Bathing in labour after waters have broken?

[strawberrykate]

I was quite surprised to hear my midwife say at antental that women shouldn't bathe after their waters have broken.

I was hoping that relaxing in the tub a bit before giving birth could give a bit of pain relief. I've heard anecdotaly about women labouring in the bath, though I don't know when their waters broke. I'm not planning to actually birth in there, just relax at points.

Is there a big infection risk? If so would through cleaning/ cleaning with milton help? A sterile liner? I guess I thought that in labour there was no chance of the water going up inside you because 1. Water doesn't normally fill me up when I bathe 2. There' s a baby's head plugging the cervix.

I was wondering this myself as I wallowed in the bath last night (3 days off EDD) - are you not allowed to use a birthing pool if your waters have broken - and if you are, what's the difference?

Will watch this thread with interest.

with dd1 it was 2 and a half days between my waters breaking and the birth-I took loads of baths, it helped me relax

Slightly different for me as my waters broke very early (14+5 weeks) but I have been told not to have baths due to infection risk.

However, my waters broke at 38 weeks just prior to labour with DS2 and we had been told to ask when we rang the labour ward if we could bathe, so I did and they said yes.

I think they'd probably only advise not to bathe if you weren't contracting yet as if you are in established labour the risk of infection (due to the time between waters breaking and birth) would be low.

Do they use sterile water in hospital birthing pools? I have often wondered this, I would definatly at least wipe around with dettol and rinse (I do this to take baths after birth for a while), but dunno about the water aspect. Maybe abit OTT to have DH boil kettles and cool to fill...? Wonder if a few milton tablets in the water would help...

My waters broke at the start of labour and I was advised by the midwife to have a bath, so I'd guess that once you're actually in labour it's not such a big issue.

(before reading thread properly;

I think this is a damn good question, I am certainly hoping to be able to have a nice warm bath in early labour.
I wander why a midwife would say no, incase your bath isn't fully clean?
I had a bath in labour at the hopsital last time 'birthing pool' and they just said 'don't have it scolding that's all'
Maybe their pool was okay as it was believed to be sterile??
Idk!

Somewhere on another thread I read yesterday that there is an increased risk of infection - but it's an increase from 0.5% to 1% so not exactly earth shattering.

I don't know the source, and I'm blowed if I can remember which thread I read it on though.

I was encouraged to have a bath in labour (in the hospital) when having DD and waters had broken. Can't imagine its sterile water in tap although might be sensible to clean it well before you get in.

I had my waters broken artificially after they tried to induce me with prostoglandin gel. As soon as my waters broke and I started proper contracting they sent me straight into the bath so yes, you can have a bath after waters are broken.. and I was in just a standard hospital bath.. spent about 3 hours in there with towel draped over me while hubby kept topping it up with more warm water cos I was pretty chilly after a while

As long as you cleaned it first!

(take cleaner with you)

I had a bath in hospital after my waters broke.
The midwife advised it... deep and warm... It was bliss

My waters broke on the Wed but I didn't have dd till sat i was given conflicting info by hospital one mw said yes another said no! I did !!

My waters broke on a Friday (at 36.5) and DS2 was not born until Sunday am, and I was told that I was not allowed a waterbirth for that reason. But bizarely it was ok to have a bath in the time between waters breaking and labour properly starting.