Birthing Tub Question

[OrthoChick]

Hi!
I am shooting for a home water birth in Feb (1st baby). I have a silly question that I'm hoping someone who has done this can answer: with labor lasting hours, how do you keep the water temp consistently comfy? Do you just have to keep bailing hot water to the birthing pool as it cools off? Thanks!!

 

[MindUtopia]

You can get heated pools (they don't heat the water, you have to put it in at body temp but then the heater keeps it from cooling off) and some also come with a lid which keeps the water warm before you get in. Otherwise, yes, you just have to keep re-filling it (with a hose and something that connects to your closest faucet) and dumping out cold water (with a bucket).

You're in Oakland though (I used to live in SF before I moved over to the UK! I miss it there), so you may find you don't have as much trouble as someone who lives somewhere really cold. I had my daughter in February, it was really cold outside and we live in a really old drafty stone cottage with a crappy boiler that didn't make enough hot water to fill the pool. We were boiling water in a kettle and topping it up at the end! But if you can invest in a heated pool, do it. We're definitely getting one next time because it was a pain in the butt trying to regulate the heat.

 

[lynnikins]

as MindUtopia said its just a case of adding warm/hot water and removing cold water to keep it at a good temp but if you have a warm room ( which you should anyway if your birthing in it ) then you shouldnt have huge issues keeping it warm

 

[Sam Pearson]

We just used the kettle. Dh did the boiling and it was fine.

 

[gigglehush]

Good luck with your birth! I live across the bridge over in SF

 

[OrthoChick]

Good luck with your birth! I live across the bridge over in SF

Aww, thanks!! Not too many local ladies I see on here