Is delivering in water less painful than not? - Page 2

[ChaoticMum]

LOL Amie....so many things tend to go down the drain!

That is true - I didn't WANT a waterbirth with my two air births as I just couldn't wrap my brain around the scientific aspect of face to air/water. But with my third I knew I wanted to LABOR in the water - once it was time for the birth I didn't even think of getting out. But I do know of women who couldn't WAIT to get out at the time of birth - totally means listening to your own body.

As an aside, I didn't tear with my air births either - but I DO know that there was a lot more scrambling to get hot wet cloths always at the ready for pressure on my perineum vs being in the water.

[lachingona1]

Getting in the water was amazing for me. I went from 5 to 10 cm in 15 minutes on land then got in the water to push. I felt lots of relief from the warm water. I had 3 degree tears with my first on land birth but with my second water birth no tears and a bigger baby.

We have a garden tub also but it just doesn't compare to the birthing pool. Much more room in the pool.

[rixafreeze]

I was in and out of my big jacuzzi tub during the last half of my labor, including pushing. It didn't change the intensity or pain of my sensations, but being in the water was great for relaxing (and probably snoozing a bit!) between contractions. And of course it feels great to be weightless. Still, I wasn't one of those people who got in the tub but couldn't get out. I was always moving around, trying new things, and I just didn't feel like staying put in the tub, or on land, for more than 30 minutes at a time. I ended up pushing my baby out on land. I'll definitely have a birth pool on hand for baby #2 and just play it by ear if I want to stay in or get out.

[mrscompgeek]

I am so glad to see this thread. I am expecting my first and planning a home water birth. I too am terrified of tearing. I am pretty small, but then so is DH. I am 5'3 and he is 5'8. We were both small at birth too, I was 7'2 and he wasnt much bigger so I am hoping that our babe isnt too much bigger.

[ZoeyZoo]

I think it depends on the person. I HATED being in the pool but loved the shower. I didn't feel any pain from the baby actually coming out. To me labor felt like when you have to go poop but feel constipated. When my body started pushing the baby out on it's own it felt like relief.

[the_lissa]

It depends on the person for sure.

Water was okay with my first, but being in the water for my second was pure torture.

[KQCC4mama]

I would not labor/birth without it! My first birth was a water labor in a hospital (drug-free). They made me get out to push. So for my second baby, I had a waterbirth at a local waterbirth center. In a hospital I would have been sectioned as he was posterior and labor was a long and very painful two days! He came out great though and I could not have made it through without the water as a tool. My next two births were home waterbirths. I spent all of transition in my birth pool and then stayed in there to push them out. This baby will be a home waterbirth as well. Water rocks!