I was telling my mom about our plans to have a water birth with the next baby. I was supprised about how cool she thought the idea was, but she did have one question that go me thinking.

I remember all the stuff that came out of me after delivering Abigail, and I am not sure I want it to be floating around with me in a spa while I hold my new babe!

If you had a water birth, how long did you stay in after delivering, and did it seem icky to you, or was it really no big deal?

We've been watching tons of waterbirth videos in prep for ours coming up in May.

Really, it doesn't look that bad. My midwives have a net to scoop any poop and they say they just get it out and its done.......and the rest, well, there may be some bleeding afterwards, but it usually doesn't look like much and your nude from the waist down at least so it's not like you're staining anything. I've seen women deliver their placenta in the bath and it pretty much is all intact and, again, the midwives just take it right out.

The more births I watch, the more I think it falls into that catagory of things you THINK will mattter but, when it comes down to it and your birth a child, it doesn't seem like many mamas care.

:D

I never even thought of poop as I did not have that experience with my first. I can only imagine my husbands face if he saw that float up:)

I've been told that there's not really that much gunk and that if you get out of the tub before delivering the placenta then the amount of blood and yuckiness is seriously reduced. As the previous poster said, in the videos it doesn't look bad at all.

Besides, you won't be paying attention to anything but your precious new babe:)

totally a non-issue for me (or for my friends' waterbirths i've attended). there was no focus on anything but the baby's entrance---and afterwards, we were too mesmerized by the newborn squishy face:wave

No problem at all.
I got out pretty quickly both times. The water's pretty red but at that point, you just don't care.:eek Neither does your dh. As for any floaters, I don't even know if there were any, the mw was that discreet. :)

Don't even worry!:D

The midwives pulled the plug on the bath tub and rinced me all clean after dd was born. I sat in the tub for along time and did a terrible number on my tail bone but I was so comfy in there. :LOL

Anyway after a time the mw finally got me to get out of the tub and into bed where I finally delevered the placenta.

I had my third baby in the birthing tub at home, delivered the placenta there too...I think I was in the water maybe 15-20 minutes after Sam came out...then it was stand up stripped off my t-shirt(I am very overweight, and was more comfy in an old T-it didn't stain either), which I didn't have any second thoughts about, and *that* surprised me, and went to bed with the baby, and for them to clean me up. I did not notice the yuckies, and dh didn't complain about having to be the one to clean out the tub. LOL So I think it is one of those things that you think will matter, but you are too involved in the amazing stuff going on to actually care.
:) Debi

I'm a midwife, and very partial to waterbirths. The water can get pretty ooky, especially with the placental delivery.

It is not a big deal for most people, but some women (or their partners) are just squeamish about it.

If you think you might be, ask your midwife about getting out before the placenta.

Most midwives prepare a spot on the floor right next to the pool, anyway, in case they need to get the birthing mom supine quickly.

But, honestly, its not as bad as you may be thinking.

Birthed my placenta in the tub, then got out. It got pretty icky after placenta came out, and by then I was ready to get out anyway. But my birth pics show really clear water until placenta born (8 min. after birth). I think my midwives used their little fishnet for any "flotaing" things.:o

I delivered my firstborn in a birthing tub..
I stayed in about 10 minutes after delivery. The water did seem pretty yucky but I was too elated to be holding my son to care too much...
I then got cleaned off and delivered my placenta on the bed.

The only stuff in the tub was a little vernix or something else small and white, the water did get a touch cloudy after dd's birth, but nothing gross. I delivered the placenta in bed. The midwife said she didn't want me to deliver the placenta in the tub, but that I could leave the cord attached and carry her over. Since she was already breathing well we had dh cut the cord and carry her over.