If you have labored in the tub

Tigger & pooh · August 2013

but were not able to deliver in the tub. How was that transition from warm, wet bath to cold, wet bed? I Loved the shower with my first son but I used it at home and changed before going to the hospital. With this third birth I think I will like sitting in a nice warm bath/shower but I worry I won't want to get out or the transition to deliver outside the tub will be awful. Thoughts/advice/ experience?

abell77 · August 2013

I think in the moment you do not care. I labored in the tub for a long time with my first birth, but he was posterior and just not coming out so they wanted me to get out and move around and find a different position. I honestly don't ever remember thinking that I was cold, I was just so focused on getting the kid out.

aylafsu88 · August 2013

I labored in the tub at home and at the hospital. My nurse let me do a few pushes in the tub before I transitioned to the bed and she called the OB in. I don't remember being cold, wet, or having a hard time moving to the bed. The only thing I do remember is yelling that I wanted this baby out and I was ready to be done. After I delivered they put LO to my chest and immediately put blankets over us. I had the post delivery shakes really bad but I don't remember feeling cold, my body was just shaking.

lalamakita · August 2013

I labored mostly at home, and was in my tub and it was amazing - in a way I didn't really expect would really be that nice and calming. I too ended up posterior, and my doula got me on the bed and got the baby to flip over. I wasn't cold, b/c the tub had been so warm, and my system was so 'worked up' I really wish i'd prepped for a home birth b/c then I had to transfer to the hospital. And barely made it! The tub had opened me up so much we didn't really know how close we were.

erb82 · August 2013

I don't remember being cold and wet. I might have completely dried off in the time it took me to walk 30 or so feet from the tub to the bed. That took forever with contractions coming on top of each other.

SweetPeaK26 · August 2013

I labored in the tub with my first. But, I was in pitocin, very self concious about being in the tub in front of other people, and in horrid pain. The tub did nothing to help. So walking from the tub to the bed was hell, but no worse than what I was already feeling. I didn't get back in the tub though, if it had helped, I would have, but it wasn't worth it.

That being said, I'm hoping for epi free this time (again) and plan to give the tub another shot, since this isn't my first rodeo and i think I'll be less self concious.

Tigger & pooh · August 2013

Thanks! That is great to know!

barista411 · August 2013

I didn't notice the change in temp much. If anything it felt good because I was burning up from being in transition and all the contractions. I switched from the shower to the tub back to the shower. The tub felt good but I liked that I could localize the water from the shower to the part of my body that was hurting most. I stayed in the shower till I felt the urge to push and was thrilled to move over to the bed to get started.

Tigger & pooh · August 2013

I am so nervous about attempting this at the hospital. My first birth I had time to do this all at home but my second was only 3 hrs and I spent it waiting for someone to come watch our son and for my husband to get home for work I didn't attempt or feel comfortable showering at home and by the time I was at the hospital I was only there 30 minutes before he arrived. This time we are thinking we will go ASAP to the hospital so I can get in a better rhythm where I am actually going to deliver. We will see....:)

Arielle27 · August 2013

In my first birth I labored I the shower when I first got to the hospital and don't recall even noticing the change in temp or from wet to dry when I got out.

sschwege · August 2013

I labored in the tub at home. When I got to the hospital I labored in the tub again for 5 hours, so obviously I loved the water! When they told me I could start pushing if I wanted to I decided to stay in the tub and 'labor down' because I just didn't want to get out. I did that for another hour and a half or so, then got out to push. It wasn't that bad honestly. They wrapped towels around me and the nurse walked on one side and DH on the other side. I got to the bed, took the towels off and pushed.

If you are worried about feeling cold, put your hair up, that way it won't be wet. Once you dry off you should really be fine, most women are hot during transition and pushing, so it might be a relief! I know both times I asked for a wet washcloth during transition/pushing because it was so hot!

Tigger & pooh · August 2013

I didn't even think about them wrapping towels around me! Geez I am goofball sometimes!

JCWhitey · August 2013

I labored in the tub only for an hour. It ended up feeling constricting to me. I didn't even notice I as wet when I got out, my mind was definitely elsewhere! I didn't go straight to the bed, though, I walked and bounced on a ball.

BrideNamedMeg · August 2013

I labored in the tub for a while with DD (hospital), but after awhile the water wasn't doing it for me and I wanted to get out. I dried off and spent most of the rest of my labor on a yoga ball with blankets on me to keep warm. The transition didn't bother me at all, the room was very warm as well.

With DS we were home and I'd rented a tub. I spent some of my labor in there, but just like with DD after awhile I didn't really like it anymore and got out. I had to change my top which was a little annoying but I was able to dry off and was comfortable in bed. Of course, I didn't get out right as I was pushing or anything, I had a few hours between the tub and the birth.

amandaleigh1 · August 2013

I was cold after getting out of the tub, but they warmed me up with warm blankets and got me semi dressed pretty quickly. It was not a big deal really. And I really hate being cold and wet

ScorpioMum · August 2013

I don't remember being cold or wet. The tubs at my hospital are intentionally narrow so there was no way to birth in there. After awhile I needed to get out and move around anyway.

pdilly2b · August 2013

I also don't remember feeling cold or wet. I do remember trying to get my wet sports bra off over my head and that being hard. I had been in the tub for a while and while it was awesome, I was ready for a position change. Plus wanted to know my dilation to know if it was time to push (I didn't get the natural urge and had about hit my limit with the pain for almost 36 hrs to dilate). Plus I was really hot during labor and almost froze DH out of the room with the AC. So anyway, cold was not a problem.

ec0983 · September 2013

honestly, i would have loved to feel cold and wet while i pushed! i labored in the tub at home, and by the time i made it to the birthing center there was no time to get back in it; DS was born 45 minutes after we got there. they cranked the heat in the room as soon as they realized how far along i was to get the room nice and warm for DS's arrival since it was 40 degrees on a sunday night and they prefer to only use the warming beds as a back up at my birthing center. i was sweating like a pig, begging my MW to turn the (insert choice word here) heat down.

Havlous · September 2013

~~Lurking~~

With my 2nd DS, I labored a lot in the tub. It prevented me from needing any meds. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to go from tub to bed. However, I changed in between. I never got out of the tub without help though so if I had wanted, there was a warm blanket available if I wanted. (I used a CNM at U of M. The nurses on my floor were AMAZING!!)

mb314 · September 2013

For me, having to move from the tub to the bed was the worst part of my labor. It had nothing to do with the temperature. For me, moving was really painful, and I didn't want to leave the natural pain relief of the bath behind. I hid a few pushes at first so I wouldn't have to leave the tub. Finally, DH and the midwife/nurses had to get really stern with me to get me to move. I wish I could delivered in the tub!

nicholssquared · September 2013

I labor in the tub until I am fully dilated and then push in the bed because the hospital I deliver at prefers not to deliver in the tub. Honestly, I've never had a problem. I towel off, and they keep the room relatively warm for the newborn, so I've never experienced any discomfort while moving that wasn't overshadowed by the contractions.

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