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Childbirth

Home water birth - approx how many old bath towels do we need?

5 replies

EasyCompadre · 22/04/2014 13:11

As the subject says really, to those ladies who have birthed at home, in water, how many old towels did you need? We've got cheap shower curtains and some dust sheets to cover the floor and furniture, but I'm guessing we will put towels over them as it will soon get annoying having a dust sheet sticking to me all the time - plus towels for getting in and out of the pool to use the toilet... And towels to wrap babe in etc.

I'm imagining I'm going to need loads, which means I need to get collecting sharpish (she says at 39+3w pregnant.. Nothing quite like leaving it till the last minute hmm).
Neither of our families know of our desire for a home birth so we can't ask for donations from them... Does anyone know of good places to pick up cheap towels fit to be ruined during birth? Maybe charity shops?

OP posts:

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Stopdropnroll · 23/04/2014 09:00

I had a boxful on hand but in the end didn't use that many, I only got out of the pool once so probably used a couple for me, one for baby then when baby had arrived we put a plastic sheet on the sofa with a towel over it, plus the midwives had some of the square protective pads so they put one of them under me. It really wasn't anywhere as much as I thought and we only turned out with one machine load of washing and only very small amount of blood.

We just used the old towels we tend to use the swimming and the gym rather than our nice ones but I'm sure if you asked in charity shops they'd let you know if they got any in or ask friends and family if they have any lurking in the back of the airing cupboard?

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JuniperTisane · 23/04/2014 09:05

I reckon I used one big one for when I got out of the pool to be examined and another clean big one for after the birth and baby got wrapped in a smaller one.

There wasn't actually very much mess at all. And I bled afterwards.

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cakeymccakington · 23/04/2014 09:20

Don't think we used many.
I had one on top of the shower curtains by the pool so I didn't slip getting out. One to wrap me in, one for baby. That was it.
Tbh they all washed up fine, even the one I bleed all over so this time I'm not too bothered about using whatever towel is handy :-D

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shimmymummy · 23/04/2014 11:34

Just used one big one immediately after getting out of the pool and another after my shower and a small one for the baby. All washed fine. Had a big ground sheet got the pool and an old duvet and duvet cover that was nice to lie on when I delivered the placenta afterwards and had a check up on. Bought lots of shower curtains from the pound shop and didn't use one - not sure what to do with them now!!

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EasyCompadre · 23/04/2014 16:00

Oh really, well I'm sure we already have plenty then, probably around 10 of varying sizes from bath sheet to large hand towel size. We've got a big ground sheet, and other 'nice' towels too so it sounds like we've more than enough already. Cheers ladies, saves me hauling my bulk around the charity shops!