Home/water birth dilemma, please help! :(

[fuffyburra]

Hi guys,

I'm asking the same question in the labour and birth section, really hope someone can help us!

We desperately want a home water birth, and have already booked (but not paid for) our pool and are due to go and collect and pay for it when I'm 37 weeks. Trouble is, we live in a block of flats so there's obviously not LOADS of water available, and sometimes even filling the bath is an issue. We have to turn the water on for quite a while to heat it up before we can even consider running a bath. Not ideal for filling a pool! Does anyone have any advice? I know we could heat water on the stove and in the kettle and stuff, and that would help a little, but that's a whole lotta water! Has anyone done this before and had enough water? Or would a heater of some kind be better? I don't know how fast the water goes cold or anything

If we can't do it, we're faced with two options: Birth at home with no water, or go to the hospital to use their pool. I'm so upset that we might not be able to have the birth we've dreamed of I don't want to have to give up the home part OR the water part. Any advice?

Thanks girls x x

 

[becstar]

Is it your first child? I think your labour is likely to be longer if it is so you should have time to fill it, albeit with kettles and pans etc as well as the hose! I did a test run of mine today and only the first few inches were hot water, then just tepid because it didn't need any more.

 

[feeble]

There was a similar thread a while back and someone reccomended a pool heater? X

 

[fuffyburra]

That's good to know becstar, thanks it is my first so I've told OH we'll have plenty of time to wait for more water to heat up, but it's hard to imagine how big it is until it's actually here iykwim? lol

Thanks feeble, I'll have a look back through the board x x

 

[Donch03]

There was a similar thread a while back and someone reccomended a pool heater? X

Hi ladies that was my thread a week or so ago. My hot water tank comes no where near filling my pool and takes hours to re heat....we have no immersion either so I was in this exact situation. In the end we bought a pool heater and as a test run filled the pool with cold water. The heater took 12 hours to bring the pool to the right temp....our plan is too either...1 fill the pool and have it heated and ready but half empty it every 24 hours to keep the water clean or 2 start filling when I go into labour with as much hot water as I have and use pans and kettles etc however this could take forever!! I would defo recommend the pool heater....I was going out of my mind with worry that I wouldn't get the home birth in water I am so desperate for!

Xx

 

[fuffyburra]

Thanks Donch03! What kind of pool and heater have you gone for? We've got a birth pool in a box, and OH is worried we'll melt the plastic or something with a heater Glad you're still going to get your dream birth Thanks again for replying x x

 

[feeble]

Could you appeal to the neighbours? Surely if you gave them the price of heating the water you could just buy some extra hoses and have 3/4 boilers going!

 

[Donch03]

Thanks Donch03! What kind of pool and heater have you gone for? We've got a birth pool in a box, and OH is worried we'll melt the plastic or something with a heater Glad you're still going to get your dream birth Thanks again for replying x x

Hi Hun we have the Birth pool in a box mini and bought an Intex pool heater for like 80 quid. The heater won't melt the pool as it works outside of the pool by heating water that's pumped into it from a filter. We have made short cuts though as we're not using a filter....bit complicated to explain but will if you want to know xx

 

[fuffyburra]

We only know one of our neighbours on this floor, but we could use hers if she doesn't mind!

Yes please Donch, if you don't mind explaining! x x

 

[Jayneypops]

Hi Hun,

Is there anywhere else you would be comfortable going?

Parents, family members, friends?? Obviously you wouldnt want them THERE with you but maybe someone who would 'lend' you there home???

 

[fuffyburra]

Nahhh not really Most of my friends still live with their parents lol, and my mum's got a pretty full house. It has to be here really, we'll find a way round it

 

[Donch03]

Hi Hun sorry for the long wait to reply!! Ok so the pool heater should really be used with a filter it takes water from the pool pumps it into the heater which in turn pumps it back to the pool....well we can't afford to buy a filter and only want the pool for this one reason lol! We have set it up so that the submersible pump that empties the pool feeds water into the heater. It's worked brilliantly and will do the job that's required.

I was in a right state when I realised my hot water tank just wasn't going to fill the pool and considered just cancelling the home birth and using the pool at the birth centre! The heater was a god send BUT we still have the minor dilemma of keeping the water clean....hence my other thread lol

Fingers crossed it works out for us both xx

 

[fuffyburra]

thankyou m'love!! We'll give that a go, OH has been searching for the pool heaters you suggested online and generally getting very excited at the prospect of a project! So I'm leaving it to him

We also considered using the hospital's pool, but it only made me feel really defeated I don't want to have to give up either the home part or the water part! Hopefully someone will reply to your other thread, but to be honest I can't see that it would be a problem? I really hope you can have your dream birth, let me know how it goes! x x

 

[Donch03]

Will do Hun and likewise will look forward to hearing about yours xx

 

[RoxyRoo]

I wanted a home water birth too.

I went into labour at 2am, my DH got the pool out and started filling it at about 5am. I ended up needing to push around the same time and my baby was born before the pool was even half full I ended up having her squatting on the living room floor!

So my advice is to start filling the pool as soon as you go into labour, just incase it's a fast one! I thought I'd have hours and hours so didn't rush to fill it, as on our trial run it only took 45 mins. Turns out even that wasn't quick enough!

Also, I know you have your heart set on a waterbirth, I did too. But when the time came, I really didn't care. I was just happy to have had my baby at home.

Good luck x

 

[fuffyburra]

Lol wowzers, I hope my labour is that quick! If it is, I won't care so much about the pool, I'll just be super chuffed and a little bit smug

 

[taluhla]

Am hoping to have a home nirth too, and have just ordered my pool! I've heard that the 'lids' or covers really keep the water warm very well.. and also somebody suggested somewhere that if there is no lid bubblewrap does a good job too .. If mine doesn't come with a lid I might be getting a long lengths of bubble wrap and also maybe a couple of those foil windscreen covers .. they should keep the heat in ..
Good luck!

 

[Donch03]

Fuffyburra....I had my baby on Saturday!! Ten days early but didn't get my HWB .... contractions started at 12.30am got the pool filled and heated and got in around 5.00am but had to transfer to hosp around 1.00 pm because baby was back to back and i was uncontrollably pushing at 6cm...at hosp i got to 9cm but baby remained back to back didn't descend became distressed and I ended up having an emerg section

Totally gutted I didn't get my magical birth but we're both ok and that's the main thing...can't wait to hear all about yours and wishing you all the best xxxxxx

 

[fuffyburra]

Awww congratulations Donch!!

Sorry to hear you didn't get your home water birth, but like you say you got your baby out safely - mission accomplished!

Thankyou so much for getting back to me and letting me know how it went and thanks for all the advice you've shared, OH is currently putting it all to good use and sorting out everything birth pool related lol

I'll let you know how the birth goes when I finally join mummyhood haha enjoy your beautiful little newborn ^_^ x x

 

[Donch03]

Thanks hun he is a doll! Am still on the FB group but haven't really posted much on there xx