Does your unit have a birthing pool? Will you consider using it?

[mears]

Just wondering really. In all my years as a midwife (!), I think the pool is the best development we have had for pain relief.

Seems a hit or a miss with women though as to whether they know about it.

It is always worth a go - it either helps or it doesn't with no harm done.

One pool at our unit. Laboured in it. Would go for a home birth simply to get a pool. Never occurred to me until reading MN that you could take your own in, though have always assumed that would go to hospital as late as possible.

I know that through much of the earlier stages of ds's birth (i.e. while I could talk much) I was obsessed with not appearing a wuss to the midwife, I assumed she despised me as a whinging idiot. I didn't ask for any pain relief that I remember, just took what she offered. Thank goodness the pool was on my birth plan (mind you, so was everything else including a sharp blow to the head).

Sssshhh! Please stop going on about how great it is! There's only one at our local hospital and I don't know how I'll cope if it is occupied for this birth.

I had dd in a hospital pool which was great, second time round I was going to deliver there again, but at 36 weeks with everything going well I suddenly realised how totally gutted I would be if the one pool was not free. So, I bought a birth pool in a box and had a lovely homebirth. Its now safely up the loft ready for next time, no using it as a paddling pool until it has finished doing its proper job! Another good thing about having your own pool is that you know that you are the only one who has pee'd, poo'd, bled, puked etc in to it!

I really wanted to use a pool for all 3 of mine. Unfortunately with dd1 I had to have continuous monitoring and with dd2 someone else was already in it and I delivered before her! With dd3 I fiinally made it into the pool but she arrived so quickly I had to get out after 20 minutes as I wasn't allowed to deliver in the pool (don't know why). However those 20 minutes were great!

A very positive thread for pools this is

No negative experiences yet (apart from those who couldn't get in or weren't 'allowed' to birth in the water)

geordiemacminx - good luck for Wishaw. I know a few midwives there.