(1) Water birth story
Jane, Three water births
I am very lucky as I have had three wonderful births all of which have been different, but which without water would have
been quite different.
My first child a daughter Star was born in March 1989 and I knew nothing about birthing methods, but the use of water appealed
to me after having done a bit of reading. So I arranged a midwife cleared it with my G.P. who with some reluctance agreed,
I hired a pool and waited for her to come. She was nearly a week late and after labouring for about 16 hours with a TENS machine
and using yoga as pain relief I finally got into the pool. I stayed in the pool for 5 hours without getting out. The following
2nd stage lasted around 3 hours and had I been in hospital I’m quite sure it would have been an assisted
birth with either ventouse or forceps. However, Star was just taking her time a trait which she has continued to display to
this day. Twenty minutes later, she arrived to my joy she was 8lbs 2 and perfectly formed
My second birth in Jan 2001 was very quick. I had the birthing pool but as my last labour was 24 hours long I didn’t
think I needed to put it up yet. I started with contractions and called the midwife who arrived and proceeded to fill a pool
but Jilly was not for waiting she was born an hour later after an hour labour with a pool still half full downstairs. She
was 8lbs and beautiful
Last year, with the due date rapidly approaching I set up a pool, as I realised that the pre-labour pains I’d been
having for a week started to hurt a bit more. I spent the following night pacing and waiting for the quick labour I was expecting
to come. I decided to get into the pool and what bliss! I waited in vain for my waters to break so that the contractions would
come more often but they never did.
Charlie was born after a Five hour labour. This time I had quite a painful 3rd stage and the pool was invaluable
during this time. He was smaller than my girl’s 6lbs 4 but he rapidly caught up. I would advise anyone who can to try
it, it has been wonderful for me no intervention no tearing it makes child birth almost pleasurable !
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