Gaining more than 25 lbs risks you out of water birth?

JessicaE · 01-21-2010, 08:42 AM

Does anyone know of other hospitals that have similar requirements for water birth? One of my clients was just told, as she gained her 25th pound, that she no longer qualifies for water birth at her hospital.

We talked about some negotiation tactics, and to clarify whether she will be able to at least LABOR in the large water birth tub, and if so, when they would "make" her get out.

This is not a hospital I usually work at. The other facility here that does water birth risks you out for VBAC or meconium, but I'd never heard of a weight limit. I assume the concern, evidence-based or not, has to do with shoulder dystocia concerns. But my goodness, it seems that MOST women will gain more than 25 lbs.

Curious to hear others' experiences... If your hospitals do water births, what if anything will risk a mom out?

hotwings640 · 01-21-2010, 09:45 AM

It might have to do with her individual BMI. I have heard of some places not allowing women to waterbirth based on BMI. It is B.S. It really, really, really angers me as a woman-of-size. It is not evidence based.

alicethedoula · 01-21-2010, 10:40 AM

Wow! I have never heard of such. We only have one hospital that will allow waterbirth and they don't have a requirement.

I just had a home waterbirth and had gained 55 pounds or so!!! 25 is really nothing.

MamaMichelle · 01-21-2010, 10:55 AM

25 lbs isn't even the recommended max during pregnancy!!! However, I agree with a PP with the BMI. I have heard the BMI is what matters, not the actual weight. I think it's a rediculous policy.

DoulaMegz · 01-21-2010, 11:03 AM

Yes, I've heard of this...in fact, I was told that I was risked out because of my BMI at the start of my pregnancy, even though by 20 weeks I was under the BMI limit. I switched practices and had a beautiful waterbirth. I did extensive research online and wrote a very long letter to the MW practice (all 16 of them) to review. They still declined which is why I switched.

There are two common reasons they site the weight as limiting.
1) if mom were to pass out, become incapacitated, hemmorrhage, they worry about being able to get mom out of the tub. It's BS...there are always plenty of hands available for this, and unless mom is over 300 pounds, seriously, not a concern.

2) Soft tissue shoulder dystocia (perhaps a MW on the boards can comment more on this), from the research I did when fighting this battle here in Minneapolis with my then midwife practice, there's a less than 1% increased risk of this kind of shoulder dystocia in plus-sized moms. To boot, if it DID happen, swinging a leg over the side of the tub to get out and change positions would probably HELP baby rotate and get out!

:-)

hippiemommy · 01-22-2010, 01:53 PM

That is crazy. I start out on the lower-end of "normal" for my weight, and I usually gain around 35-40lbs. I would be really frustrated if I was risked out of a waterbirth due to my weight and I weighed around 140 or 150lbs at term.

What a ridiculous rule.

DoulaMegz · 01-22-2010, 02:25 PM

OH...and if she's laboring in the tub, and she doesn't get out when they tell her too...they can't legally lift her out as far as I know...they can't force her, just like anything else.

nmorgart · 01-22-2010, 06:02 PM

Wow, this is crazy to me, seeing as some women are to gain up to 40lbs to be considering "normal" and/or "healthy" during their pregnancy, depending on what they weighed prior!

Wow!

JessicaE · 01-22-2010, 08:02 PM

Thanks for the helpful info, ladies. I can imagine almost everyone must gain more than 25 lbs, between that and our crazy high epidural rates in this country, I can't imagine much of anyone is birthing in the water at this hospital.

(As a side note, there is one water birth tub at the hospital I work at most, it is almost never in use except by my students/clients... Last time one of our clients birthed in it, the nurse at shift change said the new nurse coming in had was so good because she had done THREE water births, so far... Over more than two years, lol! I have had at least five clients birth in the water at this hospital, I guess I'm more experienced than their really great water birth nurse, hehe. Unfortunately, I think it's more of a marketing showpiece than something that actually gets used.)

hippiemommy · 01-22-2010, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JessicaE

Unfortunately, I think it's more of a marketing showpiece than something that actually gets used.)

That stinks. I gave birth (twice) at a hospital that was like that. They had a beautiful setup with a jacuzzi pool, but they wouldn't mention that you couldn't use it if you had an IV or fetal monitor. In order to check in and make sure that you were safe for the pool, they required an IV and a fetal monitor. So... yeah, no one could ever use the pool. There was no way that they were removing that IV once you had it in.

DoulaYvonne · 01-23-2010, 12:29 PM

Absolutely ridiculous!

I haven't heard of that policy in any of my local hospitals,

mamato6 · 01-23-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hippiemommy

That stinks. I gave birth (twice) at a hospital that was like that. They had a beautiful setup with a jacuzzi pool, but they wouldn't mention that you couldn't use it if you had an IV or fetal monitor. In order to check in and make sure that you were safe for the pool, they required an IV and a fetal monitor. So... yeah, no one could ever use the pool. There was no way that they were removing that IV once you had it in.

In other words, the jacuzzi wasn't for laboring mom's but for the doctors? LOL