Attn New Mums - Water Birth!

Replies

• purplebabes

  Jan 21, 2008 9:42AM

  I'm hoping for a water birth at home and I've loads of research and it is all really positive...
  
  I'm hiring a birthing pool for 3 weeks that looks like a hot tub with a filtration unit and heater, so OH can set it up and i can use it every day and the water only needs changing once a week, lovely jubbly....
  
  I reckon I won't wanna give it back, ha ha!!!!

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• mamapink

  Jan 21, 2008 1:13PM

  I planned to have a water birth, have heard loads of good things about them. But my labour progressed far too quickly so there wasn't time to run the water in the end!!!
  
  Best advice I can give is to have a number one birthing plan and then a back up in case that can't happen!! Also make sue your oh knows what you want so that they can speak for you if needs be.
  
  I still had a great experience, was only in what I would call proper labour (i.e. any kind of pain!) for 4hrs, and just had accupuncture as pain relief! My lo is 19 days old now and worth every moment of the labour.
  
  Good luck in whatever you decide to have.
  
  Liz x

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• 3-little-princesses

  Jan 21, 2008 1:19PM

  I had a waterbirth back with my daughter back in dec & I would definately recommend it.
  
  I found the water to be such a fantastic pain reliever itself but was able to use gas & air while in the water too. You also have a lovely sense of your own space while in the water & I, believe it or not, felt soo relaxed throughout the whole labour. Its great to for if you want to change position coz the water makes you feel so light that its easy to manoeuver around. At one point towards the en of my labour I was going to pop out to use the toilet but when I was half way out a contraction came on & I literally jumped back in & it was only at that point I realised just how much of a pain reliever the water was.
  
  Another thing that I thought was lovely was that when youre delivering in the water, the midwives just observe how things are progressing & dont actually touch the baby until it comes up to the surface, which to me felt great coz that meant that I was the 1st person to touch my baby. The thing that astonished me was how calm & content the baby was immediately after birth. She cried when she was born but it was a completely different cry to what my 1st daughters was like (I laboured in the water with her but didnt deliver in it)
  
  If waterbirth is an option for you I would definately recommend it
  
  Hilary x

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• leaz

  Jan 22, 2008 6:51AM

  i had a water birth at the start of december and i would defo recommend it its so relaxing and you feel just at home and it eases the pain so much esp in ur back where at the start i had all my pain!! but if i fall pregnant again i will def ask for another one!

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• wannanother

  Jan 22, 2008 8:19PM

  hi osrry ot butt in,but purplebabes, i am planning a home birth (hopefully) this time and hadnt thaought of getting pool for home, how do you get one? and how do you time it properly? and how big is it?would you just have it in your livingroom or whatever?
  
  did you give birth to your baby in it, or were you just in it beforehand?
  
  
  

  

  
  
  

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• Korena

  Jan 23, 2008 12:15PM

  Thank you all sooooooooo much!!! You have def confimed thats what i want. I know that you have to have a back up plan too.
  
  Its just ive told people i want a water birth and they looked shocked and then kinda laugh when they realise its without pain relief. But i said its suppose to be one of the best forms of pain relief. So i thought id check!!
  
  Enjoy your beautiful babies xxx

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• arg

  Jan 23, 2008 1:27PM

  I had the most fantastic home water birth last March for my 3rd baby and like Hilary C my daughter is so chilled out and calm. I rave on about it whenever I get the chance because it really was one of the 2 best days of my life giving birth at home with just my husband and the midwife in our conservatory on a lovely warm spring day. Despite my daughter coming out face up which puts more pressure on the back in labour I didn't have any other pain relief apart from the pool and didn't even get out at all as my wonderful midwife was so experienced so didn't examine me or disturb my labour at all. After 2 awful hospital instrumental births this one was so wonderful!
  lauragcam, just google birthing pools as there are a number of companies that hire them. I used to be an agent for one and kept my own one which I used. The web sites will answer all your questions. I once delivered a pool to someone who was already in labour and her husband still had time to put it together and fill it up before she gave birth in it. You might need a few practices - my hubbie filled our pool up in the middle of saturday night as I'd had contractions for 2 hours but by the time it was full they had gone! Baby came on the Monday so we'd emptied it, washed it and refilled it by then. There usually is enough time to fill it and they can fit in to relatively small places.
  Good luck and definately go for it xx

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• arg

  Jan 23, 2008 1:48PM

  oh and to answer your last question lauragcam yes I gave birth in the pool with hubbie behind me - he got in at the last minute to help me turn from all fours onto my back and as her face came out upwards she just looked up at my hubbie (I couldn't see over the bump!) for 2 mins before the rest of her came out and it was so surreal and beautiful xx

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• alio123

  Jan 23, 2008 6:38PM

  Went in birth pool when I became really uncomfortable standing and moving around. When I got in the pool it suddenly felt a lot, lot worse and I was really anxious that it was cos I'd moved - but it turned out it was because I was just about to be ready to push. In the end I wasn't allowed to deliver in the pool because baby's heartbeat dropped. The thing that was brilliant was that the midwife put essential oils in the water - it meant that although the contractions were feeling much worse, I was SO much more relaxed in the inbetween time. Day after lo was born I found a sore bruise on the back of my head and realised it was from pushing against the side of the pool!!! Sorry for long post!

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