Mumsnet Talk

Just rattling an idea around in my head. I was at our HB support group the other night and someone made a joke about not having room for a birth pool unless it went on the patio (they were due in March, so not really very practical).

I am due at the end of July however, and actually, the idea of setting up a little bower in the garden (with a gazebo or something for shade and privacy) really appeals. Very much a pie in the sky idea right now. I am not sure where we will be living when baby arrives, and if it would involve suitable outdoor space that was isolated, not overlooked etc.

Anyone ever done anything like this?

You could have a barbeque Ive never heard of this but i prefer to be outside when i can so hey go for it.Make sure you dont upset the neighbours though.

Well I'm gonna be camping on my due date thanks to them wot moved the may bank holiday, in a bell tent.......

Oh wow, that would be awesome. And tropical cocktails served in pineapples with umbrellas. I'm very quiet in labour, so that shouldn't bother them, unless something mad happens. Easy clean up too.

I have heard of a few births in yurts, surely a bell tent is just the budget version

Erm... Unless you have no neighbours I think that would be a bit much!

Suspect your midwives wouldn't be happy with it either. They generally want to be near the kettle / loo / plug sockets etc.

I also think you won't actually fancy it much when the time comes. During my home birth I really wanted to be in the dark and quiet for the last stages of labour - crawling into a cave rather than feeling exposed was a very powerful instinct.

I love that idea, unfortunately we have 4ft wire fences so pretty overlooked! May have to set up kids paddling pool for early stages though

In what way Grumpla? I would't be overlooked, and the pool would be under a gazebo. Is there anything I have missed that might bother people?

I would set up near the house (would have to to fill the pool, like on a patio, so amenities would be close.

I do get your point about the quiet cave, which was also why I thought about a gazebo, so the sides could be closed down. In my last labour (and generally) I was more relaxed wandering about outside than sitting inside, it was the people, not the space that threw me.

i actually discussed this with my midwife for my last baby, they were more than happy with the idea, sadly i did not end up with a home birth and this baby is due in a few weeks so it will be too cold. keep your options open!

I had an August HB in a pool in front of French windows. Except I was in the pool from 5-7am... I did have them open for a bit, but it was a tad nippy.

I laboured outside in the garden with DS1, birthing ball on patio.
birth pool was inside though patio doors. I wouldn't have felt comfortable outside personally just because I liked the stillness of the air inside, if there had been a breeze or anything like that I think, though not sure, that it would have distracted me.

Well I called the midwife led centre near the campsite I will be in and they assured me that under no circumstances would they come out to a tent .

But that is okay because the last place I want to shower at 3am after the event is a temporary portacabin shower with muddy floor and variable water temperature. Thankfully the mlu is only 5 mins drive away.

Hehe Starlight, there is a devil in me that would like to test that I know some doulas that work with a lot of mums living in yurts, caravans, treehouses etc, but perhaps a permanent home is different to a holiday campsite

I think I would go for the MLU too.

It might be ok at 3pm but 3am....?

Don't forget fairy lights around the gazebo.

Yes, the neighbours will hear, but I gave birth on a hot July night with all the windows open and the neighbours heard anyway.

I was quite chuffed with myself for having a pain free home birth, then a friend told me she was planning her 4th home birth in a gazebo in the garden with fairly lights on it. It was all set up.

She ended up delivering on the bathroom floor. Ha!

as long as you don't mind potentially ending up on google earth

I would have loved to have my birth pool outside. Ds2 was born on a glorious day and apart from a trip to the garage with my doula for juice and biscuits I spent a good few hours pacing the garden.
The house was like a sauna inside and if I could have got the pool out I probably would have done. Everyone was sweating.

Ooh fairy lights! Brilliant.

I had considered the windows open/noise thing Lynette. AFAIK I go into myself during labour and don't make any noise, but I have never done the pushing bit, but like you said, I would have the windows open anyway.

Ooh, pool party

Hope you dont mind a bit of input from a midwife but I have to say "go for it" those of you who wan to birth outside or in a tent or anywhere else for that matter....I get very excited by strong powerful women who want to birth under their own steam and exerting their own choices. I was very jealous of my midwifery partner Kay last summer when one of her own cleints birthed in the garden take a look www.thisissussex.co.uk/Couple-welcome-son-world-Colemans-Hatch-garden/story-12738067-detail/story.html

I know someone who gave birth in her garden in a paddling pool. I assume the water was clean and warm!!

Thanks midwifeVH, it's good to get a professional perspective, gives me hope my MW team won't think I'm nuts.

My first thought was 'in this weather? Is she mad?' Makes perfect sense in July though. I'd do it

I'd have thought even in July, if baby was born at night it wouldn't be warm enough.

but gosh giving birth in a hot tub under the stars sounds nice

I dunno, I always associate paddling pools with freezing water with grass clippings in it. . And getting squirted in the face with a garden hose, although actually I'm now 34 and more importantly my dad isn't going to be there when I give birth.

Actually, it sounds fantastic and I am v as I have a shared yard with manky asphalt so it'll be an indoor job here. But I will leave the windows open so that my neighbours can learn some interesting new words. And I might dunk DH in the pool if I get bored or if he starts talking about how big heads run in his family again this time.

I have had 3 HB's (all indoors and 2 water) and the only thing that would hold me back if you're not overlooked and it's warm would be the noise factor!
The last part of each of my births has been fairly vocal and would attract attention I wouldn't want - but I am fairly private and wanted to announce the birth on my own terms after having some quiet bonding time - if you're not fussed about who knows when - go for it!!