I'll be doing hypnobirthing and think a tub would really help me relax, so I'm hoping to labor in the water. My hospital has several rooms with tubs, but during our tour, another mom-to-be said she never got to use one because her water always broke too early (her other births were at other hospitals).
Is there a reason to not labor in a tub if your membranes have already released? We'll be going back to hospital for a one-on-one meeting, so I can ask about their policy, but I'm curious what you ladies know on the subject.
Re: Labor tub after water breaks?
From the research I've read it does NOT increase your chances of infection at all. It's usually just hospital protocol. They probably want to hook you up to a monitor after your water breaks and they can't do that in the tub.
I know at the hospital around here you can labor until 7cms. Then they want you to be constantly monitored. But they don't have any regulation on when you can get in based on your water breaking or not.
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
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I had a birth center birth and I labored in the tub. After my MW broke my water I got back in the tub thinking maybe I would do a water birth (i didn't have a specific plan), but then stuff started floating and it was a little too icky for me. Totally a personal decision and I don't think there's any reason not to be in the tub after your water breaks if you're comfortable with floating blood and tissue.
The medical model mentality tends to believe that being in the water can lead to infection. With DS1, one OB didn't want me in the water even before my water broke because I might miss it breaking. Insert eye roll. Many, many women have wonderful births in the water (and thus post water-breaking). I can't remember if the stats on this are covered in Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth or not, but the stats I have read on it do not support the OB aversion to water.
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