Water birth or not????

[bright_eyes]

I am planning a home birth but I can't decide if I should do a water birth or not. I know that I can at least plan for it and than wait and see how I feel when in labour, but that still means that I have to get a pool and everything that I would need for a water birth. Part of me doesn't want to worry about it. It's one more thing to have to worry about and lots of women have had great birth experiences without having a pool to labour/birth in. But then I worry that what if having a pool is what makes the difference for me between an amazing experiece and a not so great experience.

So tell me about your experiences? Did you plan for a water birth? How did it go? Did you end up using the pool at all? What was the deciding factor between having a water birth or not?

[FrolicingMama]

For my first I labored in the water, but my midwife wanted me to get out when I actually delivered because of the position of the baby. Even so I would do it again. It made a huge difference in my pain level. My daughter was posterior so there was A LOT of back pain and the water made it feel so much better. I plan to use the pool again with this birth.

It doesn't really have to be so much work or even expensive. My midwife actually recommended a inexpensive pool that is made to be a kiddie pool, but sold at yourwaterbirth.com. Unfortunately we ended up having to get an expensive pool because I was Due in January and we did not order it until November so no one had kiddie pools in stock. Then we just got a water quality hose from a hardware store, a fish net from the grocery store, and a rubberducky thermometer from Babies R Us. That was pretty much all we needed that was specific to using the pool.

[shelley4]

i had a 'dry land' home bith with my first daughter, and a water birth with my second daughter... and i would do the water birth over, and over, and over again! it made a huge difference in my pain/comfort levels.. like right when i was getting to the point that i was really uncomfortable out of the water, and i got in, and it was immediately a million times better! like i could go on for hours more. worth it for sure!

it's not much work to have it set up in case you want it, or if you want to labour in it and birth out of it... it's just really nice having options.

[lindsayjean]

I was wondering the same thing before giving birth. I had DS on July 25th and OHMYGOSH I am sooooo glad we had that tub. It made the in between of contractions so peaceful. I will never birth on land again if I have a choice.. totally worth the effort

[LandonsMom]

I was not totally committed to a waterbirth with my last birth, but felt compelled to prepare for it just in case I felt like being in the water at least for labor. I was SO glad to have the water, it made the pain much more manageable and I personally didnt feel it was all that much more to prepare for. I used a kiddie pool, and I think the only other items I purchased for the water birth specifically were the hose adapter (so I could just run the water from my sink), the fresh new hose, a fish net (in case of "floaties" afterwards), and salt for some reason I cant remember!! It also made clean up a breeze (had the pool in the bathroom, we just used a bucket to dump water into the bathtub, my DH had the thing emptied in minutes), but I know each persons living arrangement would not necessarily reflect this benefit.

I choose the fishy pool this time b/c it seemed smallish while still being deep. I definatly wouldnt plan birth any other way at this point, although in the heat of transition and pushing, I cant say for sure what will happen.

[leavemealone]

I wanted the option of a waterbirth, but I ended up having the baby on the floor. My MWs apprentice helped set it up about two weeks before I birthed and she and my doula emptied the tub and broke it down afterwards. I am glad that I had the tub during labor, though so it was definitely worth it for me.

[WhereHopeGrows]

I liked the tub for my hospital water birth, but did not like it for my home water birth. It was one more thing to mess with. I would have rather had my husband with me instead of setting up that pool. It felt like one more complication. Is also did nothing for my pain levels.

However, I feel like I learned a lot since then about managing labor pain and flowing with the contractions. So, maybe it was just my lack of knowledge that made me feel that way. I had a wonderful "land" home birth with my last one, so I really don't think I will use a tub this time around. (I'm pregnant again.)

I found that by leaning far forward while on the toilet I was able to flow with the contractions right up until pushing. It made them always bearable, and they never felt like too much or "terrible." Plus, when you are on the toilet, then you can just freely pee and leak fluid and not worry that you are leaking into your birth tub. Best wishes you you as you decide.

[womenswisdom]

Originally Posted by WhereHopeGrows

Plus, when you are on the toilet, then you can just freely pee and leak fluid and not worry that you are leaking into your birth tub. Best wishes you you as you decide.

I freely peed and leaked fluid IN my birth tub with no worries Didn't bother me, but I'm sure not everyone would feel comfortable with it.

I loved the water both for labor and the birth. You couldn't have paid me to get out.

[georgia]

Have you seen Barbara Harper's site http://www.waterbirth.org/? I've had two waterbirths and cannot say enough positive things about birthing in the water (or at least giving yourself the option). I also found Choosing Waterbirth: Reclaiming the Sacred Power of Birth by Lakshmi Bertram to be an excellent resource.

Here are a few Mothering articles, too:

http://mothering.com/warm-welcome-wa...rth-revolution

http://www.mothering.com/water-and-p...th-and-infancy

http://www.mothering.com/aqua-baby-birth-home-tub

[erin_brycesmom]

For a while, I had the same dilemma. I ended up deciding to have the pool available just in case and the closer I got, the more positive the idea seemed. I labored and birthed in the pool and it was truly wonderful. After two dry births, I am definitely convinced that waterbirths are awesome! IMO, it's almost always better to have more options than less options. It really wasn't hard to plan for. My MW supplied the tub but if not I would have just bought a fishy pool online. Other than that it was a 10 minute trip to Lowes for a drinking water hose and a faucet adapter. Both were cheap. Nothing else was needed.

[sapientia]

I've had three land births and two waterbirths and I definitely would prepare for a waterbirth again...even for the three I didn't birth in the water I spent a looooottt of time in the water-shower or bath. It's sort of my safe place and it helps tremendously esp. with back labor.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by bright_eyes

So tell me about your experiences? Did you plan for a water birth? How did it go? Did you end up using the pool at all? What was the deciding factor between having a water birth or not?

I gave birth in a freestanding birth center so there was a nice big tub already there. However, I didn't plan to BIRTH in the water. I did "plan" to labour in the water (which means I definitely wanted to beforehand, but knew I might not want to when the time came). I definitely had no intention on actually birthing him in the water. Sure enough, when I was in labour I wanted to get in the water. It felt GREAT! Literally like what I hear a working epidural feels like (I actually overacted my contractions because I was afraid if my midwife knew how relaxing it was she'd think my labour was slowing and make me get out! ). Then I got out for a while when it stopped helping as much, planning to get back in (you know, the way you turn down music for a minute and back up again so it seems louder than it was). While I was out I had one pushy contraction (on which I did push), said "I feel pushy" and then simply got up without another word and got in the tub. I just KNEW I needed to give birth in the water. It was purely instinctual.

There is no guarantee that I will ever want another waterbirth or even want to labour in the water - I do now but that doesn't mean I will when the time comes. But I will definitely have that option open so I can if I want/need to. I'd rather have an unused birth pool sitting around than not have one. I can't imagine what I would have done or felt had I not been able to get in the water at that moment. I may have been okay, or I may have freaked out. Who knows. All I know is it is ESSENTIAL for me to have that option. Dishing out a little extra dough, and a little extra time, is definitely worth it to me. It was my instincts and body and baby speaking - those things are hard to reason with when they come at you full on.

[LiLStar]

I prepared for a water birth, but was pretty indifferent as to whether or not I birthed in water. I just wanted it available as a choice. My midwives provide birth tubs at no extra cost. The only extra things I bought were a hose, faucet adapter, and a roll of plastic from home depot (like for painting) I dont think it cost more than $20. In labor I had dh put a bunch of pillows in garbage bags and duct tape them shut (unnecessary.. just back up in case of the liner ripping so you dont destroy them) then put the two body pillows in the bottom of the pool and duct tape a couple pillows around the edge for a soft edge to lean on. Then when my doula arrived she helped me put tape down the liner over everything. So yeah, a bit more work, but gave me something to do between contractions! haha. Wasn't really a big deal at all. In the end, I didn't end up birthing in it but I did enjoy laboring in it. I would do it again, even without being sure that I was going to end up birthing in it.

[dziwozony]

i think it's soooo worth it to get a pool & just see how you feel while labouring. for my 2 births, the warm water made a huge, huge difference when my contractions were getting stronger & i needed a new way to work through the pain. i think i would have gotten much more tense without it. for both births, i had a sudden urge to get out of the water just before pushing. not sure why, but as much as i loved labouring in the water, i prefered birthing on a birthing stool. but i don't think i would have stayed as mellow & open if i didn't have the hot water towards the end!

[bright_eyes]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I think I will plan for having a pool then. My midwife does provide a pool for free. I just have to order a pool liner and get the hoses and stuff. So really, it shouldn't be that much extra work. I just have nothing yet prepared for this homebirth (and I've never had one before), so it felt like it would be a pain to add the things I need to the already long list of things I need to get still (and I only have 6 1/2 weeks left until my due date!).

[dziwozony]

is your partner handy with putting things together? i fully left the birth pool duties to my dp. he's much better at working on projects than offering support (he likes being busy), so gladly took up the assignment. for us, the pool really wasn't that complicated (MW brought it out for us), it was more sorting the hot water. but if you have a well-functioning water heater, you will be fine!


....and as for preparing for your homebirth, you really don't need a whole lot! have things around that bring you comfort & collect a pile of soft cotton towels & sheets from thrift shops. a birthing mat is handy too. your midwife should have all the important medical things, so your main job is comfort & perhaps mess prevention. good luck :-)