Water Birth

I wish I'd had one Heard many a positive thing about them, or atleast using the bath during labour

hey there i didnt have a water birth but did have a couple of baths wen i was in labour but for me it didnt do anything but slow my contractions down so i didnt like it that much but it was relaxing but maybe thats because it slow my contractions right down im not trying to put you off every1 is each to there own.

Rachel & Brianna

I was in the bath for most of my labour but had to get out as the bath seem to get very hard! but maybe a water pool will be different?

lol i didn't lie in the bath, i kinda knelt in there somehow and leant over the edge - probably nearly got stuck - have no idea how i didn't - have tried to do that same in a non-pregnant state... and couldn't!! no way could i lie in there.   I find it really interesting how for some it slows things down and some it makes it quicker.. i think it depends on when you get in. The first time i got in when contractions were 5 mins apart - which was half an hour after they started and waters had already broken..so there was no going back anyway! i think the position i was in probably helped to cos i wwas upright with legs kinda apart a little so it was all baby and gravity doing the work.   2nd time round i left it longer cos i remembered last time the bath made things get closer together and move along... and my baby sitter hadn't turned up yet, so waited till she got there. again, my contractions were about 5 - 10 mins apart... soon as i got in, they were on top of each other.   as it's been said, everyone is different.... won't hurt to try, but don't make it your only option - you may find you don't like it or it doesn't work for you at the time... always go in with an open mind and have plenty of other options to try.   sorry i ramble....

I'm planning on having a water birth as I get really bad arthritis in my hips and I thought a water birth may help a little bit with that side of things. But as my midwife said we can plan for that now but on the day all plans may change, I may not be comfortable or whatever

I had a water birth!! It was fabulous, and if/when I have more babies they will all be water births too!!

It was totally unplanned. When I got to hospital I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for a while, my midwife told me to have something to drink. I gulped back jugs of water which then made me throw up, after throwing up I got too cold, apparently my body went into a sort of shock. I got into the pool to keep warm and never got out again! Although it still hurts I found it more bearable being in the water. My labour was pretty fast and despite being told I would have to wait a further ten or so hours, Quinn was born within an hour of being in the hospital. He was 10 lbs and I had no tearing or stitches which I attribute to the water.


The pool was brilliant, it was big enough to fit all of me in! And I spent most of my time half floating on my knees leaning over the side on my front (does that make sense?) Andy was by my head the whole time, talking to me. The pool is big enough for the dad to get in if that takes your fancy but I think Andy would have been far too weirded out for that!

Hope that helps! Sorry for the novel!!

Chonny - just reading what you said about periods pains... sometimes having them so bad normally - kinda helps you in labour - cos you are kinda used to a fair amount of pain, so tolerate things alot longer, at least they come and go and you can have something that makes them go away a little... I remember thinking after having paris that labour wasn't that bad... considering i also got really bad monthly pains before then.. lol funny how it can be a positive thing - certainly never think that at the time.

Janine - that is so true! I never thought of that! I have always had really really bad period pains and when I was in labour I kept waiting for the labour pains to get worse because I thought "hey this is supposed to hurt more isn't it??" Now I think maybe it's because I am used to my period pains?? the pains were quite similar

I had both my kids in the bath (actually, in the same one!) at Waikato Hospital. I found it fantastic. The warmth helped me cope with the pain, and the lack of gravity made the contractions easier to breathe through.

With Kiya, I arrived at the hospital 7cm dilated and with contractions 5 minutes apart... the bath slowed things down a little, but other than that it was great. I ended up delivering her squatting, with my midwife helping me balance with her hands under my armpits. My mum was my support, and she caught Kiya and cut the cord.

With Josiah, I got into the bath after my midwife monitored me for 30 minutes first - I spent most of that time asking when I could get into the bath! 25 minutes later, Josiah was born. I delivered him kneeling at the head of the bath, and Nathaniel held my hand and rubbed my back. I'm not sure how I did it, but after Josiah was born, I turned around (lifting my leg over the cord) and Josiah was put on my tummy so Nathaniel could cut the cord.

Did you have a mirror Ana, cause it was quite interesting. I never really understood people who videoed the birth - i mean, who do you show that to? but now I wish i had, so I could see it. I can't remember really what happened. Then again, maybe that's a good thing....