water birth

[Twinkles]

Oh thanks so much for starting this thread Mrsdcooper, i also have questions!

Firstly I am almost completely sold on having a water birth at home if all goes well, though this is my first baby and i am worried that labour might go on for ages and ages and i end up being transfered to hospital. A friend of mine (who hasnt had a water birth) said that once your waters have broken, its too late to have an enema, so if you havent had an enema before getting in the pool things can be very messy. I dont mind blood and tissue in the water, but poo isnt so nice. I have my heart set on it though and am hoping theres a solution to this -anybody?

 

[Neecee]

Oh thanks so much for starting this thread Mrsdcooper, i also have questions!

Firstly I am almost completely sold on having a water birth at home if all goes well, though this is my first baby and i am worried that labour might go on for ages and ages and i end up being transfered to hospital. A friend of mine (who hasnt had a water birth) said that once your waters have broken, its too late to have an enema, so if you havent had an enema before getting in the pool things can be very messy. I dont mind blood and tissue in the water, but poo isnt so nice. I have my heart set on it though and am hoping theres a solution to this -anybody?

Um, what is an enema and why is poo involved??? I don't like the idea of poo.

 

[Twinkles]

LOL - no me neither! I am no great expert and am going on what i have been told here - but apparently an enema is when they squirt sterilised water up your bum to stop you pooping during delivery, obviously with all the pushing its not just a baby that can come out. So an enema is sort of like a colonic that makes you empty out before pushing.

 

[carries]

Do they even still do those! I didnt think they did. I wouldnt worry about it TBH. Most women have errrm rather loose bowels during very early labour so there is little to come out by the time you are pushing. Also the midwife should just scoop it out (with a sieve) at least thats what ive been told. It doesnt always happen anyway and if it does, I doubt you will care by that point!

 

[Pumpkinb]

I am intrigued by water births and hope you don't mind me asking (I am not even pregnant yet!) but can you have a water birth even if using normal NHS services or is it something you have to pay to go private to do?

 

[Sarahkka]

Hello all you water nymphs!
Here is a good site and it's international. Good FAQ section and hopefully can hook everyone up to local resources if they want to pursue waterbirth.
https://www.waterbirth.org/mc/page.do
Cheers!

 

[Neecee]

Also the midwife should just scoop it out (with a sieve) at least thats what ive been told. It doesnt always happen anyway and if it does, I doubt you will care by that point!

Oh MY!!!!! I don't want to poo on my baby!!!

 

[demonmadcat]

I've been doing my birth plan today, and I mentioned that I may be interested in having a water birth. MW said that as long as it was available, there should be no problem with it, and as i'd had an uneventful pregnancy, there shouldn't be any issues..

I think they sound like a great idea...

Em
x

 

[PeanutBean]

Oh thanks so much for starting this thread Mrsdcooper, i also have questions!

Firstly I am almost completely sold on having a water birth at home if all goes well, though this is my first baby and i am worried that labour might go on for ages and ages and i end up being transfered to hospital. A friend of mine (who hasnt had a water birth) said that once your waters have broken, its too late to have an enema, so if you havent had an enema before getting in the pool things can be very messy. I dont mind blood and tissue in the water, but poo isnt so nice. I have my heart set on it though and am hoping theres a solution to this -anybody?

I'm also planning the home water birth and was chatting to a friend, she said that the pressure of being in the water actually makes you in better control of your bowels, you can tell if you need to go and so have time to get to a toilet.

She also told me that for one of her kids in hospital the MW was really P'ing her off and kept shoving uncomfortable tissue under her bum to try and keep the sheets cleaner so to piss off the MW she 'accidentally' pooed on the cleanest patch of the floor!!!

 

[Twinkles]

Do they even still do those! I didnt think they did. I wouldnt worry about it TBH. Most women have errrm rather loose bowels during very early labour so there is little to come out by the time you are pushing. Also the midwife should just scoop it out (with a sieve) at least thats what ive been told. It doesnt always happen anyway and if it does, I doubt you will care by that point!

thanks! my friend had her last baby about 6 years ago in South Africa, so maybe its not so popular anymore. I googled it earlier and i am picking up that you may have one if requested but that its not common practice.

 

[Twinkles]

Also the midwife should just scoop it out (with a sieve) at least thats what ive been told. It doesnt always happen anyway and if it does, I doubt you will care by that point!

Oh MY!!!!! I don't want to poo on my baby!!!

me neither!! dont want any battleships floating by!!

 

[Twinkles]

Oh thanks so much for starting this thread Mrsdcooper, i also have questions!

Firstly I am almost completely sold on having a water birth at home if all goes well, though this is my first baby and i am worried that labour might go on for ages and ages and i end up being transfered to hospital. A friend of mine (who hasnt had a water birth) said that once your waters have broken, its too late to have an enema, so if you havent had an enema before getting in the pool things can be very messy. I dont mind blood and tissue in the water, but poo isnt so nice. I have my heart set on it though and am hoping theres a solution to this -anybody?

I'm also planning the home water birth and was chatting to a friend, she said that the pressure of being in the water actually makes you in better control of your bowels, you can tell if you need to go and so have time to get to a toilet.

She also told me that for one of her kids in hospital the MW was really P'ing her off and kept shoving uncomfortable tissue under her bum to try and keep the sheets cleaner so to piss off the MW she 'accidentally' pooed on the cleanest patch of the floor!!!

'accidentally on purpose pooed', oh my!! i suppose it really is true that you just dont care at the time. Thanks for the giggle and reassurance, i reckon to hell with it, im going for it poo or no poo!

 

[Chellebelle]

 

[PeanutBean]

'accidentally on purpose pooed', oh my!! i suppose it really is true that you just dont care at the time. Thanks for the giggle and reassurance, i reckon to hell with it, im going for it poo or no poo!

I was pretty horrified I confess! It would take some serious drugs for me to be do something like that no matter how awful the MW was being! lol

I told my DH about it, I'm not sure he knew whether to laugh or cry!

 

[cuddles314]

If all goes well I really want to try for a waterbirth, in the MLU. However I guess that all depends on whether the powers that be decide if I am low risk. Although I have had a perfect pregnancy so far, with perfect blood pressure, urine etc, I am a bit overweight, and am measuring slightly ahead for my dates. But as long as I remain healthy and well, and bubs isn't too large, will I still have the option of a water birth? Does anyone know?
xx

 

[PeanutBean]

If all goes well I really want to try for a waterbirth, in the MLU. However I guess that all depends on whether the powers that be decide if I am low risk. Although I have had a perfect pregnancy so far, with perfect blood pressure, urine etc, I am a bit overweight, and am measuring slightly ahead for my dates. But as long as I remain healthy and well, and bubs isn't too large, will I still have the option of a water birth? Does anyone know?
xx

I don't see why not. Unless you need to be induced or have a C-section I don't see any reason why anyone wouldn't be able to use a pool during labour and/or for the birth.

 

[akamummy]

for my first pregy I asked my MW to sew my butt closed so I wouldnt do a poo! she just looked at me and said "Erm...no..."
But I do know that unless you specifically ask for an enama (sp?) in NZ and Australia (QLD) they dont give you them any more, although they used to in the old days!
They do give you laxitives for afterwards though if you havent done a poo! They wont let you go home unless you have "moved your bowels!"

 

[Neecee]

for my first pregy I asked my MW to sew my butt closed so I wouldnt do a poo! she just looked at me and said "Erm...no..."

I bet her face said it all!

 

[akamummy]

it was priceless!