Water birth with high BMI?

[mamaandthegirls]

I got the ok from my midwife yesterday about a water birth but I'm unsure she's 100% looked over my notes. I have a BMI of 38 and was wondering if being overweight and having a BMI that high was ok for a water birth? This is my second pregnancy and had no problems in my first pregnancy.

I laboured in water with ds to begin with and it was nice at first but then I had to get out after a couple of hours. I’m not sure about a higher risk pregnancy though and If the rules are different.
Don’t know if there would be a concern about if they needed to get you out of the pool?

How far along are you? Were you finalising your birth plan? At my hospital you can have a water birth in the labour ward but with a BMI of 38 you couldn't give birth in the midwife led unit at all, so if she's ok'd you for the mlu then it is worth checking the rules for yours and asking the question.

They may say no when they weigh you at the hospital, especially if someone with a normal bmi also needs it. Get the policy checked

I cant have a water birth, BMI is 39

Im under consultant care due to my high BMI. My midwife said to me she would let me have one, but to ask the consultant next time i see them, i did yesterday and she said no. Just because if theres any complications they wouldnt be able to get me out of the pool. Gutted i cant have one.

I had one with my 2nd, even though I had a BMI of 37, haemorrhage after my first child and broke my leg 2 months before my due date!! My hospital is clearly very lenient!

My local hospital has an 11 stone limit and women with BMIs over 30 are not permitted under any circumstances.

11 stone?! How many women would way less than 11 stone at full term - I certainly didn't and was a healthy size 12 at the start!
I was told it was a weight limit of 100kg rather than a BMI, I assume to do with getting you out of the pool in case of any problems.

Every hospital is different that’s why it’s a good idea to check. Mine has the 11st limit presumably because they want to be able to lift someone out easily and quickly in case of problems - there were a couple of avoidable maternity deaths in the hospital recently and they are covering their backs.

The 100kg limit wouldn’t be for one person. It would be for 2, as the husband and / or midwife can also go in.

Surely it would be to do with whatever the maximum load of the hoist available is? 11st seems very low for a hoist, so I would guess they would have to be getting you out manually in those departments

Creampie - we don't have a hoist where I work. We don't have a limit as such, just that the woman needs to be fully mobile on her own in and out of the water.

11st just seems very low and I can imagine that only a small % of women would be under 11st at the end of pregnancy. 100kg was definitely for the mother in my trust, 100kg is just over 15stone, 2 people would be very unlikely to weigh 7.5st each!

11st seems an insane limit?! I’m probably close to 11st now at 31 weeks and booked with a BMI of 20?! I haven’t even gained an excessive amount of weight! (Probably a stone at most!)

Just remember that the hospital can advise but the can’t actually ban you from doing anything you’d like. If you take on board the risks and make an informed decision, they are duty bound to support you.