Water birth pros and cons - April 2024 Babies | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

I had a water birth with my son and will be birthing this baby in the water as well. That said, I'm also having a home birth so there really are no cons for me (no, I don't want to hear from anyone regarding risk factors, I've done my due diligence).

If you're planning to do it in a hospital, make sure you discuss hospital policies beforehand. With my first, I would have been allowed to labor in the tub but not birth there. Personally, I find that to be an idiotic policy based solely on provider convenience and preference because interrupting a laboring woman to get her out of the tub is absolutely a recipe for stalled labor.

Evidence Based Birth is an excellent, unbiased (or at least as close as you can get) resource for all things birth, so I'd suggest checking out what they have to say to give yourself some peace of mind. Once you have the info, make the best decision for you. But at this point if I have a choice, I'm not birthing anywhere but in the water.

Hiii- L&D nurse here ☺️

So the issue with hospital policies not allowing you to birth in the pool is often rooted in the labor tubs not being able to be properly sterilized between patients, not necessarily provider comfort or preference.

birth has lots of fluids (blood) involved that just laboring usually doesn’t, with the exception of a gush of amniotic fluid or minimal bloody show with cervical change. Some hospitals will even go so far as to not allow you to use the tub if your water is broken, but a shower is fine. Often times the tubs have jets in them, which is great for pain relief but not great when you’re trying to ensure cleanliness between patients. If the jets are air jets, they’re typically cleaner, but if it’s water jets in the tubs, the tub is pulling water from the bath through the system to propel into the jets- leaving the opportunity for blood, poop, and amniotic fluid to hide in the system and bacteria to grow if not properly cleaned.

I think water birth is a phenomenal option, but I would ask about cleaning procedures of the tub between patients to ensure I wouldn’t be potentially laboring or birthing in someone else’s fluids ��

I had a water birth with my son at a birth centre, just above hospital in the UK. It was great! He was 8.5lbs and I only ended up with one tiny stitch. I was out on the same day, and had a very quick recovery. No trauma whatsoever.

I am hoping for another water birth but unfortunately it’s never guaranteed: can’t go past 42weeks, have any complications, and sometimes the pool isn’t available as they only have one or two pools at the birthing center.

Also no epidural and contractions are painful! ��