Pros

[nicoleJOLIE]

This is my first pregnancy and I'm really interested in having a water birth , although im not sure about going through labor & delivery 100 % natural .

Could you guys please list off some of the pros & cons of water birth ..

and do they give you anything to help ease the pain ?

 

[lynnikins]

the water is supposed to be the pain relief, and i find it actually works quite well and relaxes you too, and in the UK you can use gas&air in the pool

the pro's are for me .

the warm water acting as pain relief
having my own space not being able to be touched without my permission
being upright or able to choose my position to what is most comfortable for me
the relaxing effect of the water
the mess hopefully is all containted

possible cons...
for me having to get in and out ( our birth pools at the hospital arent the easiest of things to get into in labour lol )
the bright lights at the bottom of the hospital birth pools annoy me


i laboured in the bath with ds2 and in a birth pool with ds1 but delivered them both out of the pool for different reasons , im hoping to have this one in the bath here or a birth pool

 

[madasa]

Also lower risk or tears/less tearing,
soothing during crowning
gentler transition for baby
the water supports your weight, so for example it's easier to squat (great position, gives baby lots of room!)

You can't have epidural, TENS or pethidine in the pool, I don't think, for safety reasons. As soon as I got in the pool I felt about 80% relief, and for a long while I didn't need anything else. I did have some gas and air towards the end, but looking back I think I probably would have managed OK without it.

Good luck