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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Homebirth - hire a pool or not ?.....the midwife says 'not'

93 replies

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 17:46

Having a homebirth which feels a bit brave and thought i would hire a pool....

Moved house two weeks ago and really like big old bath so wondered if a pool such a good idea after all.

Midwife came out and gave pool the thumbs down, tricky to fill (slow) pain to keep warm, pain to empty, need strong floors ( house is old i am sure they are fine) etc etc

Now wondering whether she has put me off....is bath ok or do you need more room to manouevre etc....I just dont know.

Baby due in four weeks so should decide soon!

Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SoupDragon · 04/01/2006 17:48

A bath isn't OK really because there's not enough volume of water to give you the bouyancy of a pool. Depends what you want it for really. You can't give birth in the bath either as there's not enough room or "access" for the midwife.

It sounds a lot like she just doesn't like birth pools TBH!

maZebraltov · 04/01/2006 17:51

i had homebirths with DD (hired a pool from Splashdown) & DS2 (used the bath).
Both helped with the pain.
Friends said that the nice thing about the pool was using it like a jacuzzi in final few weeks, good for back pain, they said.

With toddlers around I didn't want to have a big full drowning-hazardous pool all the time, though.

I wasn't a very big pregnant lady so bath probably "ok" for me, plus we were in a small rented house, but I think the big pool was better overall for pain relief. Filled quick enough, made the room warm (was only early October, but otherwise an unheated house), was easy enough to empty (DH is an engineer, though). We had it on a quarry tile floor (kitchen). Wouldn't want it upstairs myself, but otherpeole have done. hth

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 17:55

I want it for pain relief - have always thought water good and with one labour got out of bath and then so wished i had not....next time (hosp again) had pool room but by the time it was full was in too much pain to get there.

I am not sure ( always shy in front of midwife she is stern...) but she muttered something about not being able to actually deliver in water which is a real shame as that is what i would like......

Maz - with experience of both - would you go for pool then??

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 04/01/2006 17:57

It really sounds like your midwife is simply not experienced with water births TBH and that's why she's trying to put you off.

SueW · 04/01/2006 17:58

To create buoyancy you need at least 18" water - it's unlikely you will get this in a bath.

In a pool:

You will get room to manoeuvre and to benefit from the hip wiggling and swaying that happens when you are in a large body of water.

You will be able to choose between being on all fours or sitting and still be under water

You can place it somewhere that it provides access from all round for the midwife and your birth partner.

Re strength of floors:

IIRC the weight of the birth pool in a box is 750kg when filled (without weight of mother. That's equivalent to around 6 rugby players and the weight is spread pretty evenly across the floor space of the pool whereas theirs would be spread on the smaller area of their 10 feet! If you think this doesn't make a difference, our stage at school can have a car parked on it but not a grand piano placed on it without reinforcement for the latter because the pressure is so high with the weight being on the relatively tiny legs. (Does that make sense)

Can more later if you wish (I work for birth pool company) but got to do other stuff right now)

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 17:58

So legally are you allowed to deliver in water - there was some fuss a couple of years back....

OP posts:

motherinferior · 04/01/2006 17:59

I really, really would hire one. I had one for DD2's birth and would encourage any home birther to go for one.

motherinferior · 04/01/2006 17:59

I really, really would hire one. I had one for DD2's birth and would encourage any home birther to go for one.

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:04

Its such a big shame when you hear things like this.

Now i might feel the wrath of some MN mws here for this but i really do think that some (not all!) mws are lazy and want the easy life instead of whats best for the mother.

It really does make me sad that some of these mws play on the insecurities and lack of knowledge of the mother to 'get their way'.

Enid · 04/01/2006 18:05

are those ones you can buy as good as the hired out ones?

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 18:07

Thanks for being so encouraging.

unfortunatley - someone was selling a Madein the water pool on here and i mentioned it to dp who said' Hmmm The Midwife did not seem to think they were mmuch cop did she - I thought you could do it in the bath'

So now i feel like i am being a bit of a pai on all fronts..after all i did ask her advise - her reply was not really what i had hoped for.

Now i feel like i shall have to back pedal....

OP posts:

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:09

You are the one who will be having the contractions and giving birth. They should follow what you want.

Enid · 04/01/2006 18:09

i want one

dh will take the piss though

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 18:12

Yes Enid - I feel a tad like that....I dont want to look like some fussy woman kicking up a stink over my perfect birth -

Aside from entonox though I wont have any other pain relief and feel I will need a crutch.....dh can be a bit 'down to earth' though and think things like giving birth in water a bit ott!

OP posts:

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:12

What, even after you hand him the net for fishing out turds?

Enid · 04/01/2006 18:13

oh f*ck off

there is no way he would do that

I would die if i shat myself

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:14

If its what you really want, you should go for it. As long as its safe you should have whatever kind of birth you want.

sorry - my last post was in poor taste

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 18:14

He will be too busy cleaning the toilet bowl after i have had ' natures enema'

Actually we always laugh ( well he does i just grit my teeth) as he always gets what we call the 'Hospital yawns' when i give birth .....he can be seen gazing out of a window yawning as i scream for an early death and end to the torture.

Some people think I have got the perfect bloke but i know better!

OP posts:

Blu · 04/01/2006 18:15

I hired one from Splashdown, and it was brilliant. I got the cheapest simplest one, too. Totally different to the bath - I knelt facing forwards leaning on the edge, and the complete immersion was great.
It was fine to inflate and fill - though we had a hilarious rehearsal the week before. DP faffed around like a scene from Dad's Army - gave him something to do in the early stages of labour. DP and my other birth partner (best friend) kept it at the right temp - it held the temperature very well because they are made of lifeboat material and have high insulating properties. But you could spend the extra cash and get one with a heater.
We had it in the front room. For emptying there is a pump and a long hose and you simply pump it all down the drain.
Admittedly, bf ran the hose out the front door into the gutter and a motorbike ran over the hose causing the pump to run backwards and all the water to fountain out over front room like a geyser, but that was all part of the Dad's Army Theme.

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:16

I was kidding - but it would be a funny joke to play on DH though if he kicked up a fuss

Original poster

4blue1pink · 04/01/2006 18:16

Sounds like Fun Blu!!!

OP posts:

Enid · 04/01/2006 18:17

is there something about water births that make you poo yourself??

my ultimate terror during labour

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:18

no - sorry enid - i was kidding - you are no more likely to in water than not.

But your DH neednt know that

Enid · 04/01/2006 18:18

QueenVictoria · 04/01/2006 18:19

Just hand him the net and say "and this is your job....."

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