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SarahH
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: Waterbirth or not? |
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Hello everyone!
I am looking to glean experience from other Hypnobirthers, or Hypnobirthers-in-waiting! I start my HB course in a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to it.  My question is about waterbirth and whether or not it would right for me.. Yes I know only I can really answer that question, but everyone I speak to about planning a home/hypno-birth really recommends water. I'm not a water loving person although I understand the benefits I don't know if it's "for me".
I love to hear from others about their stories with and without water, and if you've experienced both, and any advice you can give in helping me decide.
Thank you!
Sarah x |
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Danielle
Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 276
Location: Alfreton, Derbyshire
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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For the birth of my son last year I had a pool, had my partner fill it up, got it to right temp, then I decided I didn't want to go in, so it cooled down, then I wanted to go in, so he got it to the right temperature I got in, had 2 surges and decided I was happier on the ball in the living room.
I thought I would love being in the water, on the dvds you will see on our course there are 2 clips of women birthing in pools, they look great and I love water, I used to be a lifeguard so I thought it would be great, but on the day I didn't like it and got out. I'm glad I had it because if I didn't I might be saying I wish I'd tried it....
If you have one then you can try it and it might be great for you, as you said you know you are the only person who can answer that and possibly won't know if its for you unless you try it.
Happy Birthing! |
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ockysmith
Joined: 05 Aug 2005
Posts: 316
Location: Cambs/Essex/Herts
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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In my experience if you're not keen on water outside of labour you won't be keen on it in labour.
Personally for me I couldn't imagine labour/birth on dry land - I've done it once and hated it, it was horrible compared to the warm private sanctuary of my pool - but I'm a huge water baby, I adore swimming, I crave a hot bath at the slightest ache or pain and spend most of the summer in a hot tub!
I guess the only way to know is to try, if you're in hospital and the pool isn't in use then it's free - nothing lost - but I could imagine it would be quite galling being at home - spending £100+ (even the cheap inflatables work out to about this once you have all the correct kit) and finding you hated it.
You certainly don't need to use a pool to have a great homebirth or HypnoBirth anyway. I'd say about 25% of my clients have waterbirths.
HTH
Sarah |
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SarahH
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Danielle wrote: | For the birth of my son last year I had a pool, had my partner fill it up, got it to right temp, then I decided I didn't want to go in, so it cooled down, then I wanted to go in, so he got it to the right temperature I got in, had 2 surges and decided I was happier on the ball in the living room.
I thought I would love being in the water, on the dvds you will see on our course there are 2 clips of women birthing in pools, they look great and I love water, I used to be a lifeguard so I thought it would be great, but on the day I didn't like it and got out. I'm glad I had it because if I didn't I might be saying I wish I'd tried it....
If you have one then you can try it and it might be great for you, as you said you know you are the only person who can answer that and possibly won't know if its for you unless you try it.
Happy Birthing! |
Thanks Danielle. That's seems to confirm that you really don't know until you try! It might be nice to have it as an option then, and I've checked and all the local community midwives are trained for waterbirth so I guess I could make my mind up at the last minute (as long as I had arranged a pool!)
Sarah x |
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SarahH
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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| ockysmith wrote: | In my experience if you're not keen on water outside of labour you won't be keen on it in labour.
Personally for me I couldn't imagine labour/birth on dry land - I've done it once and hated it, it was horrible compared to the warm private sanctuary of my pool - but I'm a huge water baby, I adore swimming, I crave a hot bath at the slightest ache or pain and spend most of the summer in a hot tub!
I guess the only way to know is to try, if you're in hospital and the pool isn't in use then it's free - nothing lost - but I could imagine it would be quite galling being at home - spending £100+ (even the cheap inflatables work out to about this once you have all the correct kit) and finding you hated it.
You certainly don't need to use a pool to have a great homebirth or HypnoBirth anyway. I'd say about 25% of my clients have waterbirths.
HTH
Sarah |
Hello you!! Long time no speak! How are things with you? I hope business, family life etc is going well for you.
Hmmmm I do like water in some cases I suppose, and I guess I won't really know until I try it. But I was interested that you said you couldn't imagine birth on dry land and that you hated it - was that a Hypnobirth too?
I'm surprised that only 25% of your clients have waterbirths as I thought it would be much higher. Does that 25% include all that labour in the water as well, or just those who give birth? It shows that more people prefer no water I suppose, and I wouldn't be that strange in not wanting a water birth!
Thanks!
Sarah x (Holland) |
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ockysmith
Joined: 05 Aug 2005
Posts: 316
Location: Cambs/Essex/Herts
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| SarahH wrote: | | ockysmith wrote: | In my experience if you're not keen on water outside of labour you won't be keen on it in labour.
Personally for me I couldn't imagine labour/birth on dry land - I've done it once and hated it, it was horrible compared to the warm private sanctuary of my pool - but I'm a huge water baby, I adore swimming, I crave a hot bath at the slightest ache or pain and spend most of the summer in a hot tub!
I guess the only way to know is to try, if you're in hospital and the pool isn't in use then it's free - nothing lost - but I could imagine it would be quite galling being at home - spending £100+ (even the cheap inflatables work out to about this once you have all the correct kit) and finding you hated it.
You certainly don't need to use a pool to have a great homebirth or HypnoBirth anyway. I'd say about 25% of my clients have waterbirths.
HTH
Sarah |
Hello you!! Long time no speak! How are things with you? I hope business, family life etc is going well for you.
Hmmmm I do like water in some cases I suppose, and I guess I won't really know until I try it. But I was interested that you said you couldn't imagine birth on dry land and that you hated it - was that a Hypnobirth too?
I'm surprised that only 25% of your clients have waterbirths as I thought it would be much higher. Does that 25% include all that labour in the water as well, or just those who give birth? It shows that more people prefer no water I suppose, and I wouldn't be that strange in not wanting a water birth!
Thanks!
Sarah x (Holland) |
I'm guessing you are pregnant? congratulations!
My dry land labour/birth was just hypnosis, not HypnoBirthing. I knew before I had children I wanted to labour and birth in water, that is predominantly the reason I chose homebirths (to guarantee a pool) and what led me to using hypnosis. It's that important to me.
Waterbirth really isn't all that popular I don't think. "My" homebirth rates are sitting at around 40% at the moment and less than half of those mums choose to use a pool at any point in labour (of all the mums who have laboured in it -and who haven't transferred- all of the babies were born in water), of the hospital births probably only about 10% choose to labour/birth in water (and all of the local hospitals I cover provide the facilities).
It's certainly something we cover in the classes in the basic syllabus (some practitioners moreso than others - I do a bit extra as I agent for a pool firm, run seperate waterbirth classes sometimes and also run the local NCT homebirth group so it comes up there quite a bit) and fits in very well with the whole ethos (which is why Mickey covers it a lot in the book) of HypnoBirthing, plus if you go further into the non NeoCortex stimulation theory (Michel Odent mostly) then it is a very obvious tool to use in labour - BUT - it's the same with everything, the best thing for you in labour is just that - for you - not for everybody else, if it makes you uncomfortable then it doesn't matter if 99.9% of other people found it great. Some women like active birth/birthing balls and the like, some take themselves by surprise and like laying on the bed the whole time!
Personally, from what you've said I wouldn't bother with a pool if you want to stay at home, unless you can borrow one, but would give it a go in hospital if they have one free. |
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SarahH
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Sarah. Yes I am pregnant, at long last! 
I think I was fooled into thinking *everyone* wanted waterbirths so it's good to hear I'm not a minority (not that it would matter if I was!) Our local hospital has stopped providing birth pools although you can take your own in apparently, but I'm planning to stay at home anyway. Still have plenty of time to think it all through..
Sarah x |
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eleanorcopp
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
Posts: 203
Location: taunton
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| Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| i like water : i liked having my baby in it and i like looking after women in it , and i think most women do like it for labour. i find if they dont its cos they are too tense and resisting relaxation, so they get out. or , they get out as they got in too soon and a bit later get in agaqin when the time feels right. i think it would be good to have it to use when you have youre baby as you are not limiting yourself at all , keeping all avenues open ! eleanor |
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SarahH
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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| eleanorcopp wrote: | | i like water : i liked having my baby in it and i like looking after women in it , and i think most women do like it for labour. i find if they dont its cos they are too tense and resisting relaxation, so they get out. or , they get out as they got in too soon and a bit later get in agaqin when the time feels right. i think it would be good to have it to use when you have youre baby as you are not limiting yourself at all , keeping all avenues open ! eleanor |
Thanks Eleanor. It still doesn't feel *right* for me atm but I'm willing to keep an open mind!
Sarah x |
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babyboos
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:01 am Post subject: |
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| I certainly plan to use my hpnobirthing with a birthing pool at hospital though as never done any of this before who knows I may not like it once I am in or may not want to actually deliver in there etc keeping an open mind and will see how it goes |
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amylou
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:51 am Post subject: |
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As we currently live in a 1 bedroom flat, we don't have space for a birthing pool, but thankfully it's not something I've wanted, although I can certainly see the advantages of using a pool, and wish it were an option.
Very best wishes with your water birth, or not, whichever you decide |
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babyboos
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 11:14 am Post subject: |
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THANKS
hopefully find out later this week...
4 DAYS TO GO
bath pillow - check
Clary sage essential oil for burner - check
five flower remedy - check
homoeopathic remedies - check
Original CDs all good to go and back ups on my MP3 player - check
Hypnobirthing book and notes in bag - check
ongoing care provider notes in bag - check
baby bag - check
my bag - check
dad's bag - check!
pram assembled - check
clothes all washed - crib all set up - just waiting game now |
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mia
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 160
Location: Midlands
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Babyboos,
you sound so excited - and so you should be. what a precious time!
4 days to go until what? you can't time this like a cake. It's more like an apple tree. Who knows when the apple will be ready? Afterall, the average gestation for first time mums is 41 weeks, give or take a couple of weeks! 
have a wonderful birth  |
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babyboos
Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Sorry didn't make it clear I choose when to have my baby not them, and I want to go in 4 days time No membrane sweeps etc for me just good old reflexology and raspberry leaf tea. |
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