Opinion: I regret that I didn’t have a water birth when pregnant with my daughter

Whenever I read about other mothers and their water births it makes me wish I'd had one.

It was something I thought a lot about on my second pregnancy but never mentioned to my midwife or doctor. A part of it was believing that I wouldn't be eligible. The other was the worry that something might go wrong like my first labour. While giving birth to my first baby there were complications that led to me needing an emergency caesarean. The fear of the same complications happening again turned me off even bringing the subject up with my medical team. I had also read that if you had had problems during any previous labours that you may not be eligible to use a water bath as it would be harder to rush you to the operating room. I took this as being a hard and fast no on me being able to have a water birth on my second pregnancy but the answer may have been different if I had broached the topic with my midwife. I ended up having a very straight forward and uncomplicated birth when it came to delivering my daughter and it made me wish that I had taken the chance and asked about using a water bath. I've always found water to be extremely calming and I love spending time near the ocean or soaking in a long bath when I'm stressed. Labour is an extremely stressful time but the more relaxed you can be the less likely you are to cause any damage to your body and the easier it will be for your baby to arrive. Water births are popular for the very reason that they create a soothing environment and they are becoming increasingly common in Ireland. I think a big part of the reason I regret not asking to have a water birth is that I've only ever planned to have two children and my daughter's birth is the last time I'll experience labour. It's still not automatically thought of as an option when it comes to childbirth but I think it should definitely be discussed with more mums-to-be as a way to bring their baby into the world.