Water Birth Experiences - All Natural Birth Group | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

I loved my water birth! I’m planning another one now actually as i just discovered I am pregnant again :)

I labored at home through the night for as long as seemed reasonable (until I was about 5 min between contractions). Then I headed to the hospital right when the doors opened at 6am �� I was 7 dilated. The check in process took what seemed like too long �� But I finally got into my birthing suite around 8am. I used the ball, stretched, and tried to labor as long as I could outside of the tub, using other resources the room provided, until contractions were super close together (like a couple minutes apart). Which happened around 9:30. I got in, and once I got in, that tub became like my security blanket lol. I did NOT want to get out. I stayed in there and moved around, husband applied counter pressure. I had a bucket of ice cloths next to me to throw over my head/face to distract me during contractions (or cool me down if I had heat flashes). At 10am, I transitioned into pushing which was INTENSE - I hollered �� but as soon as I was fully into the pushing phase, it mostly felt relieving to be able to push through those final contractions. I pushed in a squat like position, but with my feet pressed again the tub wall and my hands holding onto the tub handles, for about 45 minutes, and out came baby! Pushing felt like it went so fast. I held and said hi to baby, stood up, and headed to the bed to deliver placenta, and the rest is history :) I did tear a tiny bit and required stitches but I never felt the tearing and hardly felt a ring of fire. I remember some burning, but I applied pressure down there with my hands, and it basically took the burning away. It was super brief too.

I highly recommend water birth. It served as such a pain reliever for me and also provided so much comfort… like I said once I got in, there was no way getting me out. I do recommend waiting until the last minute essentially to getting in, so you can utilize other positions outside the tub to help progress your birth. Then save the tub for the last stretch. This also will help you from getting hot, uncomfortable or “bored” in the tub. Save it for that last part (nearing or in transition, and the birth). Again, I loved mine and wouldn’t want it any other way!

Just be open to changing your plan!

I thought for sure I’d do a water birth with my first, but once I was in the birth tub my labour stalled! I had to get out to get things going again.

I also didn’t love that it restricted my movement. For me the shower was a much better choice!

With our second we didn’t even bother getting a tub and I started pushing in our shower, but then the water got cold and I got out and ended up on a birth stool that I didn’t even know our doula had brought haha

I am so glad I had a birth pool. My labor wasn’t what I had planned ( I planned to water birth at a hospital not at home but baby had other plans )

My labor was fairly quick , got in the pool at 7 cm and 2 hrs later I had my baby girl in my arms.

One downside was I was way to warm - labor is the biggest workout I’ve ever experienced so I was sweating and my midwife kept adding boiling water in order to keep the water sterile when babe arrived.

The warm water helped with contraction pains and I was able to move and labor in many positions but ended up in the position in the photo for pushing as my body couldn’t move between contractions at the end.

It was a beautiful experience. Will definitely do again for our next

I was positive I wanted a water birth (like it was my number one thing on my birth plan). However it wasn’t quite the glorious pain relief I was expecting. I did keep having my doula and husband hand me ice cubes which I would melt on my back during contractions and the hot and cold contrast was nice. You’ll probly have to get out at some point so they can refill the tub with warm water and when that happened for me, I was way too far gone in laborland to get back in and ended up popping the baby out as they were refilling the tub lol.

Water is an amazing tool i would just try not to be too stuck on it being/feeling/turning out a certain way :)