Birthing Pool Experience (Birthing Methods in general)

Member Name: badders-si

Product:	Birthing Methods in general
Date:	04/11/08 (179 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Water helped wife with relaxing more

Disadvantages: As the man there could not help more

I am a man and a father of two children and thought I would write something from a man's point of view on this subject.

This is from my experience of the birthing method used for both my children. Both my children were born in a birthing pool one was born in 2003 and other in 2005.

It was our preferred choice to use the birthing pool at the local hospital. From a pre-visit to the hospital we found out that there was only one birthing pool available and that as soon as you were admitted into the labour ward you should make it clear that it was your wish to use the birthing pool room. This is exactly what we did and were very lucky that it was available both times. Although for the first birth in 2003 it was not suggested to us at all. By 2005 we were asked before we had chance to speak if we wanted to use the birthing pool room. We were lucky that my wife did not have high blood pressure or any other signs of problems in the labour or we would not have been aloud into the pool.

The room was much bigger than then other birthing room that we were admitted into first of all. At one side of the room was the birthing pool which looked like a ceramic hot tub. The water was run into the pool as soon as we asked to use the room as it took a while to fill the pool up and to get it to the correct temperature. On entering the pool it was clear to me that she felt more comfortable in the water than on the bed or pacing up and down the room.

One thing that she did have a problem with was that once the contractions came frequently she was struggling to get herself sat comfortably in the water. I tried kneeing at the side of the pool and supporting her upper body that was out of the water so she felt more comfortable. This seemed to work but the height of the pool made it uncomfortable for me supporting her over time. At this point I saw a birthing ball in the corner of the room and asked if I could use this to support myself. Who would have thought I would be the one using the birthing ball.

When the contractions were coming often enough to push I found it very hard not being able to help my wife as she was in so much pain. I could feel how hard it was for her with me holding her body in the water helping her float. It was the hardest part of the birth being so helpless but trying to help.

With the first child once the head was out she was having problems getting the rest of my daughter's body out. The midwife was telling her to push lower down and not in the face but she was having problems still. To this day she tells me that she managed it through me helping by moving my arms and hands down her lower back and side and getting her to try and push my hands away. This managed to work and my daughter came out into this world.

This was the best moment of my life and will never ever be overtaken. To see my daughter slowly floating up through the water to the surface look so magical. It was like a fairytale and I was there involved as part of the fairytale. Then when my daughter made it to the surface I was waiting for her to cough and start to breathe.

Nothing was happening, my magical princess had arrived but not arrived. As the midwife started to worry and get the emergency equipment ready and called for the doctor. My princess gave the smallest cough I had ever heard and she was breathing. My princess was here she really had arrived. This bought a tear to my eye and still does to this day at how lucky we are to have both our little girls.

The second daughter came along 2 years later and this time arrived much simpler and much quicker. But it was still as magical when she floated much the same way up to the surface of the water in slow motion. The second daughter broke the water coughed straight away and started crying.

Both births were a really magical experience and made even more special by the way they floated into this world in front of our eyes.

If I close my eyes now I can still see them both floating up to the surface. Such special memories.

Summary: Great memories of how my princess entered the world