Water Births/Birth Plans

[DemiMae]

Hi everyone!

I'm pregnant with my first baby and will be due in May 2023.

I know you may think it's a bit early to be thinking about labour and birth but it's something that's been on my mind and I wanted to get some experiences from other mum's who have been through it before getting to the stage of writing up my birth plan!

If you wanted a water birth, did you manage to get that option when it came to it? If so, how was your experience by doing it that way?

Also, any tips and advice for birth plans as I really don't know what they consist of and I don't have any other friends who are mums/parents 😊

I wanted a water birth with my first but the whole shock of labour and how painful it was took over and I panicked and tensed up. All I could think of was getting the epidural and didn't care about not having a water birth in the end as long as I was out of pain.

2nd time around I felt more positive and prepared as I knew it would be painful so was able to focus more on breathing through it and allowing it to pass without getting really worked up. I did get my water birth 2nd time and it was such a different experience. Was so much nicer and I found the water helped so so much. But I think so much of it is in the mind. I think it's nice to plan things that you would like to happen in labour but also to keep an open mind and not to get too set on a specific plan as everyone's labour is so different and not to feel guilty or beat yourself up if you don't end up having a water birth. It's lovely if you can have one as it helps a lot of women but sometimes things don't go to plan in labour and it can be really hard if youve had your heart completely set on something and it doesn't happen that way. 😊

I had a water birth planned for my son 13 years ago. They began to fill it however I was bleeding too much they had to move me to the medical end of maternity. This time around I'm taking my birth plan with a pinch of salt as they never go to plan x

I would really recommend doing the Positive Birth Company online course, it’s excellent preparation and planning for birth, even if you don’t get your exact plan in the end for whatever reason.

I did plan a water birth and spent some time in the pool, but as DS was in a slightly wrong position (we turned him fine during labour) the water actually slowed my labour down and reduced my contractions. It was lovely while it lasted though! For me the absolute winner was the TENS machine, they’re not talked about enough. Long story short I ended up moving from the birth centre to the labour ward where I had him on dry land, but it was all good and I didn’t feel in any way jipped from not having my birth plan 🙂

Pregnant again and planning a home birth, probably with a pool this time.

I had hoped for a water birth but when my contractions started I noticed my baby had reduced movements, so when I went into hospital I said I noticed he wasn't moving as much, and they said then I had to go to the labour ward and nod the midwife unit, so missed out on the water birth. Just something to bear in mind.

I had a water birth with my first and it was brilliant! Would recommend.

I planned a water birth but when I arrived the pool wasn’t available. A moot point in the end anyway as baby was distressed and ended up with EMCS. I had always decided my “birth plan” was whatever got baby here safely, and knew they rarely go to plan, so I was prepared for any eventuality.

Recommend hypnobirthing! I did the positive birth company course. I got to 8cm before I got to the labour suite, but unfortunately I had meconium in waters so was monitored so no water birth, however I stayed upright the whole time, either standing or on all fours, with just some gas and air. Had a great vaginal birth no issues!

oh and I used a tens machine at home. I hope my next one will be a home birth with a pool!!

Yes I got one and had gas and air and tens before I went in. Water did help and it all went smoothly (but I still hated the whole thing and so had a csection for my second which was brilliant). Had a second degree tear so stiches. I have to say all the stuff about oh what a pretty room and nice music and who was there etc was totally irrelevant during the actual labour. My mum was the only useful person, timing my contractions and therefore pulls of gas and air just before the next one hit.
But everyone is different anyway so watching 4000 episodes of one Born Every Minute did fuck all to actually prepare me and talking to people afterwards again, we all experienced pain differently and were more or less able to cope with different parts.
I didn't enjoy having to exit the pool and sit on a metal bucket stool to deliver the afterbirth!

I had my heart set on a waterbirth after seeing a video of it in sex ed aged 10 (!) - I think we must have had a very unusual sex education video

Anyway - I went in the pool with DS1, absolutely loved it, brilliant, it dialled the pain down to about 10% of what it was and brought it from unbearable to manageable again. Added gas and air when it got towards bad again. Just lovely. So calm and would definitely repeat. They got me out towards the end to check me and I ended up giving birth on dry land but still definitely worth it.

DS2 was 10 years later, in another country and I had forgotten everything, I think he might also have been back to back, he was an odd labour. I wanted to get into the pool again so I asked for it and was given access to it, but it didn't really help and I was disappointed and felt discouraged and asked for an epidural instead. What I learned later is that I was only 1cm dilated when I got in and I shouldn't have really been given access to the pool that early - this wouldn't happen in the UK hence the misunderstanding. That was not the best birth as epidural didn't work properly and it all got a bit hectic and scary.

DS3 3 years later than this. I was really worried about repeating the experience I had with DS2 so I agonised and analysed both birth stories for ages and then just realised that what I needed was WAY more coping strategies for early labour to hold off for as long as possible getting into the pool, and to ask my midwives to feed back a bit more as the midwives I had with DS2 were really vague and uncommunicative and I kept assuming things that turned out to not be what they said/meant at all.

So anyway, when it came to labour, I was doing all my gravity-harnessing, best coping strategies, and waited for as long as I could stand before getting into the pool, and again, it was magic just like it was with DS1. However I didn't stay in it for as long. It was good and it enabled me to really go into a calm zen space and breathe through several contractions and probably progress for a couple of hours, and then I asked for gas and air as well to be told they don't let you have it in the pool... FFS! (Again, not UK. In the UK they let you have it in the pool.) So I got out in order to get my gas and air. The end was bearable with the gas but I was fed up and tired and just wanted to get through it. All fine. Happy enough with the birth - would have changed a couple of the red tape things.

In hindsight, my tips would be:

1. If you have a choice of hospitals, ask them both/all what their pool availability situation is. The reality is waterbirth isn't popular in the UK and the pool usually will be available, but of course more availability is better.
2. Do a good course or learn as much as you can about the physiology of birth - I found it SO helpful to be able to visualise and understand what was likely to be happening at each stage and what I needed to do to maximise the effectiveness of each contraction. If you're in the midlands, my old teacher runs Birthability and she was fantastic.
3. Do a good course and/or collect as many early labour coping tips as you can find. Juju Sundin's Birth Skills is excellent - I really really rate this. There are also several great pregnancy youtube channels with birth tips.
4. Delay going into the pool until you are at a state where you feel like you're almost at the edge of not being able to stand it. Don't get in too early, it works best if you're struggling to cope as it brings you back a few notches.

I planned for a water birth with my first at an MLU. Did use the pool for a long time but got out for a VE when I was 10cm and for some reason (probably the fact moving anywhere between contractions at that point was too much effort) I chose not to get back in and DD was born on dry land. Needed an episiotomy in the end anyway.

40+2 with my second at the moment and hoping for the water birth I didn’t get the first time.

Hypnobirthing is good if taught/used as a tool to manage the sensations and experiences, which are intense, sometimes stressful and not usually pleasant.

If you come across a hypnobirthing course that claims it will enable you to have a fully natural calm breathe your baby out birth or presents any kind of intervention as this scary unwanted thing, it's probably not going to be as helpful. Yes, it is helpful to focus on positive thoughts of your body being capable and the labour going easily, but it's a tool like anything else and you can use it to get through interventions, induction, c-section, just bear those possibilities in mind too. Sometimes they are the safest/best option for the situation you're in.

To add - I found the water really relaxing but I’m a bath lover anyway! I only needed 2 paracetamol for pain relief as the water really helped.

Im due in march and want a waterbirth so following with interest.

Theres two hypnobirth courses i want to do, one is called the birth uprising on Instagram and the other one is the bump to baby chapter on insta.

Both teach you to stay calm and that even in the event of tearing, instrumental delivery, emcs that you can stay calm and know its ok and you arent failing at your birth plan. They also dont promise a pain free birth which is very important for me to be able to trust someone isnt lying to me when im seeking information on how to stay calm when the time comes.

I had a water birth with my first and am hoping for the same with my second. Frankly, the thought of not giving birth in a pool scares me.

While I had done a course of hypnobirthing previously, I'm not sure how much of the breathing etc I actually took on board but it did change my mindset a bit and help with deciding and atixking to my birth plan which basically said I wanted gas and air only, a darkened room and my own music playing (I just chose songs which I liked and made me feel happy or chilled out, pop type songs snd not whale music etc!). I also stated I didn't want to be told when to push and I wanted minimal 'interfering' from the midwife during labour.

I was very very lucky and I had the exact birth I hoped for. The midwife and student midwife who helped me through labour were amazing, there but not there and the environment was as calm as it could have been.

I believe there are 4 or 5 pools at the hospital I chose and I was just lucky that they weren't all being used as often that's all it comes down to.

I had one and loved it! I also did hypnobirthing (no class just downloaded an audio file and listened to it every night for the few weeks before my due date).
I was 7cm before I realised I was in labour and got to the hospital, straight in the tub and he was born within 3 hours.
I didn’t need any other pain relief (except gas and air afterwards for stitches on a tear that I didn’t even feel!) and I found the water really helpful for moving into different positions.

You cannot plan for birth. Absolutely anything can happen.

So it’s best to go in there with preferences, but to also be aware that it can go completely tits up and to not freak out if you can’t get a water birth or if it ends in an EMCS or assisted birth etc.

At the end of the day, you want to do whatever you can for yourself and for baby to arrive safely. Don’t have a strict plan - more a few loose preferences that you’re okay not following if you can’t.

Also be aware you may have Plan A but as soon as the pain hits or something else happens you may want to do something entirely different.

I’ve had 3 water births. One was a home birth. I have also had one ‘dry’ birth.

The water births were wonderful experiences all round (I think largely because the labours progressed in a straightforward manner and it was all relaxed and what I wanted), the ‘dry’ birth was fine but circumstances were very different.

The home birth was a fabulous.

I never had any pain relief aside from some gas and air during the dry birth. Otherwise I was able to cope without. I can remember everything, I felt completely in control and empowered.

Had water births for both my DC and was lucky to have had relatively quick and straightforward labours both times. Would definitely recommend if it’s an option for you. I liked it as it just felt like I had more privacy and it helped that I could change position independently - no small feat when heavily pregnant and in labour!

As for birth plans our NCT leader said it was more helpful to think of it as ‘birth choices’ i.e. what are your wished in the event of needing an unplanned c section, what kind of pain relief would you consider (I didn’t want pethedine for example), do you want to be offered skin to skin immediately etc etc. More an opportunity to talk things through with your birth partner so they can advocate for you if you need them to.

I would have liked a water birth but had complicated pregnancies so couldn't.

My advice would be to have a plan and make sure your birth partner knows it and advocates for you.

I'd also say have your birth plan but know it may not go to plan and be okay with that. See so many women get so hung up on it.

Another vote for the positive birth company digital pack, I found it so helpful and so did DH.

I had a water birth (at home, midwives brought inflatable pool round) and would def recommend. The pain relief was incredible I only wish I had got in it earlier!

I've not had a water birth, but did use a warm bath in labour to help with the pain and help me relax, definitely recommend! My DSis has had 2 water births and loved them!
Congratulations on your impending arrival!

Our hospital posts social media updates with number of births and method of deliveries each month. I noticed last month was 23 water births out of something like 400 births in total. Maybe see if yours does the same or your midwife has the info to give you an idea of how likely it might be?

I liked the idea of a water birth but my baby's growth was dropping and from 36w, it was agreed she would be better with continuous monitoring, which wasn't compatible with the pool. Which was the best call in the end as her heart rate dropped and we were able to quickly get her out.

I tried the pool with DC2 but similar to a previous poster, it was a bit too effective and my contractions slowed riiiiiiiight down. The midwife made me get out again and sure enough, they immediately picked up again.

Also, the water just wasn’t hot enough for me. I wanted to feel like I was being boiled alive in a volcanic spring, and the midwife was watching the temperature like a hawk.

I’m delighted I got the opportunity to try it, but it certainly wouldn’t make or break a good birth experience.

Mommylabornurse on instragram has a brilliant free birth plan you can download and print from her website, there’s even one with simple visual icons which were so handy!
I adapted her template and cut it down to only the necessary bits I needed, my midwife loved it!