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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

No Birthing pool in hospital but would really like to use one...

14 replies

dizzytrout · 05/10/2009 20:16

I'm 37+5 with 1st and have been suffering with SPD which is slowly getting worse. I have found it is relieved when I am in warm water, as are lots of other pregnancy pains.
It hadn't really crossed my mind before but I'd really like a water birth if I can as I think it would really benefit me, only problem is that the hospital I'm booked in with doesn't have one.
Does anyone know if it's been heard of where you can hire them and take them to hospital or is it just my imagination?!
I don't think I'd be allowed to have a home birth due to some previous complications.

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EldonAve · 06/10/2009 09:46

I don't think they will let you hire one and take it to hosp sorry

HeadInAWhirl · 06/10/2009 10:01

It has to be worth asking the midwife - the worst she can do is say no. Would you have a hb if it wasn't for previous complications?

truthisinthewine · 06/10/2009 10:04

whereabouts is the maternity unit at your hospital? if it is not on the ground floor then they may have to say no as the weight of the pool with water in will be too much if they have nowhere to put it without the floor being reinforced. Also issues with how to fill and empty it.

4madboys · 06/10/2009 10:07

you can hire them and use them in my hospital in norwich, i think you have to get it checked out by the electrical safety peeps, the pump bit anyway. and you and your dp will have to set it up and empty it by yourselves, which may be a pita, but you can do it

rubyslippers · 06/10/2009 10:09

that's not true !! people have birthing pools upstairs in their homes and odn't need reinforcing ,i'm sure a hospital would be sturdy enough to take a birth pool

i had this very query with a client, had to go to a risk assesment, but was cleared as ok to do. but in the end the client decided agaisnt it, but you need to ask sooner rather than later as you could go at any time

what about homebirth instead?

even if there is no birth pool, you could labour in the bath at hospital?

VirginiaLoveGlove · 06/10/2009 10:14

home water birth. i had spd too. hwb was bliss. i also had hydrotherapy for the spd also blissful and confirmed that a hwb was the way to go.

order the waterbirth book by Janet Balaskas.

VirginiaLoveGlove · 06/10/2009 10:15

what sort of complications, OP? just read your post to the end.

CarmenSanDiego · 06/10/2009 10:17

Take a look at homebirth.org.uk - they have a great page on 'You're not allowed a home birth because...' and then it discusses all the reasons you might not be 'allowed' one.

I love water birth. I had a home water birth after caesarean and it was fabulous.

Original poster

dizzytrout · 06/10/2009 10:35

Thank you for your replies everyone...I will look up the book and website.
I'm seeing the community midwife tomorrow so I'll ask her about it too, I thought I'd heard somewhere you can in some places. They had mentoioned at my booking in appointment that they were trying to get one by October, but I don't think they have yet.
I have been monitored for the past couple of months due to possible pre-eclampsia developing (My B.P. has been up and down and had really bad swelling, been in hosp twice, but sent home as it stabalised)

OP posts:

4madboys · 06/10/2009 10:44

when you got your pregnancy pack at the beginning of your pregnancy, there should have been a boolet in it about maternity services in your area (there was in mine) and it said in that about being able to use your own birthing pool at the hospital tho my hospital has a pool anyway, i was able to use it for ds4

i also had spd and i agree a waterbirth is fabulous

hope your blood pressure stays ok and all goes well for the next few weeks and for the birth xxx

BertieBotts · 06/10/2009 10:51

They are not generally recommended upstairs in homes if the floor is not reinforced. I don't know if the floors in hospitals would be stronger or not - but TBH I think on one of the websites for the birthing pools it says it weighs about as much as 11 adults standing very close together - at the end of my birth I had about 6 medical staff, my mum, my DP, and of course me and a huge hospital bed all in one place in the room (our maternity unit is on the 2nd floor) so it ought to be ok.

Original poster

dizzytrout · 06/10/2009 10:55

Thankyou I didn't get one in my pack unfortunately, it's a bit strange here as I live between 2 hospitals but slightly nearer to the one I'm booked in at. The community midwives who deal with me from my doctors surgery work mostly for the other hospital (neither have a pool though, I checked online)
I thought it would be a more pleasant experience, I'm really scared now it's getting nearer, it's my first so I don't know what to expect!!
xx

OP posts:

Original poster

dizzytrout · 06/10/2009 10:56

Thanks Bertie, I'm going to ask my midwife to find out for me if she can, I'd really like to have one if I can

OP posts:

VirginiaLoveGlove · 06/10/2009 11:09

on the homebirth yahoo group there has been a loy of info about pools in upstairs flats/rooms. the summary of it is that no one has not had a home birth based on this concern.

if you are worried about it, the most practical thing is to locate the pool nearest to load bearing walls - external walls or inner walls where the joists are. when i mentioned this to dh who is a civil engineer, he basically rolled his eyes. in his opinion this 'problem' is raised by people who don't know enough about civil engineering and are just jumpy at the prospect of a home birth anyway.

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