Does water really help that much with contraction pain?

[Visitor7]

All 3 of my labours have been spent in the shower, the entire time. I loved it, it was my only relief.

[Heaven]

The shower was bliss!! I was in there for hrs and hrs with the hot water on my back or down low at the front during contractions. It REALLY REALLY helped. I didn't like the bath though. I didn't like the weightless feeling. I felt more pain in there. Sort of like with the floating there was no other sensations in my body (like the weight of my feet on the ground, etc, etc) and so only the pain to concentrate on.

[Spring Angel]

I'm a weirdo in labour because I prefer to be lying down on my back. I close my eyes and kinda go into a quiet, still trance like state. I feel like I can't support my weight when I'm standing, sitting and it panics me. I've had inductions so I haven't had the bath option but TBH I couldn't stand the shower.

I think for me next time I'm going to try the shower/bath early on before the ctx get intense so I can get used to the feeling.

[maz]

I was dragged out of the bath by the midwife because I kept falling alseep but yes helped me heaps but then so did the shower as Olive said you can direct the water pressure for were you need it by rotating around

[MrsB26]

Oh i loved loved loved the shower. I liked that icould direct the shower head from my back to my belly and it felt like a distraction from the contraction. Once it got really intense i got in the bath. The midwife had to practically drag me out after 4 hours as i was running a fever and she didnt want tme to get any hotter. I'll tell you, once i got out the contractions felt a zillion times worse
This time i'm hoping to stay in and birth in the bath if it works as good for the pain as it did with ds.

[studentmum]

LOVED the warm water - I didn't even have a bath/birth pool but boy oh boy do I want one for #4, with DS the warm shower was DIVINE

The problem with the shower was, it got too steamy, with the pool even if it is warm out you can have a fan in your face to cool off...love it.

Sarah

[briggsy's girl]

i went from nothing to 7cm in less than 2 hours using water for pain relief. the hospital birthing suite had two shower heads that you could direct anywhere, so as contractions hit, i had one on my belly one on my back - it wasn't pain that ended up getting to me, it was shear exhaustion as the prelabour after having the gels for the induction had stopped me sleeping the two previous nights and i just couldn't stand up (and sitting wasn't working as well). i was hooked up to every maching under the sun, so a bath was a no go - but given the relief the heat and water gave me, i reckon a bath owuld have been perfect!

[Traveller]

I called my labouring time in the tub my "aquadural". I went from having to remember to try and relax, to being in utter bliss and sleeping through contractions. It's different for everyone but certainly worth a try before drugs.

[Liviam]

Both of my labours where spent in the shower - IT WAS HEAVEN!!!! Shower and DH's support where my own pain relief. DH controlled the shower for me and during a contraction it was on my tummy and on my back in between. Poor DH got drenched but he was awesome!!

[meow]

I spent hours (and a gilzillion litres of water) in the shower. LOVED it! I wouldn't have wanted a bath in my last labour- I found having the hot water hit straight on my back really helped and I also needed to be upright. This time I'll be having a birth pool and I intend to birth in there but I'll use the shower again if that helps more in labour.

[Cricket]

I've had two medicated, hospital bed births, one unmedicated home waterbirth, and one hospital bed birth without medication. Our hospital does not have a birthing tub, or I would have been in it in a flash! I did use the shower there for as long as I could for all my hospital births. With my fourth, I was on a birthing stool in the shower - that was a great option - contractions slowed down a bit, and baby descended, and I dilated.
The medication I had with the first two births was a narcotic. I would say that it didn't actually really help the pain, it just made me relax. It hurt, and I didn't care so much anymore. I can not remember too much about those labours.
With my third, I laboured at home in our own large tub, with whirlpool jets. The water had a similar effect to the narcotic, in a sense. I could relax soooooo much better, and that in itself made things easier. If you don't fight yourself, it eases the pain, and you can progress better. It didn't take the pain away, but I could cope better. Apparently the midwife asked me if I could get out towards the end. I have no memory of that. DH apparently looked at her like she was crazy, and the idea was immediately dropped. I was not budging!
With this baby, (#5) we are definitely planning another home water birth. It's not a magical pain-remover, IMO, but it does help you relax and cope much more naturally.
All the best!