Home Birth - to pool or not to pool?

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As the title suggests, if you've had a home birth did you have a pool or not?

For my first planned home birth I did, I remember really enjoying it for pain relief but baby was born in hospital in the end because things were taking soooo long and I was exhausted.

I'm wondering now if the pool might have slowed things down, alongside being a big unfamiliar thing in my (tiny) house!

Also it's a cost I could avoid, and I could get similar relief in a warm bath? but I can't really imagine where baby would be born at home except in a pool? If you had yours on dry land at home where did you have it? Sorry if that's a really stupid question just looking to hear different experiences to help make my mind up.

thank you!

We had a pool but didn't get it filled on time, I just gave birth leaning over the sofa stool with decorator's plastic sheeting laid down. Was fine but would have preferred a water birth, had a water birth with my first (in hospital that time) and much preferred birthing in water. A pool can slow you down if you get in too soon, although I suspect that'll be less of an issue second time around which should be quicker.

I had a pool and I am planning to do so again any day now - I think you need all the pain relief options you can get if you're at home!

I don't think you need to worry about labour slowing for a second baby!

My first labour was very fast so I'm prepared to labour on dry land too, I have a stack of towels at the end of the bed, some inco pads, a tens machine and hot water bottle.

I laboured in the bath before midwives arrived, can't say it particularly helped with the pain anymore than being mobile did. Once midwives arrived I laboured in the living room, and ended up giving birth on the landing (very nearly on the loo!). I had a pool for my first baby but didn't get to use it, and due to moving house I just could not be bothered organising hiring/buying something that may not have been used.

Just use the bath. Loads of people have been born in the bath at home, they've also been born on the sofa, on the floor, in the kitchen, on the bed.
My nephew was born on the toilet and my friend gave birth on the kitchen floor.
I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference.

Both of mine were born at home in a pool. I loved it. It gave me an immense amount of pain relief and felt like 'my space'. I liked being able to hang over the side and gave birth both times in that position. We lived in an absolutely titchy flat at the time.

Definitely didn't slow things down for me (both pretty quick births)

@strongcupofTea well it's worth mentioning that a bath can be dangerous to give birth in if it's not an especially deep one, it's vitally important in a water birth that the bump stays full submerged, depending on how active mum is shallow water can be risky.

@strongcupofTea well it's worth mentioning that a bath can be dangerous to give birth in if it's not an especially deep one, it's vitally important in a water birth that the bump stays full submerged, depending on how active mum is shallow water can be risky.

I didn’t have a pool and my baby was born on the bedroom floor. I used a gym ball a lot lean on while labouring

I wouldn't bother with the extra expense or hassle. I got in a BEAUTIFUL pool at our midwife led unit but had to get out as the water immediately made me feel sick. It's very unlike me as I love swimming, etc.. I wished I hadn't wasted the water!

Baby needs to be fully submerged and pulled out of the water slowly and gently. There's no requirements for the bump to be fully submerged although they'd be little point having a shallow bath as it would offer no pain relief. So I'd imagine the bump would be fully submerged anyway.

@strongcupofTea well by bump I obviously meant in terms of keeping baby submerged, I'm not implying air would be going through the belly button...! It's been a while since I did mine so maybe the advice has changed, but there was a lot of advice out there about avoiding birthing in a bath and my home birth team were very resistant otherwise I wouldn't have gone to the expense and hassle of a water pool! You also wouldn't get the benefit of movement and repositioning you get in pool, you're stuck to one position really.

I had a birth pool, it was a definite for me. I’ve had 3 water births (including the home birth) and 1 ‘dry land’ birth.

I preferred all of my water births tbh!

God I wouldn't want to do a homebirth without the pool, it was such a comforting, calm space to be in. It was also the only pain relief I had (I do NOT count the two bloody paracetamol I was allowed to take) after the midwives cocked up the gas and air cannister so I couldn't have any.

However, a friend did have a h/b without a pool as she didn't want a water birth. She had her baby stood in the kitchen, leaning over the island. Just had a waterproof sheet and a lot of towels down!

Definitely pool. I had a pool for my first birth but annoying community midwives refused to let me stay in it for third stage. Result : a tear that needed stitches. Second and third births stayed in and no tearing at all. I loved being in eater as it meant I could move around easily.

My first labour was over 70 hours. Active labour was about 9 hours and I think the pool slowed it down but I loved it and couldn't bring myself to get out.

I had a home birth for my second and hired a pool. The whole labour start to finish was 3 hours and we didn't have time to fill the pool. Baby was born on my brand new cream sofa which miraculously (thanks for the wonderful midwives) didn't have 1 speck on it!

I'm another pool lover. Second was born in one in our tiny house, I was in there splashing about like an angry hippo for hours and loved it, especially as it was snowing at the time.

I had a pool for mine, but my mum had my sister just in her bed I think. With lots of sheets and towels.