Home Birth - Pool or no pool.............?

[catinabox]

I am having my baby at home. Communication with midwife went a bit awry and she has been unable to get a hire pool at short notice. I'm now a bit worried about whether i'll cope without one. Am pre labour already, can't really afford the couple of hundred pounds hire charge, especially as it might not get here on time.

Any positive home birth experiences without a pool would be reassuring!

It never cost me anything like that in hire charges but tbh, I'd do it in a paddling pool or an argos swimming pool (seem to be heavily discounted at this time of year) or just a deep bath.

What's the worst that can happen? In that case, you'd simply get out right?

just looked at an argos pool for 39 quid. It looks like a good one wondered whether it might not stand up to the job and we might end up flooding the house....?

What do you think?

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3652156.htm

Thanks for the reply btw!

I didn't have a pool, I just got in the bath, then got out to deliver.

No idea - lol.

Personally I'd do it. Midwives might be a bit but ain't their house or argos pool right?

Make sure the bottom is on something so it won't slip and that you have a bathmat or something inside so YOU don't slip. Perhaps push up the back of a chair onto one side to grip hold of so you don't have to drape yourself completely over the side.

btw, you know those pools have minuture models in them and might not be as big as it looks.

I had a HB with tens and gas and air. I haven't tried a pool so cant compare them but I felt it was fine and am planning another with the same pain relief.
You could prob hire a tens at short notice from local place or boots and they would be much cheaper than a pool.
I'd be more likely to try the bath than a large paddling pool as the pool could be tricky to empty inside.

OK, this might sound mad, but what about a gazeebo and the pool, and giving birth outside?

I had a home birth two weeks ago and delivered in the bath. I didn't intend to but midwife suggested a bath and I never got out!
It was lovely and obviously easier to fill/clean than a pool, in fact generally cleaning up was easier in the tiled bathroom.
Hope everything goes well for you.

i know a few ppl who used a normal pool/paddling pool for labour they said it was just as good as they expected it to be im planning a home water birth if all goes well im buying a pool off ebay their about £140 new or you can get a used pool but you need a new liner which are approx £30

Our area has a home birth group which lends pools out, is there anything like that? I have had 2 hwb and can't imagine labour without water but a bath or paddling pool would do. You can blu tak the overflow for increased depth. Good luck.

Thanks everyone. Argos has sold out so i think we'll just go with what we've got..

I did actually think of going outside, that would be really nice.

I think it might be an event that the neighbours would never forget either though!

Can imagine them saying to DC, ohh yes, we remember your birth, we watched out the window/over the fence. Your mum sounded like a hippo etc !

We haven't got any homebirth groups here that i know of. Sure the Bath'll be fine.