what do i need to think about??

[ladyjayne]

Hi ladies,

My midwife mentioned to me at one of my appts that i am a perfect candidate for a home birth. I know from my having my 1st that I want a water birth and she said this would be fine at home. We live about 10mins from the hospital and I kinda like the idea.... shes so pro homebirth that it rubs off on me. But when i come home im not sure what things i need to think about. and my biggest worry is the pool? I only have carpet in my house and what if the water spills, and how do they empty the pool after?
I've done some reading but its all more about peoples experiences and labour questions not the actual practicalites of doing it at home.
Can anyone help me?

 

[urbanbumpkin]

The birth pools you can buy or hire usually have anti-flood sides. They are double skinned, so if the inside gets a puncture, the water flows into the wall, rather than out.

The most popular ones seem to be La Bassine and Birth Pool in a Box.

I have got a La Bassine and bought the kit which comes with an air pump to fill the pool, a 15m hose, a tarpaulin to put under it to catch splashes as you get in and out (I'm going to surround it with old towels too, I've scavenged them family), a pool liner (means you don't have to clean and dry the pool, just mostly empty and then dispose of the liner), a heat retaining cover, digital thermometer, water pump to empty the water, and a 'debris net'.

I think BPIAB do a similar kit. You can buy either without all the accessories but they seem like a good deal. There are often second hand (sometimes unused) ones on eBay, which you would just buy a new liner for.

It will be worth asking your midwife for tips and ideas if she does homebirths. Mine acts as a kind of unofficial broker for pools, putting Mums in touch with one another when they want to sell on their pools.

Most midwives provide all the rest of the stuff themselves, like absorbent mats, etc. Some ask you to provide a mirror. It varies from place to place, so it is probably worth checking with her.

www.homebirth.org.uk has a 'planning' section which has some practical tips.

Hope that helps!

 

[madasa]

I just put down some newspaper and old towels underneath the pool in case of spillage (it also protected it from possible punctures)

You might want to check what pain meds you can have (if you want any).

Have a think about who you want with you. Probably your OH to be WITH you and give you support and comfort, right? IMO, it's handy to have an extra pair of hands to be honest. Someone who can set up the pool, fill it, keep it, umm, clean, keep an eye on the temperature and adjust if needed. Someone who can let in the midwives, make sure there's food and drink for everyone if needed (I mean, like, tea and biscuits, not a three course meal or anything). Someone who can attend to the "little things" you might prefer, your music, or aromatherapy, the general atmosphere, that kind of thing. Someone who knows where everything is and can fetch and carry for you. Someone who will clean out the pool after. You know? This leaves your OH free to just be there for you and spend time with you and your baby when they are born.

 

[ladyjayne]

Thanks ladies,

Shes really pro homebirth and said she'll talk me through it all when I see her next but I'm still not sure on it incase its messy lol. Thanks for your advice though its given me a lot to think about and im deffinately going to go in armed with a list of questions for her. Thanks again. xx

 

[urbanbumpkin]

Everyone I know who has had a homebirth has said that they wouldn't even have know that it had happened there after the midwives have gone. They seem to have magical clean up powers!