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Childbirth

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

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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!

OP posts:

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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!

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?

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)

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.

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!

MrsS · 09/05/2003 20:24

Cha

I have no info about hiring a pool but I did have a water birth two years ago in hospital and it was FANTASTIC.

I got in at 5 cms dilated and the pain virtually disappeared altogether. Stayed in for about 4 hours and my midwife made me get out to check me as she thought the pool had slowed labour down as I was "too happy" I was then 9 cms and my son was born about an hour later. I also beleive that the warmth of the pool limits damage to you. My son was over 9 lbs and I had no tearing / no stitching etc.

I dont think a bath would be as good as its too shallow. When you kneel in the pool it comes up to your chest and you dont have to support much of your own weight.

I had not heard any horror stories and was totally confident, however I do know that it's vital to keep the pool at the right temperature especially at the time the baby comes out and I would be wary of having enough hot water at home to ensure this.

I am having to be induced with my second on Monday and am unable to have a water birth due to the induction, am really gutted about this and feeling a bit nervous about this birth after such a positive experience last time.

Whatever you decide, good luck !

beetroot · 09/05/2003 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pupuce · 09/05/2003 21:23

MrsS - why are you being induced? Can we ask?

WideWebWitch · 10/05/2003 00:01

Hi cha, I wanted a pool but was told the same, that our floor (3rd floor flat) wouldn't support the weight. So I was in the bath for quite a while (at home) but the midwives told me to get out after a while since they thought I was slowing myself down and actually, that's logical, since in a bath you're supine but in a pool you're upright and gravity is being allowed to help. I certainly was slowing myself down, they were completely right - things really got moving once I was upright. So my totally unscientific view would be that a bath helps but a pool would be better if you can get a company to agree that your floor will support the weight. Good luck.

motherinferior · 10/05/2003 17:52

Thanks Marina - I've seen that Woolwich also has a birth centre, but quite frankly if I go to hospital I think it'll have to be Lewisham (where there is a pool, but it is - this is true - just being plumbed in. planning problems or something, apparently). I've become more convinced that a pool may be a good idea through the exchanges on the gas&air thread.

Splashdown looks like a good option, cha, and collectable from SE27; someone in my antenatal pilates class has just hired one and says she'll let me know what it's like. do you want me to let you know too?

motherinferior · 10/05/2003 17:54

PS just checked the splashdown site, and the inflatable pool (which is the cheapest as well) is apparently equivalent to the weight of 8 people. Which should be simple enough to test....

Original poster

Cha · 11/05/2003 16:22

Thanks for your help and advice. I think you may have convinced me... I'm in London SE24 and do have the option of King's College Hospital which has a smart new maternity wing complete with pool but I think if someone's in it when you get there, you can't have it. Also had my dd there (admittedly in the old wing) and would rather do it at home.
Anyway, I've had a look now at a couple of websites. The cheapest I can find is the inflatible one at splashdown (£195) - anyone found any different? Do you think they would check the floors if I hired it? I'll have to call! They say it weighs the same as 8 people - we have had several parties in the house and have had A LOT more than 8 people per room. Though someone told me about a couple who lived in a conversion like ours and their pool went through the floor. Don't think our Mrs Downstairs would be too pleased.

OP posts:

SueW · 11/05/2003 18:41

Have you looked at Homebirth UK? Angela Horns, who runs it, lives in SE London and I believe she has had all her children in water at home.

There is a page on the website devoted entirely to Waterbirth at Home, and covering various questions inc the strength of floor question you mention and reviews of some pools.

The Gentlewater one seems to be popular among my friends at the mo - the extra padding is well worth it, apparently.

motherinferior · 11/05/2003 19:27

sounds like you and me are in much the same boat, cha (I had dd at Kings too). If I hire the inflatable, do you want to come round and have a look? I'm in SE6. Due mid-July, so should crack on with ordering soonish.

We don't have the floor problem; just my pain threshold to negotiate...

Wills · 11/05/2003 19:40

Cha - brilliant thread as I'm just starting to ponder such thoughts myself.

I'm getting to like the idea of home birth more and more and although the idea first time round of a water birth was not appealing with this pregnancy I long for my evening bath and figure that given the relief its giving me now that during labour it would only be better.

Beetroot - would love to talk more as I'm just outside North London

badjelly · 12/05/2003 13:03

Not quite the same but I spent ages in a gorgeously warm bath whilst I was in labour and it did seem to speed things up - it took 5 hours to get to 3cm then I got in the bath and 2 hours later I had got to 7cms, as soon as I got out (which I really didn't want to) it all slowed down again.
I originally wanted a water birth but you weren't allowed to have one in the local hospital where I started off in because no-one was qualified to do it and in the hospital I finished up in the suite was shut due to lack of use (I ended up having an emergency section anyway so that's by the by).

Original poster

Cha · 12/05/2003 15:40

Motherinferior - have you checked out the link posted by SueW? the gentlewater one looks good but don't know whether we'd be able to hire one round here. Or how much it costs.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cha · 12/05/2003 16:10

Just looked at the site for gentlewater and it costs £300+ and delivery on top if you can't get to Sussex to pick it up (and drop it off). Looks good though.

OP posts:

motherinferior · 12/05/2003 16:16

Think it's the inflatable, then. Wanna come round and have a trial peek in Catford? I can check out what my pilates mate's views are too, although she's gone slightly more expensive.

It damn well better justify itself, is all I can say!

SueW · 12/05/2003 20:55

If you want to hear a really positive water birth story - my friend has just had a home water birth today. Her son was born in the pool after 6 hours of labour.

She hasn't sent the full story yet but it is particularly remarkable because this is her fourth child and the previous three were born by caesarean section

pupuce · 12/05/2003 21:19

Excellent post SueW

SueW · 12/05/2003 22:33

It's fab news isn't it pupuce? I am so thrilled for her. She has had an overwhelming response from the NCT Coffee list in general and from those of us who know her personally. Everyone is totally rapt for her.

pupuce · 12/05/2003 22:53

Do you know why she had sections before?
Did she have an IM????
Curious to hear a biot more about the background.
She deserves champagne what ever the story!

SueW · 12/05/2003 23:32

I'm not sure exactly why she had previous sections - I believe one was due to pre-eclampsia.

Yes, she had an independent midwife - a rather well-known one at that.

motherinferior · 14/05/2003 16:16

I've just checked with ABC: the cheapest pool is £107, and that covers a week, and THEN it's £5.95 per day. Thing is, if you kept it for say 3 weeks you'd still be under £200...but not if you were much later!

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