# Bath tub vs birth pool?



## katerdid

So my home birth is a go :yipee: So freaking excited y'all!!! Didn't take nearly as long as I thought to convince the hubs.... 

Anywho, I was thinking, can't I just use my bath tub instead of a birth pool? Granted it's not as big as a pool, but it's hella lot cheaper and easier to set up :haha:
My bathroom is HUGE - quite big enough for 2 attending midwives, a giant husband, and a laboring me. 
My house is old as dirt and I'm not sure that the floors can handle a full pool. 

What do you think? I read this blog post and she seemed quite happy to use her bathtub.


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## xsadiex

I wouldn't find the bath tub relieving as the water wouldn't go up high enough to help with the pain and being on your back is not comfy in labour! With a pool you can get in lots of different positions and the water comes up high enough on your back and bump. I guess it depends what your bath is like, if its like a jacuzzi it would be great! X


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## imthatgirl

I agree with what xsadiex said. A standard bath tub isn't going to give you the room to move around a lot, spread your legs, flip to your hands and knees, etc. It's typically a lot more shallow as well, and it's having the water cover your back and belly that gives the relief.


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## lynnikins

our tub is deep enough but nowhere near wide enough for me to use it in labour, going to use my BPIAB that i didnt get to use last time thank goodness for a big house


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## Guppy051708

it depends on your bath tub size. ...like if i had a hot tub. hell yes i would use that over a birth pool :laugh2: or even if i had one of those tubs that are decently wide and able to be pretty deep. (the water NEEDS to be able to cover your bump entirely to get a good effect from it). If you dont have either of those, DEF get a birth pool. I cannot imagine giving birth in my tub. Its too small as it is (when im not pregnant). I would never have gotten relief or the support i needed in that thing. standard tubs are far too small to birth in IMO (though ive seen it done, but typically those wernt planned lol) and even if you have a tub thats slightly bigger than a standard, there still not much room to move around, change positions, etc. and the nice thing about a pool is that your support people can surround the pool from all angles, which is very handy when you find chaning positions often and wanting rubs or counter pressure is necessary.

If there was anything that got me through all of my births, it was the water. I am a frugal person, but i would never skip getting what i needed for ultimate pain relief on account of that. I really cant imagine giving birth without the room and the hydroptherapy covering my bump. It is well worth the investment IMO.


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## Impet Limpet

Also sometimes midwives would like a access from any angle they need to. I spent lots of my labour on my front hanging over the side facing DH with legs floating out behind me and MW at the foot end. As big as my bath is they wouldn't have been able to look at the business end properly!
Also the bounciness and the handles inside the pool made it so much more comfortable - you could be spending a loooooong time in there!


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## sue_88

I trialled my bath as a birth pool before I bought my pool in a box.

I did different positions etc and it was CRAP! No where near enough to be comfortable even being about 25wks pregnant.....so I knew that would not do for me.

Got the pool, blew it up and fell in love!


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## Kiwi_Jen

I had my first med-free with just a bathtub, it had jets but I didn't use them (it was standard bathtub size). I stayed in through transition, getting out when it came time to push. I also just lay on my back in the tub, and didn't want to move. My husband poured water over my bump for a bit, but that just annoyed me.

I haven't decided what to do this time around, I don't really want the hassle of a birth pool if I don't need one . . .


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## Lilllian

I would go for a hire in pool birth as you need the room to move around and if you want to be on your knees, it's cushioned and they also have a seat in them. I love my baths and have a large one, but I don't think it would have been comfy- also, it's harder for midwife to see what's going on if they can't walk around it.

I nearly didn't get a pool at all as thought it was a hassle but it was VERY easy to put up and take down- my husband couldn't get over the simplicity of it all!


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