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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
Emily Habben: The Calming Effect of Giving Birth in Water
"As soon as I got into the birth pool, the panic I had been feeling between contractions disappeared. In the birthing pool, I felt lucid and completely in control - it was fantastic."
"Being in th...
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Water therapy
The benefits of a waterbirth for women with pelvic girdle pain
by Sarah Fishburn, Chairman of the Pelvic Partnership
The dream
Like my pregnant friends, I read all the glossy pregnancy magazines and imagined how it would be when I gave birth. Unfortunately, the dream just didn't compare with the reality and my first experience of delivery was not a happy one.
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The good news is that for my second and third pregnancies, I enjoyed the positive experience of two dream waterbirths which far exceeded my expectations. The difference between the first time and the subsequent times was the benefit of greater knowledge and the confidence to know that a waterbirth was the perfect solution for me.
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The reality
With my first pregnancy I found that as I grew larger so did the amount of discomfort and pain I experienced in my lower back and pelvis. It became increasingly more painful and as time progressed to the later stages of pregnancy, I could hardly walk. At the time, I wasn't sure what was happening but I later discovered that I had 'symphysis pubis dysfunction', now known as pelvic girdle pain (PGP) which affects the pelvic joints during and after pregnancy. Unfortunately, it is very common and affects around 1 in 20 women to a lesser or greater extent.
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I developed PGP pain about half-way through my first pregnancy. I was told it was "just my hormones" that the pain I had was normal, and that nothing could be done to alleviate it or the situation. I was also told that it should disappear once I had delivered my baby. This was at least some consolation for me as I approached labour because I had to first use crutches to get me around and then a wheelchair. Unfortunately, leaving the condition behind when I had given birth was far from the case. I had a difficult delivery, with stirrups and forceps, and for over a year after my little girl was born I was still in pain and had not made the fully recovery that was expected.
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A mechanical joint problem
As I researched what was going wrong with my body, I discovered that actually this condition was the result of a mechanical joint problem, which could be treated effectively with manual physiotherapy (or osteopathic or chiropractic intervention). This was a great revelation as it meant that something could be done, it wasn't just a matter of being stuck with "my hormones" and I could start treatment to return my joints back to their correct position. This was a very positive turn to events as I had become very miserable and was finding family life a strain. I opted for physiotherapy because there was an exercise element to the rehabilitation afterwards which I felt I needed. I immediately started to recover, but was very frustrated that I had not known about the treatment sooner.
Trying again and the benefits of a waterbirth
Finding a way of managing and overcoming the problem of PGP gave me the confidence to try for a second baby. I could walk again without crutches and I felt life was returning to the way it was before I developed PGP. So when I was planning my second pregnancy I made sure I received appropriate treatment all the way through to term which kept me mobile.
I went onto crutches at about four months but the pain still felt manageable. I had a very supportive consultant who was happy to accept and agree my choice of having a waterbirth, even though I was very immobile on dry land. We both recognised the benefits of a waterbirth - I would be supported by water, my weight would be more manageable and I could move more freely without risk of hurting myself. The warmth and comfort of the water was also extremely effective in reducing the pain of my contractions.
When I reached the hospital in labour (14 days overdue - I do long pregnancies!) and got into the pool, I immediately relaxed. It was wonderful; I felt the pain reduce, I could move and I felt as if I was in control. I felt very active rather than passive as I had been in the first birth when I had felt stranded in an unnatural position! While I enjoyed the water, my midwife gave me encouragement to move and adopt the positions that felt right for me. She was very supportive and gave me confidence that my body would know instinctively what would work best for me. This certainly helped me to relax and to let go of any nervous tension. The water supported me as I moved so that it was easy and there was no pain when I changed position, rolled over or moved my legs. It was so liberating and a radically different experience to my first delivery.
An hour later when my son was born in the pool, I felt a huge sense of achievement. The water had helped to make the birth very gentle so I didn't experience any added pelvic trauma, and within six weeks was able to walk, push the pram, drive etc, (though manoeuvring a shopping trolley without added help did take over a year), but at least I could do the basics without pain or help.
And again...
Another two years later, I was planning my third birth. Although I had experienced a lovely second birth, the hospital setting hadn't really added a great deal to the experience - it was more the individual midwives involved who had helped. So, this time I contemplated a home birth . I found a wonderful midwife at my local GP surgery who was happy to support me. This was a real relief as sometimes professionals can be reluctant to support a woman's desire for a home birth if they feel that there are additional "circumstances" to take into account such as a certain degree of disability.
The PGP reared its head later in this pregnancy than the previous time, but I still ended up with crutches or a wheelchair whenever I went out of doors or when I was experiencing a greater intensity of pain, but it was not as bad as the second pregnancy because I knew how to manage it effectively and what my limitations were. I also saw my physiotherapist regularly throughout the pregnancy. We planned the steps towards the birth together, I chose a pool to hire and we got ourselves ready. On the day itself (only 10 days late this time) my very supportive midwife made sure she was there for me. I was really relaxed being at home in my own environment with all my preparations made and the people I needed and wanted around me. It felt very safe.
Before the big day, we had all been swimming in the birthing pool we hired - the children thought it was great fun. As a result, everyone felt really comfortable with it being at the centre of the house. Several local midwives had popped round to have a look (ostensibly just checking that they knew where I lived) but I knew it was to have a good look at the pool!
Once I was in labour, I got into the pool as soon as it was ready and felt the same relaxation and pain relief as with my previous birth. My baby arrived about an hour after I got into the pool, again with no trauma to my pelvis (or even my perineum this time) and I was able to get straight into my own bed afterwards and to spend the first night with my new baby and my husband which was inexplicably wonderful compared to being on a hospital ward!
Using water for a birth when suffering from PGP made a massive difference to the whole experience. I really did not think I could have laboured and given birth without intervention had I not had the support of the water, and I attribute my speedy recovery third time round (only two weeks until I was walking, pushing a pram, driving, etc with only minimal pain) to a combination of excellent physiotherapy support and a wonderful water birth at home.
Download the membership form to join the Pelvic Partnership and receive some valuable information to support you through this time. Their website is a font of information and has been recently upgraded.
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