Waterbirth essentials?

2ndtimeAbz

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Hello Ladies!

I'm looking at hiring a birthpool for my 2nd homebirth and some companies have all inclusive packages and some you have to buy/hire extras seperately.

I was wondering if any experienced waterbirth mamas can give me some tips on what you found essential? I know everyone is differ but I'd love to hear your advice! :)
 
Water proof sheet to go under and around the pool. Loads of old towels. A sieve is handy. I guess thoughts are really the only essentials. I had candles and a play list, a dressing gown, glucose tablets and sports drinks xxx
 
I had a waterbirth at home in an inflatable pool but only got to spend 14 minutes in it before dd was born. The midwife provided the pool and liner etc. I did have a some spare towels around to drip onto when I got out. I was kneeling, with my head down on the edge of the pool. The smell of the plastic made me want to vomit during transition. A hand towel as a barrier between the pool and my face, solved that problem.
 
Shower curtains or other waterproof sheets for under the pool as mentioned, and to drape in the couch/bed/wherever if you get out. Lots of towels - having someone to heat towels to put around you post birth is lovely. Sieve or net for scooping, a bowl or other container for the placenta, pool liner (should come with any rental but check you aren't required to get it separately). You may wish to have a bikini or something to wear in the water, especially if you're having birth photography etc.

A rope or something to hang from the ceiling above the pool to pull on is helpful to some. Lots of big pots etc if you don't get a self heating one to reheat the water in if the birth is long.
 
We hired our kit from this place
https://www.waterbabybirthingpoolhire.co.uk/included.html#.VfAI4hHBzGc

It had absolutely everything we needed (except a torch and mirror, which I did buy at the time but now see they've got it included!) and it arrived in plenty of time. I asked around friends and family for old towels and sheets to put on the floor, just so that you don't slip on the plastic sheeting when you get out. We also went to B&Q to buy dust sheets to cover the sofas, which were very cheap. I put old bed sheets on top as well, so once DS was born I could lie on the sofa to feed. I stacked a load of old towels in the airing cupboard so they were nice and warm when we got out.

We really didn't need anything else. It would have been cheaper to hire from the MW, but that only got us the pool and liner, we'd have had to buy all the other bits separately, and we were worried we might buy the wrong thing or forget something. This saved us a lot of hassle and gave us peace of mind. It arrived a couple of weeks before my due date so we practised inflating and deflating, made sure the pool fitted in the space, etc.

Good luck!
 
In terms of what you need for the actual pool itself, you'll need a liner, a hose and tap adapter, and then some way to get the water back out after the birth, some people use buckets, but I'd recommend a submersible pump. I would get the liner and submersible pump from the company you hire the pool from, unless you know you can get the same pump for less than the hire cost elsewhere. You want to make sure whatever you have fits your pool and works well with it and I think the company is probably the best place to at least get this information, even if you don't buy from them (but to save yourself the hassle, if the cost isn't much different, I'd probably buy direct from them). We just used our regular garden hose to fill up the pool (ideally clean and soak in sterilising solution in advance), though some pool companies do sell food grade hoses for you to you. I didn't personally feel like I needed one of those. The tap adapter will need to be specific to your tap, so I'd take some pictures to your local hardware store and ask them to recommend something.

That's really what you need for the pool itself. You'll also want some waterproof floor coverings (some shower curtains or a few plastic tarps) to cover your floor, around the pool, but also extra for after the birth when you get out and if you decide you don't want to birth in the pool. I actually only stayed in the pool for 20 minutes before I got out because I didn't like it. Unfortunately, all my floor coverings went under and around the pool and no one could get them out because of the weight of the pool. Having extra would have been a good idea. Then just all the usual things you'd have for a home birth, towels, snacks, drinks, music, candles, whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. But you really only need the very basics from your pool hire company, which they should be able to supply, but you don't need a fancy package, if that's what they are offering.
 

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