Relaxation

The weightlessness and buoyancy means it’s easy to change positions and float reely. In a relaxed state, your body will be producing more useful hormones facilitating a smoother, quicker progression of labour. Likewise, Adrenalin, which is the fight or flight hormone our bodies produce when fear is present, increases the sense of pain and discomfort, tightening everything up and potentially leaving us with a longer, more distressing labour.

Ease the trauma of birth

For you baby - birthing in the water offers the gentlest transition from the watery womb into a world of gravity, noise, and light.

Attachment

Being in the water with your newly born baby is an amazing experience of the power of first contact with your baby. It may be just you and your baby in a private world bordered by the pool. It can also be a special opportunity to let your baby have his/her suckles at the breast while you are still in the warm water, helping with the bonding and to help the placenta come away easier.

Increased Sense of Privacy

Once you are in the pool you may become less aware of those around you and more able to move with your body’s primitive and instinctive urges.
You are in your own space which is unlikely to be invaded by anyone else. For most people it is very hard to remain relaxed standing in the nude, unsure who is going to walk in on you at any moment!

Pain relief

In the water, one’s perception of ‘pain’ seems to alter. It becomes easier to accept the intense contractions and the resting in between contractions is likely to be even more relaxing in the pool, than on land.
As the baby is crowning, the warmth of the water may soften the perineal tissues.. It is unusual for a bad tear to occur during a water birth. Generally the baby emerges gently into the water without the need for any assistance.

The Mess

Concern about any 'mess' is totally alleviated - the large polythene sheet protects 3x4m and if you are in the pool at the time of birthing, it all just goes into the pool... It's great for the garden!

Unable to gauge exact blood loss

By checking other vital signs, and taking regular samples out of pool to compare with next sample, blood loss may be somewhat gauged. Your LMC will be able to gauge this relatively easily. The clear sides of the pool make this easier than in many other birthing pools.

Dehydration

Monitor fluid intake – ensure plenty of water is going in regularly. Especially when the temperatures are warm, water loss is great and something as simple as keeping hydrated can really help your labour go smoothly.

Over-heating the mother

Monitor core body temp. not necessarily by taking your temperature, but by checking how you are feeling, have someone touch you and watch you, and monitor the room temperature.

Slipping due to water spillage

It is imperative to totally cover any exposed areas of polythene as it is deadly slippery when water is on it. Mop up as much as possible as soon as it occurs. If you are getting in and out often, it makes sense to use the same point, and lay down a bath mat or large towel.The polythene can get very slippery!If you dont cover it, dont use it!

Difficulty monitoring

Your LMC will have the necessary equipment ready which is designed to be used in and around water. Sometimes being in a pool is a useful way of ascertaining the real importance and necessity of some monitoring. Keeping this intervention to a minimum also has its positives!

Needing to get the mother out of the pool quickly and effciently

This could be awkward if insufficient help/support available. You need to plan smartly, educate those who are supporting you and ensure you have yourself covered for all possibilities.

Infection

Because the H2 Oh Baby! pool is brand new to you, there is no risk of cross contamination. The pool reaches you in a clean condition, however, if you prefer, you can wipe around the pool before filling it using a mild bleach solution, or use ‘Flushable Janola Household Wipes’ available from your supermarket. Bacteria will fester in damp spaces so make sure it is completely dry before packing it away. If your membranes rupture in the pool, this should not in and of itself cause any problem as the amniotic fluid and blood from a ‘show’ are sterile. It has been suggested that the use of a pool might even reduce the risk of infection where in some hospitals the risk of infection from ‘foreign’ bacteria in the air is more likely (Balaskas, 1991).

Water too deep

If baby has a very short cord, this could be difficult to bring the baby up from under the water. This is easily fixed by getting the mother to stand.

Water too hot or too cold - during labour

The best gauge is the mother's comfort, however when the baby is about to be born, the pool should be at body temp - 37.5 degrees Celsius. The water should be matching the temperature of the woob - i.e body temp.

May slow down progression of labour

Some research suggests that labour time may be lengthened if entering the pool before well established labour, i.e 5 cm dilation is generally the rough guide. It conversely also says that if you enter the water in well-established labour, it has been shown to progress to birth quickly. Ultimately - listen to your body. If you do get in too early - you may just have to get out to get things going again - that's not too bad!

• Because your LMC requests you to!
• Because you want to!!!
• Because your contrations have gone off and you are keen to get them going again
• Because you are too hot or too cold.
• A prolonged second stage (may be due to an unusually large baby, but likely due to too much action, noise, expectation and/or too many people around you).
• If a concerning amount of meconium, or blood is released into the water, or there are other signs of foetal distress.
• A breech presentation