Water Birth

Is anyone out there considering a water birth?  I really want to do this but DH and my family are not supportive.  I have hired a Doula to assist with my laboring process and she had done hundreds of water births.  My OB/GYN is not comfortable with this at all and has said that if this is the birth plan that I have in place then he is not the OB for me.  Thanks in advance for your feedback

[drmwvrjean]

i have seen water births done before (on television) and from everything i have read/seen, they say it makes the transition into the world easier for baby.  has your ob said why he feels uncomfortable with this?!?  it is not an option in our area, or i would have researched it further!!  :)  

[pookie1121]

That is a shame that everyone is not surpportive.  I labored in water with my DD and after two hours I was fully dilated.  Unfortunately the water dampened my contractions a bit and I had to get out of the water because my labor wasn't progressing in the water.

Many people who plan a water birth dont actually deliver in the water because either what I had or because the water makes the contractions too strong.  But some of course do deliver in water.  I think it is good to have options but not to get your head too caught up in one thing and how the birth should go, because you never know how your labor will be.

I would love to have the option to deliver in water this time around as well - but because I am preg with twins, it isn't an option apparently (at least not at the hospital that we looked at last week)  But I can labor in water - which I will definately do :)  Tomorrow we are looking at another hospital and I will see what they say to possible water birth.  Who knows how my twins will be delivered - I just like to have options and want to avoid a c-section at all costs, if possible.

[YvetteY]

I'm not sure if this is your first baby or your second baby.....but if you are considering something like this you may want to consider it for your subsequent births and not the first one.    

Personally I would never try to give birth without an epidural.  When I was in labor the first time before my epidural came I was in so much pain I thought I would die.   I never expected it to be that painful.    

Kudos to anyone who wants to do this naturally but it's not for me.   And I imagine if you are doing a "water birth" you're laboring without any pain mediciations.   Not for me.

But heck it's your labor and delivery, do whatever you want to do.  Who cares what everyone else thinks.

Usually if you have a waterbirth you are working with a midwife....OBs, most, won't go for it...so I'm not suprised.   If you want to do the whole natural experience then you have to use a midwife.   And midwives only take you if you are completely low risk.

[blueeyedtabbycat]

I have always heard that water births are more relaxing. I have always wanted to try it but with my last baby my doctor told me she did not offer it and I needed a diffrent doctor if thats what I wanted. I love my doctor and I still dont understand if its just her that doesnt do them or my clinic in general. I would do what you want though. I have never listened to my in laws or my family when it came to desisions on how I would deliver. I would kindly tell them its not them giving birth and although you appreciate their advice you think they should kindly "butt out":) Do you want them in the room?? Maybe they are uncomfortable with the idea of you naked or "bottomless" in a tub with them there. If thats the case you can always ask them to wait in the waiting room. And as pookie has said you may start off in the tub but you may end up delivering in bed. One of my good friend labored in a tub and has said that it was the most relaxing thing ever ( as relaxed as you can get while in labor, lol) And it really help her manage the pain:) I really hope you get to do what you want and can find a place that does it. A wo0man has only a few times in her life to experiance labor and it should be in the surrondings of her choice.
Good luck:)

[tiredbuthappy]

look into whether or not it is even an option at your hospital. I think some hospitals are starting to accomodate it. My hospital did not.
I personally would never go to a birthing center, because of everything that can possibly go wrong during birth. I know so many people who have stories of the baby going into distress and them needing interventions, or even c-sections. i also know many people whose babies ended up in the nicu, even if temporarily, due to minor but common issues such as mecomium. i've had friends who needed blood, friends with blood pressure issues, fainting post partum, etc... Of course so many people have births that go smoothly and as planned, but the unexpected can be serious and I would want to be somewhere fully equipped to cope with any situation that arises.

[Bean_Bran]

Thank you guys for all of your feedback!! I am amazed at the support of this.  Where do I start...Pookie1121.  That is awesome that you labored in water.  That is what I really want to do.  I may not actually have her in the water because I read up on the risk of water embolis and if the babys face touches air it is an automatic reflex to breath so I definitely want to error on the side of safety.  Thank you for sharing your water experience with me.
Yvette Y: no this is not by 1st pregnancy.  It is actually my 3rd.  Although my youngest is 15yrs old it has been a while.  I delivered both of my babies vaginally and naturally.  With my DD I delivered her approximately 1 hour from the time I arrived to the hospital and with my DS I delivered him 3 hours after I arrived.  Not sure how this little bean will behave and I know it labor is different. Thanks for your optimism as well.
Blueeyedtabbycat: Yes, I heard it is the most relaxing as relaxing as "labor" can be.  I also read that it is very therapeutic for the baby.  That is really the reason I want to do it. My OB said that he witnessed a water birth 15 yrs ago and it went bad and every since then he has steered clear of it.  He said that he went to school to long to deal with a risk like that. So you are on point.  With me being 40 I don't want to risk having a doctor that is not skilled in this arena.
Tiredbuthappy: The hospital that I am going to deliver actually does water birth.  They have a tub and everything.  I discussed with the nurses and they seem to have a lot of knowledge about the water birthing process.  I am not comfortable at a birthing center because of the "what if" factor.  I am sure I will get it figured out.  I have 16 weeks.  Thank you all for all of your support.  I am blown away.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

[tiredbuthappy]

weird... if your hospital offers it, and your doctor is affiliated with the hospital, I am surprised that he refuses to accomodate that. Are you willing to consider a new dr? I think that if I had my heart set on something like that, and the safe facility was available, I would go for it.

[SoCalTricia]

I wanted to do a water birth with my first...but that was almost 19 years ago, and water birth was only offered at "alternative birthing centers." So, needless to say, my HMO didn't cover it. Which chapped my hide, because it was about 1/4 the cost of a hospital. But whatever. LOL. Anyway....I was young and more "earthy" at the time...lol. With my son, 9 years later, I was all about the epidural. This time (another 9 years later) I definately want drugs. I'm not as tough as I was 19 years ago!

That said...I think it's a very cool thing and would probably be an amazing experience. I know a woman who has nine kids, and has birthed the last seven in water, at her home. Her husband in a firefighter, and has delivered all of the babies. It seems like an awesome way to give birth...and I say, if you can swing it, go for it!!

Tricia

[Haddock_Entrap_Propulasion]

I want access to water, but I don't know if I'll actually make use of it...

[YvetteY]

I think many doctors won't do the water birth because of the liability involved.   They don't want a malpractice suit against them, plus they mainly will do vaginal and C-sectin deliveries.   So if you're going to do this transfer your care to a place that does this...such as an alternative birthing center or midwife.

And heck if this is your third pregnancy and you delivered your other's naturally you should definitely have the experience if you want it!   For you personally i wouldn't advise against it.   And as far as your family and friends not being supportive, well they just don't understand about it, people usually snub their noses at the unknown.   Good luck.  

[pookie1121]

Blueeyedtabbycat - Funny cause I feel the opposite as you do - I delivered at a birthing center last time and am scared to death about having to deliver in a hospital this time.

Yvette/Bean -

I am the type person who always takes allergy medicine with my allergies act up or Aleve when i have headache, etc.  My husband laughed when I told him I wanted to deliver in a birth house.  He said "you?  without medicine?" but my mother is a Doula and sent me a lot of books when I was pregnant with my DD and they all, of course, supported natural childbirth, the history of childbirth and how it has evolved from something natural to something very clinical and medicinish over the years and the reasons why.  It was very interesting reading.... and in the end I decided that yes, I am the type that turns to medicine when I am sick, but pregnancy isnt a sickness and I wanted to do it naturally.

Only totally risk free pregnancies can deliver in a birth house/center.  No multiples, diabetes, too early, too late, breech, etc can deliver there.  They totally err on the side of safety and go to the hospital at the sign that the birth isnt progressing or something might possibly go wrong.

I delivered in a great birth center in a very tranquil environment.  First laboring in the water for a few hours, then out of the water.  My midwife knew me from my visits to her during the pregnancy and of course we had developed a relationship.  She gave me homeopathic/herbal med to help with pain and accupuncture as well during the birth.  When my DD was crowning she put warm coffee compresses on me (caffeine helps the skin/tissue to stretch/elastic) and the result was a 5 hour labor/birth, which was the HARDEST thing I ever did in my life!!!!!, but wonderful and with no ripping or tearing or anything.  Afterwards, my baby and I just cuddled, then I showered, we all cuddled some more, and about 4 hours after she was born, we went home to start our life as a family.  It was 2am and we just laid in bed for hours just looking at our little one.

My midwife came over the next two days to check on us and the pediatrician also made a house visit on day 2 to look at our DD as well.  It was wonderful.

I wanted to do everything the same this time again.....but now I have to go to a hospital because twins count as "high risk" and  I am scared of intervention.  I am a strong believer that once they start intervening and doing stuff or giving you stuff, the natural birth process is altered, hormones dont develop as normal and then they have to intervene again....   I have already been to a few hospitals but I dont like any of them yet.  :(  Maybe I will get lucky and the babies will just plop out in the bath tub at home!  ha!  lol!  "Hey honey!  The twins are here!"  Wouldnt that be nice?  If they just plopped out :)

[pookie1121]

oops, i wrote the first sentence to blueeyedtabbycat, but it was tiredbuthappy that said she would never to go a birth center!  oops! :)   Many of my friends here would also never go to a birth center because they feel it is too risky,...isnt it funny that I feel the opposite and felt much "safer" at the birth house? :)

[Bean_Bran]

Your birth story is FANTASTIC!!! It lines up with everything that I have been reading and the videos that I have been watching.  I just wish more people would get educated on natural child birth.  It is so very impressive that you take meds at the first sign of any illness but you did not view your pregnancy as one.  I belive that we as a society have relinquished so many of our medical rights to physicians that in some respects we have become powerless.  I feel and believe that birthing has been turned into a business and the OB's don't want the call in the middle of the night and they want to schedule the c-section or the induction so there are less interuptions in their lives.  I feel as you do if you give the body time it will do what it is designed to do.  Yes, there are cases where medical intervention is necessary but I believe that so many c-section could be avoided if moms weren't induced and we were not is such a rush to get that baby out.
Everyone has been so supportive on this subject and I appreciate the feedback.  I think my Doula has made such a difference in this pregnancy for me.  I feel very empowered on this journey and it is my body, my pregnancy and my birth.  I think that it was great that you got to cuddle with your little one after birth.  I think that it makes the bonding process stronger.  In the hospital they just whisk them away to get their "tasks" done and your baby is away from you for hours. I watched a video on baby crawl and watched a newborn "crawl" from the moms tummy to her breast and latch on without any help! I was amazed.  It took 30 min and I thought- That would never happen in a hospital.  I miss out on many of the natural things when we let hospitals take control.

[JAXX55]

I guess you'll have to decide what's more important - your current OB or your desire to deliver in water. I'd definitely go with what my OB advises seeing as to how he's the one with the Medical Degree and all the experience. I had my 1st in a Hospital with no epidural and 16 hrs of labor(VERY PAINFUL), my 2nd in the same hospital WITH an epidural, and I will have this one is a hospital - not sure yet if I'll have time for an epi but will gladly take it if it's offered. All I know is that I would definitely take my OB's advice over any doula or midwife, but thats jmo... good luck in your decision...

[pookie1121]

JAXX55 - I respectfully disagree with you.... Many Doulas and Midwifes have lots of experience and accrediation too.  Yes they are not doctors, but I dont just blindly trust what my doctors tell me just because they have medical degrees.  Doctors make mistakes too and sometimes have alternative motives (they want to go home, dont want to come in on holiday, earn more with a c-section, etc) too.  In the hospital where my mother works, there are almost no babies born on holidays?  coincidence?  I doubt it - it is doctors not wanting to come in on christmas and inducing all potential patients the few days before.  And once my mom heard a doctor say that he was disappointed that his patient delivered naturally cause he had a resident that needed to do a c-section.....!

Birth is not a sickness and medical intervention is quite often not needed.  

[Bean_Bran]

I appreciate your feedback and I can understand how it can be fearful if you don't have all the information.  Being in the healthcare profession myself what pookie1121 is saying is very true.  Many of the physicians that I work with and the residents that they are training don't always take the patients wishes in consideration.  I have heard physicians say time and time again that they don't want their holidays disrupted or have to come in in the middle of the night.  The do want their residents to get as many c-sections as possible and highly encourage them to "strongly encourage" their patients to do a c-section.  The Doula that I have is fantastic and she is very knowledgable.  I interviewed several and she by far was superior to the others.  She is continually going to classes to obtain knowledge in her field and is not trying to take the place of my OB/GYN.  Childbirth is a very natural process and women have been doing it for thousand of years.  It is only when physicians saw the profit in c-sections and induction did this increase.  
If you are comfortable with a hospital birth then I encourage you to do that but for me I would like to explore other options.  I did not have knowlege of this with the birth of my other children I would have definitely went the route of a water birth.  I am only thinking about what risk could arise with me being 40.  So far this pregnancy has been uneventful and I only labored 1 hr with my 1st and 3 hrs with my 2nd so I am still considering it.  I am waiting to hear from my insurance company to see if they will cover the cost if I have here at a birthing center.
I really appreciate everyone's input on this question.

[JAXX55]

I have never worried about my ob not being there because he'd rather be on vacation. I had my son in the middle of the night as well as my daughter(just after midnight)... my doctor was right there to tend to me. IF I had a doctor that was any other way, I'd switch doctors. MY doctor NEVER encourages c-sections(you couldn't pay ME to schedule a c-section). That's another thing- I'd switch doctors if he tried to persuade a c-section. It's just my opinion that if I were older I'd feel more comfortable in a hospital setting as they are more equipped to deal with any problems that could potentially arise. Like you said, it's a personal choice. good luck with yours!

my sil is a lnd rn at the hospital i go to...

[JAXX55]

respectfully, i dont "blindly" believe anything anyone tells me either. I'm on child #3, so i speak from experience...  my doctor is the president of ob's in my state. i choose to trust my experience with him. his record speaks for itsself.

[pookie1121]

Then it sounds like you got a good doctor - but not all are like that.