Laboring but not Delivering in water

VickyMoore · December 2014

Hello ladies! I am pregnant with my first and plan to have a natural birth, but at the hospital. The hospital that we are planning to deliver at, offers laboring tubs where I can labor in water, but unfortunately I cannot deliver the baby in the water. My midwife said I can deliver in any position I feel comfortable (standing, squatting, etc). Does anyone else have any experience with this method? What should I expect? Does it help with the labor pains? If you labored in the water, how did you deliver, if not in the water?

KaLyanDale · December 2014

I've had two water births so never had to get out before baby was born but I would absolutely hate it! Still, if I had to choose between no water and getting out to push, I would choose to get out to push. As for what position you birth in it's really just best to wait until that moment and just do whatever feels right at the time. Sometimes nidwives will let you "accidentally" deliver in the water but it's not a good idea to rely on it.

sschwege · December 2014

That's the way it is at my hospital. Laboring in the tub was absolute heaven for me! I had the jacuzzi jets going and nice warm water, when I had a contraction DH would pour warm water over my stomach, it helped a ton! I actually chose to 'labor down' for 1.5+ hours, DD was only at zero station and I didn't want to waste a lot of energy pushing when I was so comfy in the bath. When DD was at +2 station I got out, the nurse wrapped a towel around me and I just walked to the bed to start pushing. I tried pushing on all fours, but after a few pushes the nurse told me I was putting all my energy into pushing into my arms and not my bottom. I rolled over and pushed on my back, which was much more effective for me. With my second I arrived complete, so no need for the bath, but I also pushed on my back again, it's just what comes natural to me!

marriedinaugust · December 2014

I did not labor in the tub, just wasn't something I wanted to do. I pushed for 2 hours while squatting, then they had me lean back to break my water so I just pushed him out like that.

drpayne · December 2014

I just can't imagine moving at that stage of labor...

sschwege · December 2014

drpayne said:

I just can't imagine moving at that stage of labor...

I left the bath between contractions and just walked slowly. With my second I arrived fully dilated and walked into the hospital, the thought of sitting in a wheel chair just sounded awful to me, so I walked. It's really not that big of a deal.

KateLouise · December 2014

I laboured in the tub, and although I was allowed to deliver in the water, my mw had me get out after pushing for a bit because she was concerned baby was stuck and needed a better view/access.

The tub was in a different room to my labour room, so I had to walk down the hallway. My mw got me out of the tub wrapped me in a sheet, and as soon as I finished a contraction told me to walk fast. When a contraction hit in the middle of a hallway, she told me not to push and to just do tiny little pants, and then to walk as fast as I could as soon as it was over.

It sounds awful when I say it back like that, but it really wasn't. The water was bliss, and by the time I got to the pushing I was happy to follow the advice of the mw.

I ended up delivering reclining on a bed. Baby wasn't stuck as such, but did need a couple of really strong pushes to get her out.

Kaelynn91 · December 2014

Laboring in water is amazing! You feel instant relief. No, the pain does not completely go away, but it become manageable. I wasn't allowed to deliver in the water either so when I was finally 10 cms I walked to the bed and pushed out a baby in 3 pushes. It was a little inconvenient, but nothing major. I was just happy at that point to have a baby in my arms!

kesrya · December 2014

I labored in the tub but had a cervical lip so had to get out for pushing (which was another 2 1/2 hours, so I tried several different positions and eventually delivered laying down). The tub was very helpful for pain control and relaxation while laboring, so even if you can't use it to deliver, I recommend taking advantage of it.

JCWhitey · December 2014

In all honesty the tub was not a pleasant experience for me. I let the nurse and DH fill it for me and they were both unsure of the temp and made it maybe 1-2 degrees above room temp. So I was sitting in warm water just feeling unsatisfied and gross. Definitely control the water temp yourself! I just couldn't get mine warm enough and started feeling constricted and only labored in it for half an hour or so.

I had planned to push in the best position possible- either squatting or standing, but in the end I was way more comfortable flat on my back. They say that's the worst position but it's where I felt the most comfortable and capable of effective pushing. At one point I did get up and kneeled over the back of the bed for a handful of pushes and the doctor said that really helped, but most of it was done on my back.

SidraJedi · December 2014

I tried laboring in water but couldn't stay comfortable for long bc everything felt too hard, like the floor of the pool felt hard and I just wanted to be supported on all fours on the bed most of the time or on the toilet.

I ended up kneeling in the bed to give birth.

I liked the hot water in early labor but after I hit about 7cm I wanted nothing to do with it.

I was asked to get up and try to pee before pushing. I did not have a hard time walking a few feet with a baby falling out of me. It was very slow going though. Incidentally I couldn't pee at all so I might as well have just stated pushing right then.

I'm due with #2 on August and I will probably use my bath/shower for labor initially but I find it unlikely I will deliver in city water -I mean, the baby would have to come pretty fast and it would be by accident. I would prefer for it not to happen.

VickyMoore · December 2014

Unfortunately, I think the hospital I plan to deliver at is the only one in the area that even has the labor tubs available. I was doing some research and it seems water births are not "approved" by hospitals. I live in an area with a high Amish/Menonite community so that is probably why they offer the labor tubs. I did find a BEAUTIFUL birthing center, which will do a water birth, but it isn't in our budget and not covered by insurance. Plus, this being my first I am very nervous as to what to expect.

mrsblueeyes · December 2014

I labored in the tub and it helped for sure. It was pretty comfortable and the warm water and feelings of buyouncy felt good. I started pushing involuntarily in the tub, which was against hospital policy. My nurse freaked out a little and demanded I get out of the tub. I waited till the contraction was over and then hopped out and ran back to the bed, with the help of my nurse and DH - didn't want to be the person who has a baby on the floor! . As soon as I got back to the bed my son was born with the next contraction. I was frog-legged on my back (supposedly the worst possible position) but it felt right and he came right out in one movement so it worked. Even if you can't deliver in the tub, it will be nice to have the option to labor in it.

Smelh324 · December 2014

I am a FTM, 33 weeks, so I haven't experienced a water birth. But my midwife did mention that if you are comfortable in the tub they can drain a portion of the water out for you to push so its legally not an underwater birth. Not sure if itd be ideal, but if the urge is there and you're not interested in climbing out, it's something to consider!

eileenberg · December 2014

With my second I labored in the tub for several hours and then when I got to 8cm I just wanted to get out. When I laid on the bed the contraction were a little more painful but he came shortly after.
I am 38 weeks with my third and I will be doing the same. It was perfect for me.

DebateThis · December 2014

sschwege said:

drpayne said:

I just can't imagine moving at that stage of labor...

I left the bath between contractions and just walked slowly. With my second I arrived fully dilated and walked into the hospital, the thought of sitting in a wheel chair just sounded awful to me, so I walked. It's really not that big of a deal.

Yup, It was nbd for me too. Labor went super fast so by the time the tub was full LO was crowning and I couldn't get a comfortable position. I basically leapt straight back out of the tub between two contractions because it was like sitting on a painful bowling ball, haha. Ultimately I delivered on my back in bed bc squatting wasn't comfortable for me either.

He was out in just over an hour though, so it all worked out just fine.

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