Waterbirth

[BoringTales]

This is my third hospital birth, it will be my second midwife attended birth, and hopefully my first waterbirth!

So, I'd like to know what to expect. What is different than a 'dry' birth.

Does the water get REALLY gross? Most of the pictures of waterbirth I've seen have been done in black and white, I'm assuming to 'hide' all of the blood in the water after the birth, is that right?

Was it hard getting out of the tub immediately after birth like that? Did you deliver the placenta in the birth tub?

I'm not dead set on this, but I'm definitely considering it. Mostly because I think I'll like using the tub in labor, and by the time pushing starts I doubt I'll feel like moving from the tub to the bed. Also, I'm most comfortable on all fours when laboring and pushing, and I think that it would be easier for me in water (and possibly easier to keep things more 'sanitary' with that position.).

So, tell me, the good, the bad, and the ugly...

[AKmoose]

Well...I just had my third babe, first WB. It was at home, unassisted...I never planned on birthing in the tub, but labor was so fast and so intense, I couldn't move out of the water once I found it! The water was clear, not gross after the birth - dh was in with me, and our two dds jumped right in after ds was born. The link in my siggy has the story/pics if you'd like to see. There's also a beautiful birth video called "Birth Day" in a tub - same deal.
I felt like getting out just a few minutes after the birth; placenta was birthed on the bed. I think "planning" it isn't necessary - if you listen to yourself during labor, you'll do what you need to at the time. I labored in water with my first, but got out to push...the second one came too fast to fill up the birth tub Best wishes and happy birthing!

[ecoteat]

I was completely unaware of how icky the water got until I saw the pool the following day before dh drained it. Yes, it had lots of blood, clots, vernix, whatever in it. I did deliver the placenta in the water, so I think that contributed to some of the mess. But honestly, that was all the last thing on my mind when I was in it. When I got out of the tub I felt very shaky for a few minutes, but dh and the mws just wrapped me up in a thick robe and lots of blankets and that felt great. I remember my hair felt kinda gross once it dried and I was pretty happy to take a shower.

[Peony]

The water in my tub wasn't gross. Course I did climb in only 10 minutes before DD2 was born, but my membranes did rupture in there. There were just floaties, vernix looking stuff, the water were pretty clear still though. I didn't tear, there was no blood. I sat in the tub with DD2 for 15 minutes, I was just enjoying holding her in the warm water. Then I climbed out (very easy climbing out, I wasn't sore at all, and did it handless since I was holding DD2) and my placenta started to come out, so I waddled to the bathroom right there with a chux pad between my legs (so I wouldn't drip on the floor) and pushed out the rest of the placenta on the toilet. DH got busy draining the tub, we just stuck a hose through the window and let the water drain out to the front yard.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

There was some blood in the water with my 1st because I tore. With my 2nd, you couldn't tell I gave birth in there at all. The water was almost totally clean. I didn't deliver either placenta in the water. Once the baby is out I'm ready to get out. I tried a dry land birth with my 2nd and found labor MUCH less manageable without water.