Home water birth advice please :)

[Hoping4Four]

Hello all :wave:

I'm 30 weeks pregnant with number 4 and hoping for a home water birth. I had one planned with my third baby but my waters broke and labour didn't start within 24 hours, so I was told to come into hospital for induction

It was a very panicky, fast labour once things got going. I was 3-4cm and the midwife didn't believe I was progressing (despite me saying otherwise) and she sent my husband home. Very soon after she realised I "wasn't coping" so took me to the delivery suite and called my husband back, and I was then left on my own until he got back half an hour later. I felt panicked, out of control and in unbearable pain. A midwife finally came to check on me just minutes before I felt the urge to push, and with only 3 pushes my son was born. Active labour was 1 hour 50 minutes in total.

This time I want things to be very different! I going to try hypnobirthing.. A friend of the family is a hypnotherapist and she has offered to record a personalised CD for me which is amazing.

Despite me preparing for a home birth last time, I still have some questions this time round and wondered if anyone could help.

1. How long did your pool take to fill? Mine is a regular sized 'La Bassine' by Made In Water. Since my last birth was quick, I'm planning on keeping my pool inflated from 38 weeks and at 39 weeks onwards I'm going to partially fill it and keep a heat-retaining cover over it (my last two babies were born at 39+5 and 39+4 so I'm thinking that's likely to be the week I have this one). My plan is to empty the water if nothing happens and refill again each day.. I don't want nasty bacteria forming in the water.

2. Is there anything you'd particularly recommend getting for the birth apart from the usual stuff like towels, plastic sheets, emergency hospital bag etc.?

Sorry for making such a long post.. I just so badly want this to be the perfect birth I've dreamed of for a very long time. I'm all too aware that things don't always go to plan, but I want to be as prepared as possible.. Fingers crossed I can do this!

Thanks in advance

 

[Hoping4Four]

Anyone?

 

[Live42day]

I honestly can't tell how long the pool take to fill, I would "guess" about an hour tops, I was upstairs going through my contractions but can hear when they were down stairs filling it up...also they had to boil water on the stove since I didn't have the water heater thingy...so I would say it all took about and hour to prepare the water.

This is the kit I think I had bought for my natural home birth: https://www.inhishands.com/basic-birth-kit/
their price is not too bad at all...they have the basic kit, deluxe kit etc

You should ask your midwife what items she might be bringing before buying the kit, so that you can do a customize kit if you want to, they offer that option to.
Hope this helps

 

[Tjkitty]

My pool took 45 min to inflate/fill. As soon as I knew I was in labour we 3/4 filled it and then just added hot to make it up to temperature just before I got in. I would recommend a toweling robe. Useful for when u get out and they check you over, baby will be on your chest under the robe. It was the best decision I made!

 

[Hoping4Four]

Thanks for your replies, ladies! It's good to know I'll probably be able to fill the pool up in time.

I'll definitely look into getting a robe to wrap me and baby up in afterwards. That sounds lovely!

 

[Mamabean1]

I had a home water birth for my fourth baby, and it was just so wonderful. I also have very fast labours. I'll say that at 6pm, I was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner as DH got home from work, everything was normal. By 6:20 I was in labour with strong and regular contractions, and my baby was born at 7:23. So just over an hour. We had the pool inflated for a couple of weeks, and did not attempt to fill it at all. As soon as I told DH I was in labour, he began filling the pool with as much hot water as our water heater had, and boiled some more on the stove. I got in and it wasn't as filled up as it could have been but it was just enough for me to birth in. I was holding back pushes because my midwife wasn't there yet. My baby was crowning as she came in the door, and without making any effort to push, she was born into the water. It was amazing!! We had lots of towels ready and someone threw some of them in the dryer for 10 minutes to get them nice and warm while we relaxed in the pool, and then baby and I got out, dried off, and got into bed which was right next to the pool.

It was the most incredible birth I've had so far, and I'm planning another one this April I had planned one for my third baby, and it was fast as well (an hour and a half) and the pool was right there, and ready, and only 4 or 5 feet from the foot of our bed, but I was in so much pain and it was so intense that I said don't touch me when my hubby tried to coax me into the pool! I had to use the bathroom and then my midwife wanted to see how things were progressing, so I got up onto the bed and out he came! Never made it to the pool, lol! But it was amazing as well. There is nothing like birthing at home.

Good luck to you! I hope you get the birth you've been dreaming of!

P.S. Put a tarp or some chux pads (disposable waterproof underpadding) down between your pool and your bed, and some towels over top of those, and then also, make your bed with a normal sheet, then put some chux pads all under where you would be laying, and put an older sheet over top. That way, when you get out of the pool and get into bed, if there's any mess made, someone can just rip off the old top sheet and the chux pads and voila, you have a clean bed already, nice and fast. I had bought a shower liner to put under the old sheet, but it didn't appeal to me at all to have a crinkly, uncomfortable shower liner underneath me - the disposable underpads are way less crinkly and crisp!

Hello all :wave:

I'm 30 weeks pregnant with number 4 and hoping for a home water birth. I had one planned with my third baby but my waters broke and labour didn't start within 24 hours, so I was told to come into hospital for induction

It was a very panicky, fast labour once things got going. I was 3-4cm and the midwife didn't believe I was progressing (despite me saying otherwise) and she sent my husband home. Very soon after she realised I "wasn't coping" so took me to the delivery suite and called my husband back, and I was then left on my own until he got back half an hour later. I felt panicked, out of control and in unbearable pain. A midwife finally came to check on me just minutes before I felt the urge to push, and with only 3 pushes my son was born. Active labour was 1 hour 50 minutes in total.

This time I want things to be very different! I going to try hypnobirthing.. A friend of the family is a hypnotherapist and she has offered to record a personalised CD for me which is amazing.

Despite me preparing for a home birth last time, I still have some questions this time round and wondered if anyone could help.

1. How long did your pool take to fill? Mine is a regular sized 'La Bassine' by Made In Water. Since my last birth was quick, I'm planning on keeping my pool inflated from 38 weeks and at 39 weeks onwards I'm going to partially fill it and keep a heat-retaining cover over it (my last two babies were born at 39+5 and 39+4 so I'm thinking that's likely to be the week I have this one). My plan is to empty the water if nothing happens and refill again each day.. I don't want nasty bacteria forming in the water.

2. Is there anything you'd particularly recommend getting for the birth apart from the usual stuff like towels, plastic sheets, emergency hospital bag etc.?

Sorry for making such a long post.. I just so badly want this to be the perfect birth I've dreamed of for a very long time. I'm all too aware that things don't always go to plan, but I want to be as prepared as possible.. Fingers crossed I can do this!

Thanks in advance

 

[Hoping4Four]

Thank you so much for your reply!! Sounds like you had an amazing birth with your fourth.. I hope mine can be the same.

Your suggestions are all great, thank you! Putting some towels in the dryer to warm them up is a fab idea, I'll definitely be doing that. It's really useful to hear other people's experiences and tips

Congratulations on baby number 5, how exciting!! I hope you're able to have another amazing birth

 

[JenStar1976]

You really should test to see how long it will take. Depending on what system you have will depend on what kind of pressure you can get. We have a combinarion boiler where we can set the temperature. It took 45mins to fill our one person birth-pool-in-a-box. x

 

[Hoping4Four]

Thank you!! Yes we will definitely be testing it nearer the time. We also have a combi boiler so hopefully it will be similar. As long as it doesn't take over an hour I think we should be ok! Lol.

 

[willowblossom]

We have a combi boiler and my la bassine took about 45 mins to fill with no need for boiling the kettle either! Good luck I hope u get the birth you want! Xx

 

[RaspberryK]

Our pool took under an hour to fill and kept warm for hours, all day and only one top up. It helped that I had an old duvet on the floor underneath to insulate it.
I laboured on an old futon mattress before the pool and also when I was made to get out as we have stone floor which is not kind on the knees.
Ended up going into hospital in the end but hoping for a homebirth this time.
Xx

 

[Hoping4Four]

Thanks ladies!! I hope you get your home birth this time, Raspberry


Only 5 weeks until I inflate our birth pool and get everything ready to go! I've bought all our supplies, so far my list includes:

Birth pool kit (including liner and hose)
Cheap shower curtain to cover the carpet
5 or 6 large old towels (I've bought new ones to replace them!)
Waterproof thermometer
Large absorbent pads
Hot water bottle
Thick towelling robe
Birthing ball
Mixer tap adaptor for the hose
Hypnobirthing CD
Emergency hospital bag

Planning it all is so exciting!

 

[Mamabean1]

It is very exciting! I'm excited for you, and to get to that point in my pregnancy! Sounds like you have a good list.

Thanks ladies!! I hope you get your home birth this time, Raspberry


Only 5 weeks until I inflate our birth pool and get everything ready to go! I've bought all our supplies, so far my list includes:

Birth pool kit (including liner and hose)
Cheap shower curtain to cover the carpet
5 or 6 large old towels (I've bought new ones to replace them!)
Waterproof thermometer
Large absorbent pads
Hot water bottle
Thick towelling robe
Birthing ball
Mixer tap adaptor for the hose
Hypnobirthing CD
Emergency hospital bag

Planning it all is so exciting!

 

[RaspberryK]

Thanks ladies!! I hope you get your home birth this time, Raspberry


Only 5 weeks until I inflate our birth pool and get everything ready to go! I've bought all our supplies, so far my list includes:

Birth pool kit (including liner and hose)
Cheap shower curtain to cover the carpet
5 or 6 large old towels (I've bought new ones to replace them!)
Waterproof thermometer
Large absorbent pads
Hot water bottle
Thick towelling robe
Birthing ball
Mixer tap adaptor for the hose
Hypnobirthing CD
Emergency hospital bag

Planning it all is so exciting!

Thank you I hope so too, my midwife left and refused to return saying I wasn't in active labour.
I gave birth within half an hour of getting to hospital so I'm hoping this midwife will have more of a clue than the old one.
Dh will be under strict instructions to lock them in the house.
Xx

 

[lynnikins]

RasberryK well at least we won't probably be fighting for mw's to attend our homebirths on the same night being due at opposite ends of the month and my babies always arriving late anyway. really hope you do get your homebirth

 

[RaspberryK]

I think this one will be late, we will have moved probably by then... I'm currently seeing Tracey from the home birth team - love her, last time was Sally but she's left now. Xx