unassisted waterbirth??

684 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by NinaBruja, Apr 19, 2006

SuperDupas

Discussion Starter · Apr 14, 2006

I know a lot of you have had a UC waterbirth. Can you give me any tips/suggestions? Both my boys were born in a tub, but it was at a hospital with a midwife. I'm a little nervous about doing it by myself. I want to have a tub available during labor and if it feels right I would like to stay in for delivery. But I'm really trying to leave my options for birthplaces/positions open, I just want to be prepared.

Thanks,
Karen

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teachinmaof3

· #2 · Apr 14, 2006

My 4th was.

It was pretty simple really. I think being in the water makes it easier actually b/c you can move around better. Another thing that helped me was the water taking the edge off the pain. It still hurts but not as intense as being on land.

My labor with him went rather quick. I still made sure inbetween cntx to check where the waterbag was (all 4x my water broke 10mins before birth), after that broke I checked for color, checked where his head was, held my hand on his head to help remind myself to push slowly (AWESOME feeling being the first and only one to touch your baby!!!

), checked for the cord, then dh helped catch to bring him up out of the water.

I always thought that there would be difficulty b/c with my others I was inside myself. Everything was focused on NOT paying attention to the pain and letting the attendants keep an eye on stuff. However, when it was actually happening I was VERY surprised at how attentive I was. I knew what I needed to do and I instinctivly did it.

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Mama2B

· #3 · Apr 15, 2006

I want a homebirth and I'm thinking of going unassisted. Waterbirth is my ideal also. Do you think my husband and I can do it with dc#1 or should we find a doula or something for the first time? I hear a lot of people telling me that I shouldn't go it alone on the first birth.

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Unoppressed MAMA Q

· #4 · Apr 16, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~~Mama2B~~
I want a homebirth and I'm thinking of going unassisted. Waterbirth is my ideal also. Do you think my husband and I can do it with dc#1 or should we find a doula or something for the first time? I hear a lot of people telling me that I shouldn't go it alone on the first birth.

sounds like fear mongering to me, it's up to you if you want to listen to those people or not.
i would not, i DID not, listen to those people (we've all got them, they're way too abundant and open with negativity

) and i caught my first child myself in a lovely rented tub. wouldn't want to do it another way!
you can and will do whatever your heart calls you to do, mamas!

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habibekindheart

· #5 · Apr 18, 2006

I just had my UC waterbirth last week (I'd had one waterbirth before). Delivering on land is NOT for me. Done it way too many times.

For me, everything is easier in water. My back doesn't hurt so badly, I can move around much more easily during labor and delivery, etc. It feels great.

Two things to remember for waterbirth. One, baby's skin should never touch air before it is born. If it does, you have to get out of the pool because when their skin touches air it triggers the breathing reflex.

Two, when pulling them out of the water, pull them out facing down so that everything drains. Then when they take a breath they won't choke and aspirate the water.

It was easy peasy

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AngelBee

· #6 · Apr 18, 2006

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ErinBird

· #7 · Apr 19, 2006

I'm planning to leave the waterbirth option open. Will buy pool as I get closer, and do a test run (so we know it doesn't leak, how to drain it, how long its going to take to fill.... I'll see how I feel during labor. I know each birth is different, but I've also got no personal birthing experience to know what I like/don't like.

Good info from the poster who mentioned not allowing skin to tough the air, and pulling baby out of the water face down... will have to remember!

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habibekindheart

· #8 · Apr 19, 2006

Some women labor in them, some women labor and birth in them, some women just hop in for the birth. It's different with each woman and each labor. Sometimes the water can cause the contractions to peter out or get too strong and mom wants to get out. It's all up to mom.

Make sure to get one with a padded bottom. I delivered #8 in a patented 'fishy pool' that everyone seems to deliver in. With #9 the pool didn't show up in time so we ran to the store and picked up a different pool with an inflated bottom, shaped like a flower. I found I liked that one MUCH better, oddly enough, because I had footholds to move around and places to rest my back because it wasn't completely round. The bottom seemed more padded as well...

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NinaBruja

· #9 · Apr 19, 2006

remember to get, inflate, time and test your pool *before* youre in active labor

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