Waterbirth experience and waterbirth at Hornsby Hospital?

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has had a waterbirth at Hornsby Hospital and if so how they found it? I am considering it, this will be my second baby. My first labour was a very quick vaginal birth (1hr 20 mins) and I had to have an episiotomy. Waterbirth is attractive to me because it could offer natural pain relief and less chance of episiotomy if I have another fast birth. I am also attracted to the gentleness of waterbirth but do not know much about it. So anyone's experience of waterbirth would be great to hear, not just at Hornsby.
Thanks,
Melinda

I had a water birth 3 weeks ago with my daughter and it was AWESOME.

I had a second degree tear with my first and not even a graze with the water birth.

Mine was through Belmont Birthing Service - interestingly, I was booked into Hornsby Hospital first and one of my turn offs was their quick categorising into "high risk" and therefore you'll not be able to water birth. Next is that there are no guarantees since the MW attending you MUST be certified to do water births and not all are......

So for me I went with BBS because ALL MW's are certified and you are guaranteed one in circumstances where a hospital birth won't allow it.

Hi - I had a water birth at Hornsby in September 2005 and it was an amazing experience. I'm planning on having another one there with #2 in late May/early June although unfortunately the midwife who I had back in 2005 is no longer there.

Apparently ALL the midwives are now able to oversee water births, whereas back in 2005 only a couple were. I'm looking forward to doing it this time in the new facilities - DD was born in the old section.

I had no stitches or drugs and completely attribute water birth to allowing both of those things to be possible.

Hi, thanks for the info on the waterbirths....I will definitely be speaking to the midwifes about it as I have my appointments so that it is an option for me on the big day/night! I had hoped to go with the team midwife program but it is fully booked around my due date, but i am still in the midwife program at hornsby.

What a pity that the team midwife program is booked out! That's what I am going through, and everyone I've met so far has been lovely. There are still a couple of long-termers there who I remember from last time, so that is nice. The program you are going in - the midwife program - does this mean you see the same one each time? When are you due?

Hi NatG
I am due August 12. I think I will mostly see a different midwife depending on which day I set my appointments for...I put my yellow card in the box outside the office and it is whoever comes and picks it up I think.

I might call them tomorrow and ask again if there have been any places become available...sometimes women change hospitals halfway through their pregnancy, it's worth a try!

When are you due? You'll have to let me know how you go at Hornsby. The hospital overall has had such a bad rap in the media but the maternity section is just fantastic I have found!

I'm due on June 1st.

It sounds like the team midwife program that I'm in and what you're currently in are quite similar. And of course it's total pot luck who's on duty when you're there in labour anyway. But so far, so good, all the ones I've met have been understanding, friendly and chatty, and don't appear to be the sort that will turn into nazis during labour! :lol:

It sounds like public hospitals in general get bad raps in the media almost constantly - and much of the time for good reason. But pleasingly, Hornsby's maternity ward has managed to stay out of the firing line!