Waterbirth - your time between head and body being born?

[MrsSixx]

OK - odd question you might think - but it's been bugging me since Beth was born 7 months ago.

I had a waterbirth which was great and I highly recommend. However, when Beth's head was born, it took me another 4 minutes to push out her body. This seems like an awfully long time to me.

I had laboured on hands and knees but when it came to pushing the midwife made me sit on my bum in the pool so she could get a better view. This position took all my strength away and I found it really hard to push Beth out. This wasn't helped by the fact that after her head was born the next contraction took bloody ages to come! Consequently Beth was purple/blue when she arrived (though started breathing and crying straight away) and got Apgars of 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes.

Is 4 minutes a little too long to wait or is this normal? How did other ladies waterbirths / dry births compare?

I have a feeling I am winding myself up about nothing here but it would be useful to know. I am planning a waterbirth this time but will insist I stick on my hand and knees for the pushing stage (being careful to keep my bum underwater).

Thanks ladies

 

[Pixxie]

Im a first timer so I dont know but Im sure it doesnt matter how long it takes because they are still getting oxygen from the cord? Ive seen videos of some on the net that were about 4 mins xx

 

[MrsSixx]

Im a first timer so I dont know but Im sure it doesnt matter how long it takes because they are still getting oxygen from the cord? Ive seen videos of some on the net that were about 4 mins xx

I think it depends Pixxie - the cord is likely to become compressed when the head has been born, so is either not functioning at all, or is functioning very poorly. At least that's my understanding and hence the worries over Should Dystocia. Maybe a midwife will be along in a minute to set me straight

 

[JenStar1976]

I would say that Alex's body came out about a minute after his head did. I completely ignored the midwife and instead of panting at the crowning stage, I just pushed like my life depended on it! It would explain why I tore so badly!! 4 minutes doesn't sound that long, but I guess it seems like a lifetime when you're giving birth!

 

[Torz]

I havent given birth yet so cant say but when i went for the home water birth class at the hospital i was told that the body can take a little time to deliver after the head & that this is fine. Baby will still be getting oxygen from the cord & aslong as the head hasnt had contact with the air, baby wont try to breath.

All babies are born looking blue & always takes time for them to pink up.

I dont know why the MW would make you sit on your bum after the head has been born, that just seems strange to me.

 

[Blob]

Yea i was under the impression that baby would still be getting oxygen from the cord and it would be just like they were still in the womb? Now you have me wondering too though am pretty sure with DD her body came really fast after the head.

 

[Snoozie]

It was very fast for me all three times. After the head the baby came with the next contraction which was pretty much straight away, this was the same for all three babies. With ds2 I didn't wait for a contractioon, mw pulled him out as I pushed as I'd had meconium in my waters.

I wouldn't worry baby got here safely and would have had oxygen via the unmbilical cord.xxx

 

[NIfirsttimer]

yep i ignored the panting bit too and pushed like a mad woman, so rubys head was only born a few seconds before her body, and she too was all blue, her hands were practically navy!

 

[KandyKinz]

Regardless of being in the water as the baby won't breathe until it hits air, 4 minutes is a pretty long time for the shoulders to come.... as mentioned before once the baby's head is out cord compression is very common and cuts the blood flow to the baby. They can usually compenstate quite well for short periods of time but once you get to the 4 minute mark most midwives are getting nervous! Anyways, how big was the baby? Did the midwife mention anything about a shoulder dystocia?

Also, it's very common for water babies to be born a bit bluer then land babies. They just seem to transition a little more slowly. It doesn't effect them negatively in any way it just can be a little bit startling to the parents. The main thing is that the baby is breathing and has a good heart rate! Crying isn't even necessary... and sometimes waterbirth can just be so calm that the babies don't even cry at all.

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

I had a waterbirth and it took me quite a while to get Olivia's body out after her head came out. But like the other ladies have said baby gets oxygen from the cord and being underwater doesn't bother them as they spend 9 months in fluid inside us

 

[MrsSixx]

Regardless of being in the water as the baby won't breathe until it hits air, 4 minutes is a pretty long time for the shoulders to come.... as mentioned before once the baby's head is out cord compression is very common and cuts the blood flow to the baby. They can usually compenstate quite well for short periods of time but once you get to the 4 minute mark most midwives are getting nervous! Anyways, how big was the baby? Did the midwife mention anything about a shoulder dystocia?

They didn't look nervous but did keep asking me has the next contraction come yet? It hadn't - it took 4 mins. As soon as the next contraction came I pushed so bloody hard to get her out (I was very aware of the delay). No mention of Shoulder Dystocia either and they didn't touch me at all during the birth. I think it was probably just a slowed contraction issue more than anything else but it has freaked me out, especially now I am pregnant again. Beth was 8lb 5oz - second baby. I had two midwives attending the birth and one was very senior.

I did ask the midwife who was visiting me after the birth what she thought - she said they tend to get nervous after 2 minutes!! I said Beth's body took longer than that but she thought I was exaggerating. I now have my birth notes so can see it in black and white.

Also, it's very common for water babies to be born a bit bluer then land babies. They just seem to transition a little more slowly. It doesn't effect them negatively in any way it just can be a little bit startling to the parents. The main thing is that the baby is breathing and has a good heart rate! Crying isn't even necessary... and sometimes waterbirth can just be so calm that the babies don't even cry at all.

That's reassuring. Breathing and heart rate were great so I guess I am worrying about nothing here. But it would still be nice to compare experiences with others

Thanks for all the replies

 

[louise85]

I had a water birth 4 weeks ago and even though my pushing stage was only 9 mins (according to my notes, but I was pushing waaaay before the midwife told me too!) once the head was out it was a good couple of minutes before the next contraction, I was panicking saying i'm not getting the urge to push him out and the midwife just said don't worry it will happen.

My little boy didn't really cry either, I would def do it again it was amazing!!

xxx

 

[madasa]

I had supervisor mw visit before the birth to check where we were going to put the pool and run over a "plan" with me. She told me that they would want me to sit like that and I nodded and smiled and thought "you can try and make me luv!" they did ask me to sit like that on the day. She said, "I need you to just..." I politely waited for her to finish her request and then I gritted My teeth Round the g&a tube and told her "tough shit, you can't". I was on my knees and she asked me to lift up out of the water now and again and she would sit behind me. Worked great, it was almost (almost) like she wasn't there.

No idea how many minutes between head and body... A couple I think, but they don't normally start breathing until they come up... Until then they can keep using the placenta got oxygen. Sorry if any of this has already been said

 

[snagglepat]

Our daughter was born on land and it was a good few minutes between the head and the body being born but I can't remember exactly how many. I remember being on my hands and knees with her head out waiting. Everyone could see her face which was all squished and they were saying how amazing it looked and I couldn't do anything but wait for the next contraction.

I've been at quite a few water births as a doula and the baby always looks blue/grey/purple when born in water. Although midwives may start getting nervous about cord compression after 2-4 minutes there is a window of 8-10 minutes before you begin to get into the territory where oxygen deprivation could cause damage. The reason they get nervous is because if they wait four minutes initially they then only have 4-6 minutes to take action to get the baby out if it really does seem to be stuck.

It's crazy that they made you change position though. It's not good practice either because being on your knees opens your pelvis up the most making there less chance that the baby would get stuck. In fact, if your baby had been stuck there are two manoeuvres they could have used to get the baby out and one of those is the Gaskin manoeuvre which involves them getting you onto your hands and knees anyway!

Although four minutes may be slightly longer than average it is still in normal territory and it sounds as though your baby was completely fine. I'd maybe suggest that next time you take no notice of the midwife if she wants you to change position though. Your body knew what it was doing and it will again. The midwives really should have had a mirror with them to use to see what was happening regardless of your position. Maybe you can make sure there's one to hand next time just in case, then they'll have no excuse to make you move.

Gina. x

 

[MrsSixx]

You're both totally right of course, I should not have moved position. I knew what was working best. Truth is she had tried to get me to move into that position for ages previously and I just kept refusing. Eventually she told me I HAD to because she would have NO idea what was going with baby (i.e. made me feel guilty) so I shifted. Bah! Otherwise though she was a lovely midwife. I am definitely opting for a waterbirth again but unless there is some sort of emergency I aint shifting from my knees.

And thanks for the figures snagglepat

 

[KandyKinz]

It can be quite stressful to be a midwife..... If the mom's in a position where you can't actually see the baby coming out there could potentially be a shoulder dystocia or other problem without the midwife even knowing or being in a position to help.... Those maneuvers can be tricky when a women's in a great position and they can then be very very difficult when a women's in a less then ideal position. If anything went wrong and the baby died or suffered hypoxia and ended up with brain damage or cerebral palsy that midwife would be haunted by that for the rest of her life.... thinking to herself if only I had gotten her in a better position prior to pushing.....

Not trying to justify her decision to move you into that unwanted position at that critical time in your labour, just wanted to give you an idea of what runs through midwives heads.... They tend to hide their stresses well. I think in this situation the midwife probably should have explained her recommendations at least briefly at the time of making them so you would have been made aware the reasoning and perhaps made a compromise.... And it certainly should have been addressed after the birth once you both had time to process things.

 

[madasa]

^^ that's why I compromised and lifted myself up so she could check now and again. I imagine it was a better position than me sitting on my bum even, for getting a good view. Have a mirror handy to help the mw see the baby emerge. I'm glad that I got different mws on the day than the ones i'd met previously, they were much more hands off than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised.