waterbirth

I am interested in other midwives views on waterbirth. The first few waterbirths I attended as an onlooker I felt instictively that they were not safe, but the more involved I became with them I began to realise the wonder of water. Why were all these primips, who, on a medicalised labour ward, a good percentage would experience complications, all giving birth safely and easily in water, with less pain and distress. There is a secret here, and I want to find the answer! Research only tells us half the story, but midwives themselves hold the key to this mystery!

RCM member Julie Grindey has got in touch asking for colleagues' advice. She writes:

We have three birthing pools in the unit where I work, but we do not have access to gloves that reach our shoulders for use when labouring and delivering women in water. If your unit uses these types of gloves, could you get in touch with the name of the gloves you use please.

A doula wrote to me recently saying that she's supporting a woman who is planning a VBAC with her fourth baby. Her first two births were spontaneous vaginal, but the third was by caesarean - the baby was big and labour was slow. She had a horrible experience and is desperate to avoid it again and is also really keen to use a birth pool for pain relief. Although she would prefer to give birth in hospital, she is now considering an independent midwife at home, so she can have the waterbirth she wants.

Included in our waterbirth guideline is the option of giving sytometrine into the deltoid muscle of the arm for active management of the third stage of labour. We checked it out with pharmacy and they agreed that this was acceptable. This allows the woman to stay in the water if she chooses to, without being disturbed too much. Does anyone else do this?

Would you feel confident and competent at a waterbirth or a physiological third stage? Do you think you lack experience in 'normality'?