Daniela Knaan
UX/UI Designer at - AdobeWhy I had no opportunity to have a water birth with my first two babies
I had always wanted a water birth. It just seemed most logical and natural to me. And when I got pregnant for the first time and read more in-depth about it, I even wanted it more.
Unfortunately, with my first two children, I had no opportunity to make my dream real. I currently live in Israel and as it turned out, water birth at the hospital is not allowed here.
They may have their reasons, but I think they are just way behind in progress and knowing how much relief water can give a woman during delivery. It`s just a pity. There may be a few birth centers where natural births and especially water births are allowed, but they are too far from my home and way too expensive for most normal-earning people.
However, at all hospitals, there is one delivery room for natural birth and there is a tub in there but ONLY for laboring. As soon as the baby is to come out, I was told, you have to get out of the water and deliver your baby on the bed. Absurd, right?
Actual water birth benefits…
…for The mother
- warm water has a comforting and relaxing effect which allows us to relax and produce endorphins
- buoyancy allows easy positioning and promotes better blood circulation
- our perineum becomes more elastic in water
…for the baby
Water provides a similar environment to the amniotic sac, making birth less traumatic for the baby.
Studies have shown that women who had a water birth had fewer c-sections, fewer episiotomies, less pain medication, shorter labor, and showed to be more satisfied after birth.
My husband and the idea of home birth
With my third baby, I really wanted to make my dream come true. It was like now or never because we don`t plan to have any more children. So I decided to make it a home birth. I talked to a few midwives and a doula (who became my friend afterward) to get some information about the whole thing. And I was really excited and happy about starting to plan everything. Until I talked to my husband and he completely shut me down. He did not want to hear about it. At all. Nor would he agree to meet with one of the midwives just to talk and be informed.
I was told that in the end, I would get to decide, simply because I was to deliver the baby. But can you really decide something big like this over the head of your partner? I would not have been happy with all of it, seeing him suffer and dying out of worry and fear, something could go wrong. And that was his only reason.
Statistics are unimportant for the individual. I know that home births and hospital births do statistically have similar outcomes. But I could not be solely responsible for whatever could happen. So we agreed to give the hospital and the natural delivery room with the tub a try.
Statistics
Studies show that planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician.
Planning the hospital birth
I met with the midwife responsible, and asked her the following question: what would happen if I was in the tub and labor would suddenly progress so fast I couldn`t make it out of the water in time? Neither did I want to hide my desire for a home birth, nor the fact that I was dreaming about having my water birth at the hospital.
She actually smiled and told me- “Daniela, listen- no midwife at this hospital has any experience or go through any training delivering a baby in the water. I imagine we have a few ones who would accept your idea spontaneously and go with it, but if you feel that the midwife being with you actually is going to faint the minute you tell her about wanting to have your baby in the water, be a dear and think about her and the responsibility she has to you, your baby and the hospital.”
I went home that day thinking about her words and decided in the end that this was more than fair to everyone. My husband would get his hospital birth, and I would have to depend on my luck.
Time has come
When my water broke it was in the middle of the night and we decided it would be best if my husband stayed with our sleeping kids. So my Dad drove me to the hospital. After going through the routine checks and slowly starting contractions I was admitted to the delivery room, which looked like a hotel room with king size bed and a bathroom with a large round tub. My midwife was an absolute angel. So kind, understanding, and helpful. I really felt like I had won the lottery. After showing and explaining a few things she left me alone and I filled the tub with hot water and put on some music. I felt so great, excited, and well, I started to dance around the room and eased the contraction pain through my movement. Looking at myself in the mirror and separating slowly from my pregnancy, and my beautiful belly for the last time. Preparing to welcome my baby.
The tub was the most amazing painkiller you can imagine. The hot water just eliminated everything and as the contractions started to get stronger I got out of the tub less and less. At least, as I started to feel that the contractions got really strong, I pushed the button for my midwife to come. I was still alone- had been for about one and a half hours since she checked on me for the last time.
But nobody came. As it wasn`t even 7 am my husband had not yet been able to come so there was nobody with me to send for someone.
In the meantime labor suddenly progressed so fast, I could feel the baby was about to come out. The strong feeling of having to start pushing made me scream. The same second three midwives I had not seen before stormed into the room and started to yell at me I had to come out of the water. Where is my midwife, I asked, and why did nobody show up until now?
It was 10 minutes past 7 am and my midwife had just gone home a few minutes ago. Without checking on me, without saying goodbye, without introducing the midwife that took over the shift.
It really made me angry and sad. I felt left alone. Even if I had wanted, at that point it was impossible for me to get out of the tub. And I told the midwives my baby was going to be delivered in the water.
Five minutes later my baby girl was in my arms.
It was a dream of a birth. Exactly as I had wished for. Only the three midwives destroyed my peaceful welcoming of my baby with their unnecessary discussion and accusations.
I understand that they were afraid something bad could happen. But the minute we were done they just could have been happy or congratulated. But they didn`t. They just were pissed and they showed it.
So, yes, there was a little shadow over my perfect water birth at the hospital. But I was so happy, my inner sun made every shadow disappear.
Unfortunately, there was nobody there to take pictures, so the only memory of this wonderful day is the one I have in my heart, and it fulfills me every time I remember the birthday of my youngest child.
Conclusion
Nine months have passed by since, and it still feels like it was yesterday. Am I still asking myself how it would have been with a home birth? Yes, I am. Every birth is different, and one cannot know what will happen. But in my case, with all of my children, I think I would have been happier with a home water birth than a hospital birth.
For sure I can tell that the difference between water and land birth is huge and you feel it during and after delivery. Recovery was much faster than with my previous birth, and I felt less pain during labor. I would recommend water birth to any woman, home, or hospital set aside.
And in the end, the most important thing is having a healthy baby and being well. And thankfully, I am and my children are.
What about you? Any experience with hospital water birth, or still planning? Share your thoughts!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742137/
