Thank you to Liz for sharing her positive water birth.
‘Hi Emily,
Just a message whilst I sit watching our beautiful daughter snoozing after a feed to say thank you so much for all your help and advice leading up to her arrival. She arrived at 5:32am on Saturday the 11th weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces and is called Rosie. 
I was really worried about being induced as I had hit 41 weeks and was booked in to be induced at 41 weeks plus 6 days and was trying every spicy curry, long walk and steep steps to get her moving. On Friday morning as I walked around asda I felt like I had wet myself and quickly decided I didn’t really need ice cream and needed to get home! I wasn’t sure if my waters had broken as I had no other symptoms so carried on with my day by making a cheesecake. By 1 pm I was pretty sure my waters were leaking and rang the Labour line who asked me to come and see a midwife at the maternity hospital at half 6 that evening. I went in and they confirmed that this was my waters, as I went to leave the rest gushed out on the floor and I was booked for an induction for 1pm Saturday as I had no contractions. We headed home and I started doing stretches on the gym ball to try and get things moving.
By 7pm I was starting to have mild contractions and headed to bed with a tens machine and used hypno breathing to keep calm. Things quickly escalated and by midnight I was struggling to deal with the pain and we rang the haven to see if we could come in as my contractions were lasting 2 minutes and coming every 4 to 6 minutes. We were allowed in and by the time we arrived my contractions were coming every 4 minutes and I was screaming in pain but only 2 centimeters dilated. I promised my husband I wouldn’t be a screamer but I had lost my bottle and needed some pain relief. It really helped having him there reminding him of how I should be breathing and telling me I could do this without an epidural.
I started on gas and air for 20 minutes but found it difficult to keep my breathing going at the same time so I asked for pethidine which really helped. It made me relax and meant I could concentrate and believe that I could carry on without any further medication. I got in the water and it was amazing, again it helped everything relax.
By 5am I felt the urge to push and can honestly say that using the breathing techniques felt like my body took over and I wasn’t consciously pushing. I lost a fair amount of blood so my husband called the midwife in and she confirmed I was ready to deliver. I kept my breathing going and really tried just to breathe baby out rather than push and her head came out relatively easily. Her shoulders got a little stuck and the midwife asked me to actively push as baby’s head had been out in the water for quite a while. One big push later she was here after just 17 minutes of second stage.
Unfortunately, the cord was too short for her to be put on my chest and she was yet to take a big breath or cry so the cord had to be cut straight away and she was taken to the resus table to help her get going. This was the hardest part as I wanted to know what was happening to her and if she was ok. Your classes helped remind us that the midwives knew what they were doing and everything would be ok.
After 5 minutes she was fine and we got to have skin on skin which was amazing. I decided to have the injection for the placenta as I just wanted to be finished and enjoy our baby so after 23 minutes the placenta was delivered.
So she took her time to be ready but was only 16 hours 23 minutes from waters breaking to the end of the 3rd stage.
Liz’
Talking Babies Takes A Closer Look
‘I got in the water and it was amazing, again it helped everything relax.’
So many woman absolutely love entering water during their labour. I often hear the biggest sigh of relief. I believe the main reason for this love is down to women feeling weightless in water. Towards the later months of pregnancy women can feel quite uncomfortable and heavy making moving about quite tiring. I remember when I was heavily pregnant finding it difficult to roll over at night. I had to wake up fully during the night in order to hoick myself up and over onto the other side. It was hard work. I’m sure many women cant relate to this!
Entering water in labour means that you will have the freedom of movement. This freedom is crucial in allowing your body to respond to your labour as it is supposed to. Plus you will use much less energy moving.
Remember if you don’t get on with labouring in water you simply get back out!
If you too would like to prepare properly for your birth like Liz please join a Talking Babies 5 *, Midwife Led, Antenatal course. Click here for courses.