Jacuzzi birth?

Question

Has anyone given birth in one of those jacuzzi things? My Rabbi's wife is head nurse of maternity here at the hospital in my town, and she is going to set me up for one. It sounds interesting, so I wanted to hear stories from experience. I hear it makes it quicker and a little less painful to give birth? Another question, I've heard that during labor women lose control of their bowels? Is it true? One last question, if my doctor tells me I have to have a C-section, do I have to do that, or can I get other opinions from other doctors and make up my mind that way? I heard that the doctor I have will do just about anything to force women to have C-sections even if they don't really need them. At my first appointment, when I was 9 weeks along, the doctor told me I would probably have to have a C-section because I am a bigger girl, but I have known women bigger than me who have had vaginal births, so how true is his statement? Thanks for your answers, sorry if it's confusing!

Okay, let me explain further, I ran out of room earlier. This is exactly what the doctor told me. He said I was overweight to begin with, so if I gain more than 20 pounds during my pregnancy, I will have to have a C-section because if I gain that much, the baby will be over 10 pounds and won't be able to be delivered vaginally.

I'm only at 13 weeks now. So far I don't think I've really gained weight, but I don't want to have a C-section.

Thanks for answering, Jill, but it's not rumors I'm hearing about the doctor. I know it sounded that way, but I heard it from the head nurse of maternity. I trust her because she knows all of the doctors well.

Answer 1

1. I have not had a waterbirth, but yes, they are generally supposed to be calming for labor and less traumatic for birth. There's lots of good info on the web, do some googling.

2. You might have a bowel movement while pushing. It's not unusual. Something you might want to consider when birthing in a tub though. People don't seem to understand that giving birth in a tub is very messy, you're essentially swimming in your own blood, amniotic fluid, and possibly feces.

3. Don't believe rumors. Just talk to your doctor himself. When he said you "probably would have a c-section", I don't believe he is trying to force a section on you, he probably just knows from experience that larger women have a harder time delivering vaginally - it's true, I'm a labor nurse so I've seen the trend myself. He will surely let you TRY to deliver vaginally, they always allow you to make the attempt. But larger women often have two main problems in labor - the first is that the cervix might not dilate effectively, even with the assistance of pitocin. The second is that the baby might not be able to descend after dilation is complete, and all the pushing in the world won't move the baby down, because there is simply too much excess tissue in the vagina that prohibits descent. Both of these are valid indications for a c-section. But most importantly, if at any time during labor your baby shows signs of distress, you will need a c-section, and there might not be time to argue with the doc or get a second opinion.

At some point, you need to trust your doctor's professional opinion. If you truly believe your doc would force a section just for the heck of it, then you obviously don't trust your doctor and you really should be seeing another OB.

*edited to add: I still say not to listen to other people - even if it's a nurse that works with him. That's HER perception, and people's perceptions might not always be an accurate perception of what is necessary and what is not. It could be that he performs a lot of c-sections because he has a higher proportion of high risk patients, perhaps, and with high risk patients you tend to err on the side of caution to protect both mom and baby. There could be very good reasons why this doctor might be performing more sections than what people would consider average.

BUT - No doctor should be telling you that you will certainly have a 10lb baby if you gain "x" amount of weight during pregnancy. That's irresponsible. He cannot predict that, no matter how vast his experience is. So in light of that, I'd start seeing another OB. You're early in your pregnancy, so it's a good time to switch. Good luck!

Answer 2

I am planning a water birth and hope that it does the job it is said to. If at 9wks your doctor is saying you will need a c-section because you are overweight(correct me if I misunderstood) it's time to shop around for a new doctor. That is no reason to need a c-section. Women of all shapes and sizes have vaginal births just fine in fact from what I understand c-sections are more dangerous when you are overweight and might not be the best option if it can be avoided. Yes during the birth you are likely to lose control of your bowels, you are pushing with all of the same muscles. It's no big deal, you won't even notice and the doctors are used to it.


Gaining more than 20lbs will not cause your baby to be 10lbs or more. If you end up with gestational diabetes(you are at higher risk for this) you can end up with a larger baby, you should be checked at 28wks or so. Having a c-section because of a suspected large baby is also not a reason to have a c-section. There is no completely accurate way to predict how big the baby will be or what your body can handle. Worst case you try for a vaginal birth and they move you over for a c-section if the baby proves to be too big to come out. I would really look for a different doctor and you might want to ask yours what his c-section rate is, he might just prefer to do them(some really do).

Answer 3

Well first of all, there's no rule that you have to have a c-section based upon a certain amount of weight gain. I think that's a very arbitrary thing for your doctor to say.

As for water births, I hear they are very calming and the water helps with pain relief. There is a great site online where you can learn more about it:
http://www.waterbirth.org/mc/page.do

Don't worry about losing control of your bowels during labor. Most women do it and it's because of the muscles you push with it. Hardly anything comes out anyway and the staff is so used to seeing it they just whisk it away quickly.

Answer 4

GET A NEW DOCTOR. You do NOT need a c-section for that reason. You need to get a new doctor, because this doctor will continue to push a c-section on you your entire pregnancy. Don't let him lie to you for his convenience!!!

Answer 5

well i have never had one but it seems like it would hurt