby under water or it would just seem natural? that why i was planning getting out of the pool for delivery, but from all your experiences it sounds like delivering in the pool would be the better idea...

OP posts:

Neeko · 31/07/2011 22:36

Haven't read the whole thread, sorry.
I laboured in water with DD1 but came out and ended up with foreps etc. Laboured and birthed DD2 in the pool. It was the most amazing and empowering experience of my life. Not planning any more babies but if it happened I'd definitely want another waterbirth. Good luck.

AlwaysTimeForWine · 31/07/2011 22:50

I've had 3 waterbirths and would recommend them to anyone. I have nothing to compare them to but whilst I was labouring well out of the water my pain was definitely reduced once in the water.

All 3 of my girls were born in the water and it was incredibly calm and comforting. I was in the pool for about 3 hours with my 1st, 1.5 hours with my 2nd and 20 minutes with my 3rd as she came so quickly.

The water allowed me to relax which I found amazing. I have very long build up to my labours where I am contracting painfully for 24 hours, with my tens machine on before I get to the "active" part of labour so I am always knackered. The water allows me no other pain relief and only minor tearing (no stitches).

It really helps you to relax inbetween contractions and be very chilled - that is essential for your energy levels and to ensure your hormones are working properly. As soon as you are tense everything slows down.

I found my labours incredibly positive, empowering events and I completely put that down to having waterbirths! (and I'm not a goat-hair-knitting hippy or anything!!)

AlwaysTimeForWine · 31/07/2011 22:51

oh and it wasn't wierd at all seeing the baby under the water! You're just so pleased that the bloody head is out!

My 1st still had the sac intact around her head as well as being under the water - supposed to be good luck!

Original poster

needsanswers · 31/07/2011 23:06

yes i imagin it would be very empowering, my birthplan with DS was no drugs at ALL apart from g & a but when doctors/midwife decided if i didnt have epi to try and speed things up i would most likely need a section i was more then happy to take the epi as i was hallucinating by that stage. i also like the sound of no stitches it took me way over an hour to get stitched up last time.
This is probably going to sound like a really dumb question but im going to put it down to baby brain (along with all the other dumb thing i have been doing lately such as putting DS clothes in the rubbish, DH asking y and me saying coz they need to be washed? putting the sauce bottle in the bathroom and the wipes in the fridge etc) anyway lol i know i have been told the answer to this question before but cannot remember, i know babies breath under water while they in the amniotic fluid etc but after your waters break, what are they breathing then, the water is gone so r they breathing air that has managed to get up there? and if they are breathing air would the fact that when you push the head out before the body into the water they would have to be breathing under water again? and is anyone supporting the babys head while your trying to push the rest of the body out? really stuiped question ladies i no but please bare with me

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 31/07/2011 23:21

You don't have to watch the baby underwater, you can ask the midwife to bring the baby up to the surface if you like.

WIth my other births I had to wait until the baby was put on my chest. It may only have been several seconds, but it felt like forever. With my third, the waterbirth, the midwife lifted the baby towards the surface and I took him from her and lifted him the rest of the way myself. It felt totally natural and right to me.

It is apparently quite common for women to labour in the pool and then have a very strong feeling about where they want to actually give birth. And it's not always where they expected. So perhaps the best thing for you to do would be to try the birthing pool and see how it goes.

SeniorWrangler · 31/07/2011 23:23

You either have to deliver the baby well under water, or completely out of water. What you mustn't do is give birth just about on the surface level, as the baby can aspirate water into the lungs. However mws make sure you are in a safe position and you can also brief your DH on this as well, so he pushes your legs down if you are on your back and they float up a bit too far. It doesn't feel wierd at all, by the way. The baby has been in fluid for the whole of its life, has a diving reflex that prevents it breathing in when under water, and as long as the cord is still attached and OK, the baby gets its oxygen from you.

If you are nervous, one thing you can do is deliver the baby kneeling up, into your own hands, and then bring the baby out briskly in one swift manoeuvre into the air.

Agapanthii · 31/07/2011 23:23

I had both my dc in a hospital birth pool, with gas and air and cannot imagine being able to cope any other way. It was very positive both times. No problem with cold as midwife kept topping up with warm water. I rave about it. First child was almost 10lb - no stitches. second was smaller but delivered much faster so experienced a little tearing.

PrettyCandles · 31/07/2011 23:27

As long as the cord is still connected and still pulsing, the baby gets all its oxygen from the placenta, just as it did inside you. The cord continues pulsing for a minute or more after the birth, plenty of time for the baby to come up through the water. Also, the trigger for thr baby to breathe, despite still being xonnected by the cord, is the shock of cold on its skin. But the water in the pool is at body temperature, so there is no cold shock.

The baby's head doesn't need to be supported, because the water does that.

MiauMau · 31/07/2011 23:29

I'm thinking of a water birth but, was wondering... How hot is the water? I hardly ever have baths (although I love them) as it really lowers my blood pressure and I get really dizzy and groggy very quickly.

PrettyCandles · 31/07/2011 23:30

Yes, SeniorWrangler is right. I delivered the head while upright, and the midwife kept reminding me to keep my bottom underwater, to make sure that the baby didnt pass through the colder air as it was born.

SeniorWrangler · 31/07/2011 23:30

The water should just be warm. If it is too hot there is a risk of infant death. They keep a massively close eye on the temperature for that very reason.

SeniorWrangler · 31/07/2011 23:32

BTW water births are fantastic for avoiding pelvic floor problems and nasty tears.

HeatherSmall · 31/07/2011 23:36

I had one last time and I don't think it made much difference but it's one of those things you don't know what it would have been like without the water so how can you judge.
I wish I'd got out to deliver though I panicked a bit at the end and think I got have got into a better position on dry land.
I was determined not to have the baby flat on my back as I had with the other because that suited the MW not me, in the pool I ended up sat upright against the side of the pool and might as well have been on my back on the bed, I was cross with myself afterwards.

Pelagia · 01/08/2011 06:57

I had a pretty brutal time delivering DC1 - I'm sorry you did too. I had a waterbirth at home with DC2 and it was utterly amazing. It wasn't just the water that was different. As well as DH I had a close female friend who had been through labour herself, and being at home was great, and meant the midwives were all MINE not having to deal with lots of women at once.

The midwives took care of baby being underwater 'enough' to be delivered and the breathing and all that - bit hazy on that part tbh. She had the cord wrapped twice round her neck but that didn't cause any problems, they dealt with it very efficiently and unobtrusively. Likewise they and DH were very particular over checking the water temp but it didn't intrude on me/make me anxious.

I had a try of gas and air but decided not to bother with it. Also wasn't aware/bothered about any mess. I don't think there was much.

Massive difference from 1st time round and I can't recommend it enough. Good luck!

Pelagia · 01/08/2011 06:59

Oh and I did wear a tankini top, which I am glad of now as it means anyone can see the pictures of when DD was first born, but it doesn't actually matter at the time...

maisiebabe · 01/08/2011 10:15

Had a water birth and g&a for dd (2nd baby) and it did not relieve the pain at all but it was a much more comfortable environment- but the mw has to keep topping the water up. I had a really obnoxious old boot for the first part of my labour who refused to.
Do remember screaming for morphine at one point but was told it was too late- do they all say this?! Delivered standing up in pool and also remember looking back at pool on way out of room and saying to dh ( who of course was much more tired/ stressed/ sorer than me) that it looked like an abattoir. 8 weeks pregant and Would do a water birth again..

daimbardiva · 01/08/2011 10:29

This thread is great - I'm 32 weeks and really want a water birth, even moreso now having read all your inspiring stories! I wanted one last time, but my waters broke 2 days before ds was actually born so I couldn't - fingers crossed for this time!

rebelwithoutababy · 01/08/2011 13:57

This is fantastic stuff: thanks! Have been thinking about WB for a while now, and this is all very encouraging. Have also printed off the Cochrane review (medical brain needs evidence, I'm afraid) which also reads as good news...this is def going in my birthplan now...

Supersunnyday · 01/08/2011 14:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sarahplane · 01/08/2011 22:52

Had a water birth in hospital with dd and it was an amazing experience. I wasn't planning on beingnin water but midwife suggested it and I thought why not, very spur of the moment. I stopped panicking and felt much more relaxed, calm and in control once I got into the water. Also you get your personal space a lot more that way too. Due Second baby in 10 days and really hoping for waterbirth again. Really recommend giving it a try. If you find it doesn't suit you then you can always get out and try something else. just see how u feel and play it by ear. I had to get out to deliver placenta and ex dp was holding dd, midwives both too busy making bed for me to lie on so I ended up dripping wet having to rummage about in hospital bag for a towel so I would definitely recomend making sure u or dp gets your towel ready and waiting for when u cone out. Good luck.

MiauMau · 02/08/2011 21:52

did anyone do it at King's?

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