waterbirth

Wow what quick responses! Thank you. I shall have a look at the made in water site and start asking questions there.

Inflatables and non-heated pools were obviously the original way to labour. After all, you must have heard that it is essential for your birth partner to boil copious amounts of water....

why do my links never work?

As iunderstand it, with inflatables you add kettles of hot water to raise temperature. You can hire heaters but not sure if they are compatible. Think would take a couple of hours to fill but depends on your water system. The people at \link{http://www.madeinwater.co.uk\thissite are v.helpful if you email them questions.

I seem to remember mine took a couple of hours, but then DP hadn't practised before. There was a wossname of some sort for keeping the water warm, I also seem to remember.

Sorry to be vague. In the event I staggered across my front room, heaved myself into it, pushed three times and gave birth, so it's all a bit of a blur

Hello. I'm due in feb and am seriously considering an inflatable pool to use at home. However I wondered if anyone who has used one can explain how you keep the temperature at the right level and how long it takes to fill (realistically).

Well the inflatable pool lookked fab, we put it up and part-filled it on thursday night. I had a sit in it, went to bed and woke at 6 on friday and it had leaked everywhere!!! Anyway, went to Wales for weekend and went into labour on way home on sunday. Ended up having most fantastic waterbirth in hospital - v. quick. Wouldn't give birth on dry land again!

Leogaela, I know nearly all the midwives in this area are happy to do waterbirths but with my last db I got the only one who wasn't - bad luck, but they were chronically short-staffed. I think you have to keep an open mind. In retrospect i should have shouted and insisted but at the time I just concentrated on hating her! Hormones...
Bonym, I know! It came today and looks fab, not inflated it yet as dh is away but been to Homebase and spent fortune on hose/connectors if it's any consolation - none about in Argos/Index at this time of year it seems. I'll let you know what it's like when I get it up!

I didn't go to ANY antenatal classes at all, second time round.

redshoereindeer - how jammy can you get!! You must let me know what it's like. When are you due?

Leogaela - talk to your midwife about it - I'm hoping for a homebirth and discussed waterbirth with one of the community midwife team and she assured me that they were all more than happy for me to labour in water, and deliver in water, if that's what turns out to be best for me. So that was really reassuring. If you're going into hospital - it should go on your birth plan.

You don't need any special antenatal classes - but it's worth reading up about waterbirth - both for labouring in and for birth just because it's so inspiring. Last time round I borrowed a great book from my antenatal class teacher, which gave lots of case histories, and statistics about waterbirth. Sadly I never made it into the pool (due to super long 3 day labour and failure to dilate!), but hopefully this time round will be different.

Now I must get organised on the pool booking front!

I didn't have any special anti-natal classes...just got in and on with it. Think your midwife may have to be trainned, but don't know.

Another question on this subject. Should you have special ante-natal classes or instructions if you want to have a water birth? And what about the midwife?

Bonym I take it all back - I am a cynical cow . Carine from madeinwater has just emailed me again to say that as the pools probably won't be there by my due date I can have her one, which was the original sample, for free if I pay postage! What a sweetie. Just got to figure out how to sterilise it I guess...? Now I'm their biggest fan!

Bonym, how funny I emailed them this morning to check arrival dates and was told they should dock on the 6th then take a week to clear through customs...are they making it up as they go along?
I'm not sure now anyway - starting to realise how difficult it would be to get someone to look after my 2 younger children outside of my home over the xmas hols - don't want them in the house if I am labouring loudly so might go to hospital and hope for their pool to be clean/available/etcetc
what about you?

Redshoes - not sure if you done anything about this yet, but I have just had an email from Made In Water to say that they are now expecting the pools in on December 10th.

Thanks Pupuce I think I'll do that...

Well they say you can do this but you might need to lean against the back of the chair (against the pool - they have a picture of this on their leaflet) if you plan to REALLY grab that pool side in later stages IYKWIM...
I certainly birthed that way in my oval (rented) pool.
I just think inflatable is easily put together, kids can use it later.... better value really.
You could ask them to give you names of people who have used it and ring them !!!

Bonym that's interesting they told me last week it would be early December! Providing no problems with the shipping - not sounding too reliable...
Pupuce i had my last 2 squatting/kneeling on the bed, leaning forwards on the headboard and like this position - would that be feasible in the inflatable pool do you think? I am 5'7.
The trouble with spending hundreds on hiring one is I would be gutted if I couldn't use it! But v. tempting idea to be able to splosh about in it beforehand...

Well I am 5'11" and whilst I didn't get in it I didn't think I couldn't....
What position do you think you are going to be in ? Squatting or sitting ?
I had an oval pool and fundamentally it was "too" big, I didn't need half of it and it took for ever to fill in - hence I'd go for the blow up one.

My only concern with this Pupuce is that it will be big enough (I'm 5'10") - you said you'd seen them - what do you think? I've just had an email back from madeinwater - they reckon their pools will be back in stock in January, or Feb at the latest, but not sure I want to risk it and then find it's too late to hire one.

What about birth pool in a box then?

The website is now saying that the pools are not available until early 2005 - don't want to risk not getting one at all so may hire one after all...

I would let them see it if the liquid wasn't clear... not suggesting you hide it!!!!!
I think meconium is a combination of distress and latness....
It's number 4 - is it ? no way to say if it will be late or not then !

Aah, letting them SEE the water was where I went wrong (will dim lights or something this time ...)
It was my 3rd baby who was actually so late - other 2 on time - so no way of guessing with this one, but hoping not too late as huge already. So fresh meconium is the bad stuff? ie distressed rather than can't wait any longer to poo? (graphic,sorry )