water birth advice please (pros and cons)

[littlepurple]

I'm currently set on a water birth but oh is a bit unsure. Any advice welcome
How likely is it that the baby will have breathing problems, and how easy is it to get comfortable? Does it always slow labour?

 

[booflebump]

The baby is no more likely to have breathing problems with a water birth than it is with a 'dry land' birth

Water takes the weight and pressure off your body, so makes it a lot easier to get comfortable or in to good positions for labour

If you are in good, established labour when you get in to the pool, it's unlikely it will slow it down. It will definately make you more relaxed though so will make the contractions feel easier to deal with

xxx

 

[Sommerfugl]

I agree with boofle.
My water birth with my daughter was lovely and I can't imagine not having a water birth this time too.

I got in at about 11am when I was around 5cm dilated and my daughter was born at 2.30pm so it didn't seem to slow it down for me, just made everything soooo much better, more comfortable and much easier to handle I can't wait to do it all again.

 

[Vee_Bee]

Go for it!!

I had a waterbirth with my first child and I'm having one again (but at home this time!) with my second...any day now!

Waterbirth is lovely - the baby is unlikely to have breathing problems and comes out into exactly the same temperature water as the fluid inside you so is very calm and quiet when they come out.

I've heard that the water can really ease labour pains (I have nothing to compare it to) and I really would recommend it.

Have a look online for some waterbirth websites like this one:

https://www.waterbirth.org/

Good luck!

x

 

[Kess]

I hadn't planned a waterbirth, I was intending to maybe labour in the pool but deliver on dry land (wasn't particularly keen on the idea of a birthpool anyway but MW suggested we have one anyway just in case I changed my mind and I'm very glad she did!). When the time came there was no way I was getting out of that pool! It's much easier to get comfortable in the water and my labour (first birth) was certainly not slowed down by the water - I got in at 5cm and it was less than 45 minutes later I was fully dilated and his head was on its way down!