# Water birth :)



## Jadelm

I have my heart set on one (although I know I might not get one!), just wondered what everyone's thoughts and experiences were with them :flower:

My Mum was meant to have a water birth with me but they had to pop her waters and then wouldn't let her be in the pool as it was her first pregnancy and they wanted to keep a closer eye on her.. or something lol. She still did it pain relief free though (except gas and air) :thumbup: If my Mum can do it, I can!! xxx


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## Youngling

Haha Jade ur the first person to post in here.
Im hopin for a water birth but im not getting my heart set on it cuz i dont wanna be dissappointed if i cant have one.
Im putting down on my notes that I would like to try it if possibe. We only have on pool at our hospital
xx


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## wannabubba#4

I am hoping for a home water birth, so I have bought my own birthing pool - it's fab; I so hope I get to use it. 

Depends on whether there is going to be a mw to support me at home; unless they are too busy in the unit -so fx'd xxx


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## Pops

We are also going for a home water birth and we are so excited about it!

Not long to wait now :yipee:

xxx


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## NIfirsttimer

I almost had a water birth lol... i spent my whole labour in the pool at the midwife led unit here, but I had to get out right at the very end as her heart rate dropped a lot... they thought i was still only 5cm but i was pushing as i got out of the pool, and Ruby was born on 'dry land' a few mins later.... so i would prob have been ok to stay in, if only they had known i would dilate so fast at the end!

i loved it... the pool was amazing, and it really helped with the pain, it was ten fold as soon as i got out, and i was begging them to let me back in again!
i say go for it!!!!!!!!


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## BrookieG

im hoping for a water birth too but have sooooooooooooo many questions about it! lol ive written them in my birthing plan so hopefully the MWs can put my mind at ease beforehand like but anyhoo....

Im planning on wearing a bra n big t-shirt if i do get a water birth but am really really wanting skin-to-skin the min he arrives(providing all is well) so i was thinking do the MWs tell me when i should take off my t-shirt?? lol dont really wanna be fumbling with a wet t-shirt while my baby is waiting on a huggle from his mummy! lol

also for the placenta my mw said that if i choose to get the injection to help deliver it, which i have, ill have to get out the pool to get this....where will my son go???? lol im hoping that this'll be when daddy gets his hold but as this is my first ive no idea how quick all this happens lol xx


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## NIfirsttimer

hey hun.... i laboured in a nursing sleep bra.. they have drop cups, so i just dropped them when she arrived, took about half a second, and she had instant skin to skin!

with the placenta... either way you prob wont be holding LO when its delivered... i didnt have the injection, but you still have to push, and 'deliver' it... so when i was doing this they gave Ruby to my OH and he held her while pushed it out... i think this was about 10ish mins after she was born.... hope that helps


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## BrookieG

thats perfect thanks hun :) xxxx


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## SimplyRhi

wannabubba#4 said:


> I am hoping for a home water birth, so I have bought my own birthing pool - it's fab; I so hope I get to use it.
> 
> Depends on whether there is going to be a mw to support me at home; unless they are too busy in the unit -so fx'd xxx

I so hope you get your home water birth too! I just wanted to say, that the MW HAVE TO BE THERE! They are not allowed to 'know' you are in labour and NOT attend to you... So if you call them and say you are in labour and about to give birth at HOME, lol They HAVE to attend! :) They may try and convince you to come in to the unit/hospital, but you dont have to! 

Good luck to all of you ladies! I'm planning on a water birth when the time comes too, but again, I don't want to get my hopes up too much because DH wont let me have a homebirth as it's our first, so i need to pray that the pool is free!! :)


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## WhiteGeisha

I'm too much of a wuss - but I admire all of you that have your heart set on a home birth and/or water birth.

I will want to have all the pain relief available to me and know this is limited with HB/WB! My neighbour did it in her bedroom with nothing but a flannel on her face...I never heard a sound! We didn't know anything about it until the morning after.

I hope you all get the births that you wish for. x


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## StarBound

I also have my heart set on a water and home birth :) 

Ideally i do not want to go to the hospital at all - so far so good lets hope he stays well and in there till 38 weeks and i should be having him peacefully at home.


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## halas

i had a water birth and i am hoping to do it again this time, i actully tryed the gas and air but found the water more effective actully as soon as the contractions started to get painful all i wanted to do was get in the bath


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## LittleAurora

Im looking forward to a water birth as well! NIfirsttimer I am hoping to go to the home from home suit as well!!

I liked seeing your pics in your birth story!


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## NIfirsttimer

oooh a fellow NI-er! i cannot recommend the ulster home from home enough! i had an amazing experience there, my OH was allowed to stay overnight, loads of BF support, and the room was like a posh hotel!
you mustnt live too far from me then!
do you know there is another NI meet up this sat at the zoo!? u should come & meet us all!


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## Mrs_N

I am also hoping for a water birth - not at home though, so it's a bit pot luck first some first served! 
However, the hospital stats say only 2% of their births are water births so if we ring them early on when labour starts we might be able to 'reserve' it as such! 
I'm trying not to get my heart set on it too much because of the uncertainty.


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## wannabubba#4

StarBound said:


> I also have my heart set on a water and home birth :)
> 
> Ideally i do not want to go to the hospital at all - so far so good lets hope he stays well and in there till 38 weeks and i should be having him peacefully at home.

It's from 37 weeks gestation here that they support home birthing, so I only have to wait until tomorrow ... as long as all else goes well lol -Although my home birthing kit isn't being delivered to the house until Friday lol -so maybe he'd better wait until then xx

:happydance::happydance:


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## FayDanielle

I wanted a home birth....until i found out I couldnt have the epidural too!

Im too much of a wimp to not have it 'available' if I really do need it!! x


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## EmyDra

Hello NI'ers!

Apparently home births over here are only 1/500 women, I REALLY hope they let me have one! (I'm Lisburn) Fingers crossed!


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## NIfirsttimer

we are so lucky at the ulster hosp.. in the midwife unit EVERY ROOM has a pool!!!
lemme see if i can find my pics.....


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## Pixxie

Im going to the birthing center provided bubs behaves themselves :haha: and Im hoping for a water birth too :) Possibly using a TENS machine before getting in the pool, but going to look into hypnotherapy too! xxx


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## l1l_miss_dani

I so have my heart set on one and am soooo trying to get the hubby to agree. Hes a little skeptical on it though


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## NIfirsttimer

here ya go........
https://www.babyandbump.com/birth-a...-07-09-new-pics-added-page-3-5-weeks-old.html


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## LittleAurora

Nifirsttimer....when you went into labour did you call ahead and tell them to get the pool filled? I'm worried that every bath will have a labouring woman in it! LOL


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## NIfirsttimer

nope... actually i think most women either start in the home from home then move upstairs for some harder drugs, or else just go straight to the labour ward... when you arrive you go to labour ward to be assessed, then they asked me where i wanted to be, and i said home from home, so when the time came (which took AGESSSSSSSSS due to confusion about whether my waters had or hadnt gone) they just took me straight there, they checked me, and i was over the 4cm they require before you can get into the pool, so filled it up and i jumped (well more like climbed.. u seen the stepladders? its HUGE) in and that was me for hours!
it fills quickly, the water pressure is fab so literally a few mins filled it, so i wouldnt worry, unless you are already 10cm when you arrive lol

when i arrived there were quite a few empty rooms, but when i had to stay in for a while due to rubys jaundice, they needed my room on day 3 so moved me to a private room off the labour ward for the last few days...


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## Mrs Doddy

im really hoping for a water birth and cannot wait for the hospital tour so I can see the rooms and ask how often the pool is used - I hope not too often !!!!


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## Mrs Doddy

BrookieG said:


> im hoping for a water birth too but have sooooooooooooo many questions about it! lol ive written them in my birthing plan so hopefully the MWs can put my mind at ease beforehand like but anyhoo....
> 
> Im planning on wearing a bra n big t-shirt if i do get a water birth but am really really wanting skin-to-skin the min he arrives(providing all is well) so i was thinking do the MWs tell me when i should take off my t-shirt?? lol dont really wanna be fumbling with a wet t-shirt while my baby is waiting on a huggle from his mummy! lol
> 
> also for the placenta my mw said that if i choose to get the injection to help deliver it, which i have, ill have to get out the pool to get this....where will my son go???? lol im hoping that this'll be when daddy gets his hold but as this is my first ive no idea how quick all this happens lol xx

Would you mind me seeing your list of questions ??? it might help me write mine - not really sure what I need to know :flower:


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## EmyDra

*sigh* It looks awesome, but being unable to drive and not having anyone to drive me I doubt I can use anywhere but Largan Valley. I don't know what they have in the way of pools but I'm sure it'll be in use when my babs turns up :(

So homebirth for me (hoping!)


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## LittleAurora

good to know NIfirstimer!! Im dyin to go! lol I also want my hubby to be able to stay over night with me! What was the water temp like? how offen did the midwives come to check on you?


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## Drazic<3

I am hoping for a hospital water birth. Though, if I can't get in the pool, every room has a bath so I will be in that instead! :)


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## NIfirsttimer

the water was really warm! i was expecting it to be cooler than it was.. it was lush! OH stayed overnight the first night, it was so good to have him there with us!!

i had a student midwife who was fab, i LOVED her! she stayed pretty much the whole, time, just popping out for a few mins a few times... she either hung around in the background filling in notes etc so that i barely noticed her, or supported me when i was contracting, then the actual midwife just popped in every 15 mins or so to see how i was, until the end when she stayed.. actually when i gave birth there were 4 midwifes there, the student, the midwife, then the 2 ladies who had come to collect me from labour ward (they were transferring me to higher risk due to rubys HB but ruby was born before they could move me lol) and i can HONESTLY say i didnt even know any of them were there, i could have been out on the side of the upper newtownards road and i wouldnt have cared less lol!


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## LittleAurora

sounds brilliant!!!! cant wait!!!! 

How did she check the babies heart?? were you alowed snacks or drinks? gas and air? lol does this feel like 100 questions?!? lol

we are goingto the workshop they have up there did you go?


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## NIfirsttimer

hehe feel free with the questions!!
they check it with a kind of underwater thingie.. just like the regular one, but waterproof....lol thats possibly the worst description ever lol

snacks and drinks were allowed as far as i know, but it was the last thing on my mind lol.. i remember they tried to make me drink water a few times but i was having none of it lol...

we didnt go to the workshop.. only because i didnt know they existed until after Ruby was born!


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## LittleAurora

well, as I said we are booked in for the end of next month. Im looking forward to it. Means baby is gettign closer to coming! 
I have my birthplan all written up! lol


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## madasa

I had a water birth this time. It was one reason I chose to do it at home, because there is only one pool at the hospital and it's often either out of action, or being used by someone else. It was a lovely experience and I would do it again tomorrow if I could! I highly recommend it!


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## misspeach24

Does anyone know about waterbirth on the NHS??? or do you have to pay extra?


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## NIfirsttimer

you dont pay extra no.. it just depends on your hospital having the facilities available. I had ruby in an Nhs midwife led unit where every room has a pool, others maybe only have one pool for the entire labour ward....


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## misspeach24

Thanks, probably moving back and having baby in Scotland and determined to still get a Waterbirth!


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## sweetlullaby

Awww NIFirsttimer :) Looking through the photo's there made me go all weepy lol I was in Home from Home in the Ulster as well! The water is fantastic! I couldn't reccommend it highly enough! Though I ended up in the delivery suite because of problems with Matthew's heartrate etc. Even if you end up on the labour ward there is a pretty big bath there as well (I went home from home to labour ward back to home from home (that was the best bit) then up to the delivery suite (worst bit lol).

Oh and they do allow snacks :thumbup: They brought me my dinner on the labour ward and in home from home they made me tea and toast while I was in Labour lol :) For me the midwife's didn't check me too often they left me to relax and called in every now and then :thumbup:


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## sweetlullaby

Oh and the Gas and Air in home from home is beside the bed and there's one that comes down from the ceiling beside the birthing pool :) And it's movable and kind of stretchy long so you can move about with it :rofl: I remember one of the midwives coming in to check on me and I was sitting on the toilet with the gas and air stretched right over the pool completly naked :blush:


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## NIfirsttimer

haha yeah i did that too!....

and i spat ice cubes all over the floor lol... while sat on the loo naked & dripping wet...
**cringe**


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## LittleAurora

ohhh...you guys are making me so impatient!!! I wanna have this baby now!


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