I have been looking into this, because my hospital experiences have not been very good. Has anyone experienced a water birth. Anything you can tell me would be helpful. Also, curious -- if you did a water birth, did you also have an epidural?

I talked to my sister about this tonight at what turned into a Super Bowl party. She had 2 water births at the Birth Center. The first one with her second baby, she delivered her daughter completely by herself (everyone else was in the room, but only her hands were on the baby). The second water birth with her third child, her husband was the main one to deliver the baby.

She is also a neonatal nurse at Shands. According to her (I myself have no direct facts about this), none of the hospitals in Gainesville have water birth tubs. She knows for a fact that Shands does not. I know that many of the moms at the class I took with my last child at the Birth Center (so my husband could get a small clue), most of the moms were there because they wanted a water birth.

Water itself is the "natural epidural." For whatever reason, water reduces the pain. I labored with both of mine in the water and would have had a water birth with my son, but my hips lock when my babies crown so I was low enough in the water so they had to drain it. (I dilate fast once I hit 4 to 5; with my first I went from 4 to 10 in 10 minutes, the second was about 5 or 6 to 10 in about the same, anyways, I was getting back in the tub when he decided to come).

From what I have heard, most hospitals will not let you even labor in water once your water has broken much less give birth in water. The bigger problem is the lack of birthing tubs. My sister said that she did not know of a hospital in the area with a birthing tub. However, she said it may be possible to bring your own to North Florida but she wasn't sure if that was truly the case.

Call where you will be delivering and ask if they have a birthing tub or what their policy is on laboring in water. It can't hurt.

About the epidural, I am pretty sure because of the monitoring and IV that it wouldn't be allowed. I googled it and read that you cannot combine the two. If you find that where you will deliver allows water birth, I would try that first before getting the epidural.

As for water birth in general, if you have Discovery Health Channel, there is a show on there at about 6 a.m. called House of Babies. It is a show on the Miami Maternity Center. Most of the babies born on the show are in the water. You can also google it.

I think water births are extraordinary. Like I said, I have labored in the tub with 2 babies, watched both of my sister's labor and delivery in the tub, and my sister-in-law labored in the tub as well.

PS, if your hospital experience was that bad, it is never too late to switch or at least consult with an out of hospital midwife. I am sure that Maddie or Mary Ann would be happy to talk to you, even if just to ask some questions over the phone.

Or you could hire a doula to make the experience exactly as you like it wherever you have it. Sometimes, you can find the doulas who are working on their certification (they have to attend so many births before they get their certifications) and they will do it for free. Call the Birth Center and get a list from them of doulas in the area or doulas who are waiting on certification. They attend any kind of birth and will stay with you and make sure that things go how you want them to.

Sorry for the book.
Carrie

I have nothing to add on the water birth. But thank you Carrie for explaining that. I'm interested in water births but I guess I have to be pregnant first. But the information, to me, is always interesting.

Cpr--
Thanks so much for that truly great and insightful information. I have really been looking into this; although, I only have two months to go so I was unsure about switching to another center and my relationship with my mid-wife is really good. I think I will call and ask what the policies are on water births where I am scheduled to deliver.

Thanks so much again!!

I delivered my son in upstate New York and I was allowed to labor in the tub but couldn't not give birth. Laboring in the tub was amazing. Very relaxing. I was able to give birth without an epidural. I am 23 weeks pregnant with my second child and I am delivering at Shands. I'm new to the area and would love to hear from anyone their birthing experience there. I'm very nervous. I have heard they have a high c-section rate. Any suggestions? epidural

If you have to give birth with a doctor in a hospital, I would suggest a couple of things:
1. Stay at home as long as possible. Labor in your own tub, walk around, squat. Do your thing. Even if your water breaks, you have 24 hours before there should be any complications. The Birth Center is required to transfer you after 24 hours of water breaking with no baby which is where this recommendation comes from. If you have done it without an epidural, you know what your body needs. Staying home longer allows your body to work.
2. Express your wishes. If they insist on an IV (which you can refuse by law), ask for a heplock instead. This is where they put the needle in, but you are only hooked up when they need to give you something, which in my opinion is never. Insist on intermittent monitoring instead of constant. This will allow you to be out of bed and moving around allowing gravity to work.
3. If you are worried about being able to express your wishes, hire a doula to help. See my earlier post about that.

Shands does not, according to my sister who is an NICU nurse there, have laboring tubs.

If you do not have to give birth in a hospital (are low risk), consider switching to an out of hospital birth at the Birth Center. They do have a tub which you can labor in and give birth in. There is no epidural there of course, but some of the best midwives around, in my opinion and I have given birth there twice and been at 4 births there (my sister and my sister-in-law). Remember, midwives are trained in emergencies and know when to transfer and are only 5 minutes away from Shands@AGH.

I feel strongly about out-of-hospital birth. You can read why on another thread (doctor vs midwife). However, with the right precautions, you can make a hospital birth as good as you want it. Don't let the doctors or nurses run over your desires. If you don't want an epidural, tell them you don't want one and not to ask you if you want one. The other option is to switch to a midwife who does hospital birth (the Midwives Cooperative does hospital and home birth; they have no center).

There I go with my book again.
Carrie

Carrie--
I am finding this all so fascinating. I have a question. You said to stay home as long as you can, because "staying home longer allows your body to work." Can you tell me a bit more about this? Why and how so?

Your body knows what to do and what it needs to do. Anytime you get nervous or worried or fearful, your body will shut down and prolong your labor. -1kaya said that she had managed birth without an epidural and seemed to want to do the same again. Staying out of a bed on your back helps with this. Labor hurts more when you are confined. When you can walk and allow gravity to assist, labor in your own tub, take a shower, be somewhere you feel comfortable be it around family or in a dark room or watching your favorite movie.

At home, there is no one to tell you can't eat and drink (food, like cheese and crackers, and drinks, like Gatorade and water, are required at out-of-hospital births). If you feel that walking stairs will help you can do it, take a walk around the block (I walked laps around my yard with my husband to hold on to), laying in your own bed, listening to something calming, lighting a birthing candle. All those are techniques that are encouraged out of a hospital but often not allowed in hospitals. It is much easier to find a place inside yourself without doctors and nurses constantly coming in to pester you. I always found that all I really needed was my mom, my sister, and my husband to get me through. (We have family births with grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, children there to provide support).

Staying home also keeps the question of epidural away. If your goal is an epidural, then there is no reason to stay home, but if you want a nonmedicated birth, the best way to do that is to progress on your own. My rule for myself was when I could no longer sit in a car since I was going to the birth center. I was calmer and more sure of myself at home.

There are tons of laboring techniques you can do that only the most progressive hospitals will allow. Squatting, leaning, water, walking, stairs, belly dancing, sitting and rolling on birthing balls (exercise balls). All of those will open your pelvis and allow the baby to descend with gravity's help. Anytime you are confined to a bed, you are taking gravity out of the equation.

Fear, itself, can stop a labor whether it is fear of the hospital, fear of the pain, fear of having another baby, or a fear imposed upon you by someone or something else. Your mind is the most powerful organ in your body. Think of a cat who finds a dark, quiet space to give birth. Biologically, we are not that different from the cat. The biggest difference is mental in that we have been told that we cannot give birth without medical help.

I don't know if I answered your question exactly or if I wandered too much. I can ramble when I write.

Yet another book...
Carrie

Suzy,
With my son I went to the hospital very early on in my labor. I was lucky that the hospital I delivered at was very open to working with me on different positions. I was told to walk around, sit on a birthing ball, labor on my hands and knees, and relax in the tub. At one point I did ask for an epidural but luckily my doctor actually discouraged it. I was very lucky to have a great support team. My husband, mother, nurses and doctor were all very supportive of my decision. I think that is what helped me get through my labor medication free.

Kaya

With my experiences, honestly, I had only ever been put right into the hospital bed and strapped with a monitor. I cannot believe that I am on my fourth and just finding out that there are other options that I can request, such as walking around, different positions and things.

With my second child, I had an epidural and because the person did it wrong, I ended up having what they call a spinal headache. He apparently went too far with the needle and as a result, my cerebral spinal fluid began leaking out. I was back in the hospital in two days.

With that birth, my doctor walked in five minutes after my daughter was born and actually said "Sorry I'm late."

I was thinking, this was a birth! Not a lecture you were running late for.

So, not that I am bashing doctors at all. My last doctor was decent. But I decided to go with a mid-wife this time because I really wanted to connect with someone. I am going to talk to her about my options as far as the labor goes.

This thread has been so informative! Thanks Kaya for sharing your story -- support systems are so important! And Carrie, you have given me information that I really needed but didn't know. Now that I think about it, it makes sense to stay home as long as I can and I am definitely going to do that...who knows, maybe I can even blog through the contractions and keep my readers updated...lol.

And I am so not going to let them stick me in a bed this time. Any recommendations for positions during the labor process?

You knew I would have to respond to this.

My favorite thing to do, during contractions, was to wrap my arms around my husband's neck/shoulders, lean, and rock side to side. If you have a tub at home, anything that you do pretty much in it will work. If you can, try doing squats. I couldn't; I had really wanted to, but couldn't during labor.

If you don't own an exercise ball, go buy one. They are like $10 or less at Walmart. During my entire last pregnancy, I took one to work and sat on it in front of my computer. They say that slouching (laying on the couch, leaning backwards) can cause the baby to face the wrong way. You can use the ball now to sit on and because of the way you have to sit on it, there is less of a chance of the baby not being positioned correctly which leads to back labor. The exercise ball is the exact same thing as a birthing ball. In labor, sit on it and roll your hips around. Have someone sit behind you in a sturdier chair and when you need to lean back on them. I still use my exercise ball as a chair. It is easier in general on my back (I now work from home at night as a medical transcriptionist).

If you do have back labor, the best position to get the baby to roll over and for the most comfort is either on your hands and knees or leaning over as if you are on the hands and knees, rocking as needed. It is also nice to have someone rub the small of your back.

Find anything sturdy and just lean on it during contractions. Walking stairs help open the pelvis. Anything that keeps you upright is going to allow gravity to help, but you also need to take time to rest and sit and lay down. Just don't use it as your primary means. You may find that given the choice, you don't want to lay down, that you can cope better moving around. Let your adrenaline kick in. Figure out what makes you calm. If it were baking, bake. If it's blogging, blog. If it is dancing with your children, do it.

I think it would be fabulous for you to blog through your labor. Every time even one woman thinks about her choices instead of going for the "status quo" or does what the medical "authority" wants, I cheer. I have never heard of a male doctor that had been through childbirth, and until they can, they will never really understand what it truly takes to birth a baby. Celebrities with their elective C-sections do nothing to help.

Make your wishes known to everyone from your spouse to the nurse to the midwife to the man on the street you pass on the way in. Fight for intermittent monitoring. At the birth center, all they ever do is hold the Doppler on your belly for a few seconds to check the heartbeat to make sure it is doing okay through the contractions. That can be done regardless of position.

One other thing I want to mention, you have less of a chance of tearing in any position other than flat on your back. Also, don't forget to talk to your midwife about perineal support with hot wash clothes as the baby crowns and emerges. Between the 2, you can nearly (but of course not always and entirely, everyone is different) eliminate the chance of tearing, and never let them cut you. A tear heals faster and easier than an intentional cut.

I really am sorry I am so long winded. I think this gets longer every time I have tried to edit it down.
Carrie

Fabulous answers, Carrie!

I, too, had a waterbirth and LOVED it. I had a 41-hour labor and I really think this helped me along. I was in such a relaxing environment & I can honestly say that my favorite part of my entire pregnancy was the labor and delivery.

The next time I'm pregnant we're planning to give birth at home.

StyleMeBaby,

After having 2 at the Birth Center, I am planning for my next 1 to be born at home as well. I had wanted my last born at home, but my husband was scared. It was his first child, and he wasn't too sure about this whole out of hospital thing. He is convinced now and even talks it up with his family. Now, we just need to get pregnant with the next one.

I am so impressed with you and your 41-hour labor. I told my sister a few minutes ago when she dropped my daughter off, and we both laughed that we would have walked to the hospital and begged for an epidural after 24 hours. Between me and my sister, our longest labor has been about 7 hours. 41 hours is awesome. You definitely proves that it can be done. Birth is not a disease.

Wow. Your labors don't last very long. I am soooooo jealous

Does anyone know what the different is between Hydrotherapy and water birth? (Or is it the same?) I just read it was beneficial during labor, but really didn't explain what it was.