Anyone used a birthing pool for labour or actual birth?

[ninja]

Just interested in knowing your experiences and if you have any recommendations on type.

Thanks

Mine looked like a slaughter house, no one in their right mind would want to splash about with me
Seriously though i was so absorbed in labouring i would have hated the distraction but its your dd if you think it would be nice go for it!

Don't think I'd have liked anyone in there with me either, tbh! I used the pool at the hospital for pain relief with all 3 of mine, and I loved it. With my last one, the mw thought I looked a bit too comfortable, so I stood up to get out to see if that would speed things up, and the sudden pain of the next contraction sent me scuttling straight back in- I couldn't believe the difference it made!! I loved the fact that, huge whale as I was, I could actually move about and change position relatively freely, and the water really helped me cope with the pain. I did get out to deliver, but only cos I felt like it!

DD really wants to be in the house for the birth, but I tend to think it might be too much for her. I have read some amazing stories on the home birth website though. Hopefully my neighbours will be on call so she can stay as long as she and I are comfortable.

Yes fair point MrsTittleMouse, maybe we could have a play in it another time!!

I thought I was happy for DSs to be around when I had BabyDragon. I was wrong - a point came and they had to be gone. Instantly. DD was born 17 minutes after they left!

I think your daughter could definitely have a splash around, but only if you get in early enough (before the water changes colour..) I spent almost my entire labour in it (6 hours) and only got out bc I was slowing down a bit. Out for 20 mins, dilated 4-5 cm, then slid back in to have the baby. IMHO the birth pool -mine was birth pool in a box - was the single best thing for pain relief and relaxation and made me happy as a clam. I didn't want it to leave the house afterwards I loved it so much, and would have happily lived with it taking up most of the lounge ever after.

Another vote for a water birth here. Mine was in hospital though, but great experience. No tearing, quick (but not too quick) and no pain at all the next day (compared to being in pain for weeks after dd was born.) I have no plans for more children, but, if I did, I would love to have a home waterbirth,

I had a water birth in hospital, it was fantastic. I can highly recommend it, it just felt so natural to be in water.

Well I'm convinced - and getting excited (still 2 months to go) I think I'll go for the pool in a box as so many of you have had good experiences in it. Maybe as you say splash around early with DD then OUT before anything happens.

Labour last time was LONG so I can see myself being in there a while - I'll be more wrinkly than the baby!!

My neighbour is going to be on call for dd and she's happy to be at hers or at mine if DD's alright being around so that's good - if it's in the daytime I'll have her dd too!

I had a hospital waterbirth and loved it so much. It felt really natural and comfortable. Have since moved to an area where no local hospitals offer waterbirthing. I feel pretty strongly that when I decide to go for baby2, then I will be looking at home water birth.

Let us know all about it when it happens Ninja. Good luck!

I had DS1 in the water in hospital, though DH had to fight the MW to get me it (not literally), it was a wonderfu, serene experience, not painful, very relaxed. And DS1 as a lovely, clean pink bundle with no trace of goo!

I laboured with DS2 in the hospital pool, but the MW had never done a WB before, so it went a bit pear shaped and I got too relaxed etc. Not pleasant.

For DS3 the MW was happy for me to use the pool and had it half full before finding out I was over the allowed weight for hospital regulations. But she was nice and made the dry land birth relaxed too, even though I was very disappointed. But with a HB you won't have these problems.

Good luck to you. And enjoy.

not read it all. read some, everyone seemed to enjoy it.

well not me,

during a long hard back to back labour they kept insisting i get in this bloody thing. was all up for the idea.

but truth is once i got in it i feel like i was in a sauna. and it actually slowed the labour down a bit. not good since i was already over a week past my due date and i wanted the baby out asap. i was getting hot and bothered. they had some magical idea it would bring the baby out.

but i ended up with my contractions getting further apart and it taking longer.

i wouldn't recommend it for a back to back with a big baby.

was a long labour. sunday 2am till tues 10am. with 2 visits to the pool. think it would have been quicker if they didn't keep trying to get me naked. doctors, midwives all got this lovely vue as they didn't have anything for me to wear.

Thanks for your posting Elmaondella - it'a good to have other points of view and to know that if it doesn't feel right it's not just me!

Hello! I had water births for both my babies. The first was wonderful. The second awful. And this is why I believe it happend like that.

First. I was fit, healthy and well slept (as well as one could be with a 9 month bump and sciatica problem). When the contractions started, I managed the pain with deep breething . The labour was not so long, about a day max. When I got to the birthing suite, it was lovely and warm and pool was beautifully warm. I only had gas and air but didnt intake properly - so MW told me.

After care was wonderfull, lots of tea and toast

The second! just horrible. I had been in labour since the Friday night and DD arrived Monday morning. She was really taking her time. The labour pains would start at bed time and keep me awake ALL night. Then of course you have your first to take care of during the day... so no rest. Finally when I thought the pains were very bad, in we went. But it was different staff, and differnet level of care. I felt like a statistic, or like the place was a cattl shed... in and out. No warmth or TLC from the staff this time OH NOOOOO! And the room was chilled, and the water bearly past tepid. I was tired...no wait! exhausted and the pain was excrutiating. ANd I did manage to take gas and air properly this time, boy did I need it.

DD came along, and then they just jabbed my leg whilst sill in the pool and trying to catch my breath, with that stuff to huryr the placenta out. I screamed in pain and cried. I got out the pool unaided and walked dripping to the bed - naked and still bleeding.

I told them I was really cold. But the MW was too busy to get me another blanket. then some other woman came in, took at look at my bits and said Oh so very coldy, you need stitches. Then proceeded to stitch me up. I told her she was a horrible woman, she just peered up and gave me a dirty look. Cant remember if I was offered food, but I expect I was.

Was in the recovery room for ages, then taken to a ward. Only auxilarly staff attended to me. I was released before they establised DD latching onto my breast. When we got home, DD still couldnt latch and it was upsetting for everyone. She didnt eat for over 36 hours. I was beside myself. I sent DH to shed to yank out the breast pump, get it sterilised etc. Then we spoon fed her for days, whilst in between attempting to get her latched.

Anyway the second wasnt so goo, but the first was fabulous. So what Im saying is, a lot of your experience is down to the staff caring for you.

HTH

ninja - your planned birth sounds like mine, home, water lovely Good luck
I used birth pool in a box and the delivery was great, I had the shortest 2nd stage of my NCT group, and no stitches

Stupid question time: I am planning a homebirth and while I like the idea of a pool, I am totally put off by the practicalities of filling it/emptying it etc. How do you do it? I have visions of just sticking the hose in the pool like with my paddling pool when I was little. And how on earth do you empty it (esp when full of blood etc)? And most importantly, how do you keep it warm?

Not your problem, what else has DH to do while you're feeding new little person! Seriously though, I wouldn't bother about the expense of pumps to empty it which they recommend on BPIAB and la bassine etc, we just put the hose pipe in and let it flow out of the back door at its own speed, took a while but we weren't watching git. DH rinsed it and gave it a good miltoning, and we'd lent it to a friend within the week, or you can get disposable liners so you just throw out the dirty bit. Admittedly the water looks grim, especially if you deliver the placenta in the pool as well, and you need to fish any lumps out with a sieve, but it certainly wasn't a problem, not compared to the benefits.
Keeping it warm wasn't an issue for us as I only got in when the MW said, and I was 10cm when she arrived! Make sure you have plenty of hot water in the tank/system and keep topping it up, you don't want it too hot, MW was addicted to the bath thermometer which I don't think ever got used in a baby bath!
HTH

Sorry just read the 1st half of your question badkitty, yes - it is exactly like filling a paddling pool. On the positive side it gave DH something to do while I was breathing and telling him not to fuss

Another positive experience here - DS1 born in a hospital pool. I'd only planned to use it to relieve pain, but once I was in there was no way I would get out again - even lifting my bump out to have his heartbeat monitered reminded me how painful it would be otherwise.... I did have to get out to deliver the placenta though, so the water was never too bad (do remember the midwife running around with a sieve too!)
I would love to do it again, wouldn't change a thing - sadly here in France it isn't so common, and there is no real possibility with DS2 due in 6 weeks, am getting a bit worried about a dry-land birth now!

Thank you. Hmm - if we were going to let it flow out of the back door then would have to have it in the kitchen which I don't fancy! Think would prefer it in a bedroom!

Ours was in the dining room, upstairs would probably drain faster, I'd just make sure your hosepipe reaches the ground to minimise splashing!

I had a Birth Pool In a Box fr a home birth, but never actually used it as my son came on Xmas Eve and i didn't want to ruin the other kids Xmas, so relutantly went into hospital. BUT, after labouring with a Tens machine for an hour (fab btw!) i was already at 8cm and got into the hospital birth pool. It was divine. The main prob with me giving birth is i feel totally inhibited with everyone staring at my bits, so being under the water let me feel back in control. After 1 more hour, i delivered him myself into my own hands. It was lovely.
I would say though that perhaps i sould have asked or more guidance from the MW as i tore wide open and perhaps wouldn't have done if i hadn't been so "I want to do this all myself!"

Hi Wolfgirl, thanks so much for your stories I'm sorry the second one sounded so bad. The midwives I met seem very positive so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm glad that you said that about the emptying device as I would have bought one, I'll make sure I have a long enough hose!!

I used my bath for labouring with DD2 and with DD3 I bought a birth in a box and laboured and gave birth in it (pic on my profile).

was amazing.

Only bad bit was having to stand for a second so they could see what was happening and the difference in the pain from being in to being out of the water caught me by surprise and I had a scary moment of panic but as soon as Mars reminded me to breathe it was back to being fab again.

I laboured in the bath for ds2 and ds3 but got out to deliver them.

had ds4 in a birth pool, all 10lb 13oz of him, less than 2hr labour, easy delivery no tearing or stiches despite his size

i thoroughly recomend using a birth pool, relief as i got in was AMAZING, i delivered the placenta in the water too, i stayed in the pool for 40mins? after having him whilst waiting for the placenta, and it was lovely to be in the warm water, cuddling my gorgeous new baby, he didt cry or anything just gazed at me and nuzzled my breast

i didnt notice if the water was icky, think it was ok till i delivered the placenta and then i got out anyway