Thinking of a WaterHomebirth - Mindset issues?

[Kristine30]

Hello ladies...I've got a little while until Baby Girl gets here, but right from the beginning I've been thinking about a waterbirth and having just found out my hosp only has 1 pool, am now thinking about a home waterbirth.

I know there is a lot of reading up to be done on this subject and Kandys email thread is very useful, I guess my main concern in pain relief and how to assign yourself that you're going to do it all without pain relief (or just g&a)?

Do you have to be very strong minded to set yourself up for this, I'm worried about freaking out at home and wanting lots and lots of pain relief and beginning to be taken to hosp....

Sorry for rambling, any words or to know if anyone feels or felt the same before their own homebirth would be great...!

xx

 

[KittenKat]

Not sure it is about being "strong" minded, just knowing what to expect. Though if you have not physically done it before you can prepare yourself.

Personally I am a certified wimp, I cry when I bend a nail back or stub my toe, yet I have so far had 3 land based natural births, not on purpose really, just how I went in the end.

With my first I had no idea what would happen, but once I was in labour it all just kind of flowed off at speed, he was my easiest even though he may have not been (breech and 4 weeks early) My second I was offered a water birth as I was the lucky one with it in her room, but it wasn't meant to be she decided she was coming before they managed to get it to the right depth/temp. 3rd I still wanted to try a waterbirth but someone else got there first so yet again no pain relief, not because I am against it, but in some way it wasn't personally needed. She was my worst and I hurt bad, I growled, swore and could possibly smacked my MW but my lil girl at the end of it meant more than anything her birth could possibly done to me.

Okay not sure if any of that waffle has helped even a little

 

[PeanutBean]

The water IS pain relief! If you get in at the right time (I'm told!) it cana feel much more comfortable and others have said that pouring water over their bump or back during contractions has been really helpful.

I planned a home waterbirth last time but it didn't happen and having had a whole host of pain relief and interventions (as a consequence of the pain relief) I find it much easier to feel more confident I don't need it. After feeling 35 hours of regular contractions, getting no benefit from the epidural, the pethidine just slowing everything down and the gas being ineffective and making me feel sick I don't think I have much choice this time anyway!

I have got loan of a TENS machine for early labour and am working on hypnobirthing techniques to help me relax more and breathe properly.

 

[chuck]

I was going to say what PB has sadi...water is pain relief...I used a pool for while and it was glorious!

Not to mention you can have GN A at home and pethadine if you request it but you need a prescription from a Dr and you wont be allowed in the pool.

Even the NICe guidelines for birth recommend labouring in water for pain relief!

 

[GeorgeyGal]

I only decided last week to change to a home waterbirth, as I want to be sure I had a pool available which you cant ensure in hospital. I have just finished hypnobirthing classes and have watched many filmed relaxed calm home waterbirths. As the other girls have said water is an amazing pain relief along with being at home, no one to rush you, you can pace yourself, the contractions or surges as I call them will build in intensity so you will have time to get into the correct mindset and just give your birth over to your body it will know what to do. Theres some amazing water birth stories on here, have a read. I have yet to hear about a home birth with regrets, thats good enough for me!

Its where ever you will feel more comfortable and relaxed really, home or hospital which will work best for you. I did have reservations at first about not being able to have certain pain relief if at home but after researching, for a low risk woman, intervention often slows labour down and more likely to lead to a c section. Theres many things you can do at home to ease any discomfort, you can try different positions and theres always gas and air if you want to try, but remember g and a is not pain relief its a relaxant which just goes to show, relaxation is key.

I've certainly never heard of a low risk homebirther demand to be transferred into hospital because they feel they cant cope! A useful exercise is to visualise how you would like your ideal birth to go and practice slow relaxed breathing and choose some relaxed music to go with it. Good luck with your decision x

 

[sugarcube84]

My hospital was the same as yours, only one pool, and i would have loved a waterbirth. For various reasons i decided against a homebirth partly because i didnt have a bathroom and partly because i wanted hubby to be able to not worry as i was 'in the right place' but having discussed it since we probably would have been better off at home (would have had more midwife support not that i needed it) anyway thats another story, find my birth story in the pinned thread if you want to!

On pain relief i was open to options, i hired a tens machine which i used until baby was born, it was great i would highly reccomend giving it a go i got to 7cms on that alone. Then i started on gas and air which was great and i didnt need anything more however had the birth pool been available (originally told not enough midwives as 1 (2?) have to be with you constantly then it was occupied!?) i might not have neeeded the gas and air who knows.

I certainly dont regret going to hospital even though i didnt get my waterbirth as my whole labour was enjoyable, i didnt get any of the strapped to the bed monitoring that you generally get with hospital births and was able to do what i wanted. That said my next one will be at home providing everything goes ok.

I just want to say that you can start off at home but transfer to hospital if you need extra pain relief but once you are in hospital if things are going well then you cant just decide to go home! If it was me id go for a homebirth tens,water, breathing techniques, g&a, hypno etc there are lots of different types of pain relief you can try at home. So theres no need to think that you have to go without or be strong you just need to change your mindset you can have pain relief just different types to the traditional pethedine/epidural route.

Good luck!