WATER BIRTHS

[rachel r]

Hi<br><br>I was just wondering, has anyone yet made decisions re how to give birth (apart from making it quick and painless!!!!!). When I went for my booking-in last week, the midwife asked me - seems very early (im 18 and a half weeks) but i guess time will fly! I'd already been looking in to it and decided I wanted a water birth, and the midwife said I could provided i went to 37 weeks, and there were no probs, and I didn't have an epidural or pethidine. Has anyone else decided on a water birth? or if not, how are you all hoping to deliver the little tinkers!? My decision is based purely on the fact that I get myself into a pickle about things anyway and get very anxious and felt that if I have a water birth, there's no machines or anything, DH can be sitting on the floor by me (or get in, but he's not keen on that!!!!)i can have my music and candles etc, and hopefully it would keep me as calm as possible. (or maybe im just being too idealistic and when the time comes, i'll be screaming for the contents of the hospital drugs cupboard and lashing out at anyone who gets in my path!!!!!!!!!!!)<br><br>Love<br><br>Rachel<br>x

[suzanne]

Hi Rachel,<br><br>when we went to our first Parentcraft class, they touched on pain relief. Like you I felt that I needed a firm 'plan', but the midwife who gave the class made it all sound quite relaxed. She recommended getting into the birthing pool, but also advised that a lot of women then get out to actually give birth. She just made it sound as though you could change your plan to suit the delivery, i.e. increase the type of pain relief if you feel it's necessary. <br>In my case I never got to have anything as I got to the hospital too late anyway, so don't worry yourself too much as it may not go quite according to plan anyway.<br><br>Suzanne.x

[scorry]

Hi Rachel,<br><br> I would thoroughly reccommend the birthing pool for pain relief, Your body just seems to take over, Unfortunately our midwife dropped the under water doppler and broke it and did not pick up that I was having a precipitate labour as she was trying to use the normal one and the baby's heartbeat was extremely low, you probably heard , the baby got distressed and inhaled meconium and died 20 mins after being born. So there is a safety issue to be aware of. I used gas and air while in the pool and actually enjoyed the experience of giving birth, hope I haven't put you off after what happened to me, but I was just very unlucky.<br><br>Caroline