home water birth question

[duchessofdulwich]

Ive got the birth pool pumped up which ill now store away. Im just wondering should we have a test run in filling it up?

[Polly D]

You should check your hose reaches it but they can be a pain to empty so I wouldn't fill it just yet.

From wat I remember, they keep the heat pretty well.

Good luck

[pebbles]

We test ran ours 4 weeks before I gave birth and so when we did our test I ended up spending the evening in it watching tv (it was in our sitting room) and I loved it so much that every night after that my husband would come in from work and i'd be sitting in my birthing pool watching tv - literally every night until i gave birth. My back was in such agony by then that this was pure unadulterated bliss :)

So in answer, yes always good to give it a trial so you know how long it'll take etc but also - make the most of having an enormous bath in your living room :)

Good luck with your birth

[wellington]

I would personally. My brother and sis-in-law found, while my sis-in-law was in labour, that the hose attachment didn't attach to the tap properly so she couldn't use the pool :(

[jojobaby]

My advice would be forget the pool and get to hospital in case there is an emergency in the birth. Have a look at the percent of births in uk that end up in emergency c section or intervention.

[mrs f]

Jojobaby. No one asked your opinion on home births, this is not a debate someone is asking for advice. You do not know this person and your point of view is irrelevant. Why even read this thread?

Duchessofdulwich, yes, I'd test the pool out for the reasons others have stated, good to know the hose etc work. My midwives & husband ended up taking buckets of water out & keeping the temp consistent as I was in mine a long while so good to have buckets etc prepared too. I actually left mine blown up so it just had to filled up on the day.

Good luck, my home birth was great, I wouldn't have had it any other way & am planning no 2 the same way, I was in the pool for hours as it was so good! I hope it all goes well for you

X

[Convex]

Well said ms f.

Yes do test it, for reasons above and also to check your hot water tank can manage it!

I had a relatively fast birth and we still got it up in time, just get your other half to start inflating it as soon as you think you are definitely in labour. One tip I was given was to fill the cold water first and then you only have to put the hot in once you are ready to get in.

My tip would be to have your kit ready and accessiblenieinplain view, eg your towels, buckets, dressing gown etc as you don't want anyone asking you where stuff is when you are concentrating.

[duchessofdulwich]

Thanks for your comments on this.

Jojobaby: any decision made regarding birthing options has been based on the advice provided by a qualified medical practitioner.

did people find it a bit oof aa nightmare to empty ? I have the black pump to empty it oout? Just thinking id wait till the other half is aat home to fill it up in case I get in a pickle. Also have a two year old in the house so a bit hesitant to leave it filled up?

[Convex]

Do you mean after the birthh.... If so you won't be emptying it! According to my husband it was really gross but doable. My midwives offered to do it but we had to go to the hospital for stitches and so it was all a bit of a rush.

If you mean before the birth I think treat like a swimming pool and don't leave filled up, I think a 2 year old could probably get into it if they were trying really hard.

[duchessofdulwich]

Ill probably just check all the connectors and tubing work and not fill it right up before bday.

[EmilyE]

That's what I did. (checked the hose attachments, that it reached etc, but didn't actually fill up) We had a pump thing that you submerged in the water and attached hose to empty it which my husband used and said was really straightforward - he watered the garden with it - I'm sure the flowers enjoyed the extra nutrients. I don't think they all have the same system, but sounds as though you might. (if you think you don't you're very welcome to borrow ours).

[mrs f]

I can't advise on draining it as that was defo hubbys duty, I think he used buckets due to the "debris" which would have clogged the hose, when there was only a little water left he dragged it into the garden to empty & clean (ready for no 2)

We did use the hose to drain when we tested it tho & it worked fine just took a while

[etta166]

I would try filling it up, and with warm water. We found out a few days before the birth of our first child that our hot water system couldn't produce enough water for the pool, so there was no water birth(s) for me :(

P.S. @jojobaby - statistically, home births are safer or as safe as a low risk hopsital birth. And in the UK you wouldn't be having a home birth unless you were low risk.