Wud love 2 use pool for pain relief........

[shellmc]

Im 39 weeks pregnant with my first baby, and iright tru my pregnancy iv been liking the idea ov using the birthig pool for pain relief along side gas and air.

My questions are:

How far into labour should i go into hosp to get the benifit of the pool (if available)??

Do i need to inform the hospital im hoping to use it??

Do i need to do anything to see if i can get the chance to use it or will it just be that labour will start ill ring up theyl tell me to stay at home as long as i can. Just worried that by then wen i am ready to go in and contractions are close and regular i wont get chance to use the pool.

Thanks xxxx

I was told I couldn't get in the pool until I was 5cm dilated as I think before then it can slow contractions.

I would tell the hospital when you ring that you would like to use the birthing pool if possible. I think it all depends on whether it is free at the time.

When I phoned to say I was coming in I forgot to ask about the pool but I had put it in my birth plan and the midwife said it was free. It was lovely but I was dragged out eventually as it was sending me to sleep!

Thanks ebb,

I didnt realise you cud only go in once 5 cms, but i guess we dont want it slowing things down if used b4 hand!!

Did u find it helped with the contractions??

CRAZY question but wot did ya wear??

I just wore a bikini top. I didn't want by boobs hanging out for some reason!

For me the water was really relaxing and I found it helped more than g&a. I was really disappointed that g&a didn't turn me into some giggling loon! I would love to have given birth in the water but I pushed for 4hrs and the doors just wouldn't open! Needed an episiotomy and one push and he was out.

I will definately opt for the pool again if/when I have no2.

I wanted a water birth all through my pregnancy because like you I really enjoyed being in the water, I had a bath twice a day and went to Aquanatal classes once sometimes twice a week.
I waited until my contractions were 3 minutes apart before calling the hospital and explaining that I really wanted the birthing pool, they said that they couldn't hold the room for me but it was available and so I had to wait and see when I got there! When I arrived they put me straight in the birthing pool room then told me I was only 3cm dilated so I had to go and wait on the ward until I was at least 4/5cm before I could get into the pool because as Ebb said it can slow down contractions if used too early.

Anyway I eventually (after a grueling 13 hours with no pain relief whatsoever) got my wish to go into the pool, and I would sooooo recommend it, it was fantastic, much warmer than I thought it would be just like a giant bath really that you could thrash about in chewing on your gas and air tube lol! That combined with the gass and air gave a great feeling of being 'away with the faries' and nice and relaxed, lol! Sadly I was kicked out onto the bed to give birth as the baby was being lazy and expecting mummy to do all the work and wasn't quite ready to come out!

The only thing I can say is make sure your partner knows how much you want it so he can fight your corner for you whilst in the throws of labour, you won't be in the mood to pleed or argue! Try as hard as you can to go without pain relief because everything apart from gas and air and paracetemol is a contra-indication, but be prepared as many who want the birthing pool dont actually fit the bill for medical reasons or just the fact that it hurts too much and they need pain relief and so can't use it.

To the above question about attire, I was just a nudey floating in my own little world, was fab!