Hi Mamas!
I guess you could say that I've experienced two waterbirths. The first being my own birthday (are we counting that?) and the second I can remember a hell of a lot better... the birth of my son. For his birth I had a pool set up at home, by the Christmas tree in the living room. And I absolutely loved it.
Here's my top three reasons why:
1. I find water so relaxing!
If you're anything like me, having a bit of a stressful day has you dreaming of the tranquil bubble bath you're going to melt into that evening. If you really are like me it'll be scolding hot like the pits of hell unless you're pregnant, in which case a tepid 37 degrees will have to do (but that's besides the point). If I can't sleep at night then I'm opening up the 'Calm' app on my phone and letting gentle crashing wave sounds lull me into rest. What I'm trying to get at here is that naturally for me, a waterbirth was the best option when it came to wanting a calm and relaxed birth experience, because I find water relaxing. I guess that's one reason you were expecting to hear!
2. The pool made me feel safe.
For our bodies to be able to work at their best when it comes to birth we need to feel safe and the pool (quite unexpectedly for me) felt like a bit of a safety barrier between me and the other people in the room. A birthing nest if you will!
Prior to actually going into labour I had planned to have my partner, Alex, in the pool with me. There he was, trunks at the ready, but I didn't want anyone invading my safe space for anything more than holding my hand over the edge of the pool or checking how baby was getting on.
If you want to know more about the science of needing to feel safe for a smooth labour, I have just the blog post for you - you're welcome!
3. Being in water lessens your chances of tearing!
Soaking in warm water makes your skin more supple so it makes sense that it will give you a helping hand as the skin of your vagina unfolds and stretches to make room for baby to make their entrance into the world!
My son's waterbirth resulted in one very small tear which didn't need any stitches at all. This was a huge relief for me because I'm a massive wimp when it comes to needles. I kid you not, I was more worried about any possible injections or stitches rather than the birth itself!
So are you considering a waterbirth?
If you're hoping to have a waterbirth at a hospital or birth centre you'll want to ask how many of the delivery rooms have a birth pool and how often they're all in use. If there are no birth pools available when you do go into labour, hopefully you'll have access to a bath or shower instead. It's definitely worth asking your local maternity units about their facilities when you're making your decision on where you'd like to give birth.
Guaranteed access to a birth pool was a pretty big factor in my choice to have a home birth, so that might be something you'd like to consider too. University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) Home Birth Team were amazing support to us when we were organising our waterbirth at home. They will be able to offer advise about renting a pool as well as any extra bits and bobs you'll need*! They will insure the temperature of the water is perfect throughout the birth and the lovely midwives will often help with clearing up after the birth!
*These are some of the extras you might not have thought about:
- Waterproof ground sheets or shower curtains to protect the floors/sofas
- Lots of old towels
- A sieve (yep, it might be needed to fish some poop out of the water!)
- A handheld mirror so it's easier for the midwives to see what's going on
- Tap adapters so you can hook the hose up to fill the pool
- A water thermometer
I hope this has been lots of help if you're thinking you might like a waterbirth! And if you've got any questions for me please feel free to get in touch!
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