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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Birthing pool - do I get one and how?

55 replies

Cha · 09/05/2003 17:47

Am having my second at home (was the plan for 1st too, but didn't work out) and was wondering whether to get a pool. We live on the 1st/2nd floors of a Victorian terrace (c1885) and have heard you need to get a surveyor in to see if your floor can support the weight of the pool (about a ton?). How do you organise this? How much does it all cost? Live in SE London.

Also was a bit umming and ahhing about whether to get one at all. Is it really worth it? Have heard again and again that it is but have one horror story that makes me slightly uneasy. Also my midwife says you can get the pain relief afforded by a pool by being in the bath. Is this true?
Sorry to ask so many questions!

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pupuce · 09/05/2003 19:50

Marina... if you choose not to get out... they are not getting a crane to get you out... believe me ! I do not know the stats but I'd say the overwhelming majority of women who can stay in the pool choose to for the delivery.... I had no preference either way but once I was in 2nd stage in the water I was NOT going to move!

Marina · 09/05/2003 19:41

Cha, Motherinferior, I am a great supporter of women's right to give birth where and how they choose, but if you are keen on a water birth and concerned about the hassle, they now have a state of the art birthing pool at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich. I am hoping to use it in August - I was told by the midwives there that, to their sadness, it is not used as often as it should be. Because a pool (especially a permanent one like at the QEH) is big enough to allow you to move around, you get better buoyancy than in a bathtub, I think. QEH apparently are OK about letting you give birth in the pool if all is going OK - I was told by my community team you will not be made to climb out.
Just in case either of you felt more strongly about the waterbirth than the homebirth side of things...good luck with finding what you need.

motherinferior · 09/05/2003 19:22

Cha, whereabouts are you? I'm a fellow SE-Londoner exploring waterbirth hire - the gas and air wuss, see my exchanges with pupuce and the info she's got (and thanks pie too)

pupuce · 09/05/2003 18:09

I disagree with your MW...
A pool's weight is approximately the one of 12 adults.

See the Gas and Air thread as well for more info on prices.

Of course you would rent and not buy. Which part of the country are you in?

pie · 09/05/2003 17:55

My Aunt had one and she hired it. I think that the company she hired it from came round to check that her floor could support it and then they delivered 2 weeks before her due date and the rental was for 4 weeks.

I think that they can be VERY expensive so probably not best to buy.

Here is one site, and it still looks expensive to hire:

www.gentlewater.co.uk/pools/fr-pools.htm

another one, though they say they only have a few pools:

www.mammaworks.co.uk/POOLS.HTML

more....

www.birthworks.co.uk/tubs.shtml

hope this gives you somewhere to start!