birthpool or no birthpool WWYD

[fromMontreal]

I'm 27 weeks pregnant with my first and planning a homebirth with a midwife.
I live in a city condo on two floors. The bedroom and bathroom are on the 2nd floor. The bathroom have a small standard bath and separate shower stall and the toilette is there. There's no room whatsoever to put a birthing tub upstairs. If I decide I want one, there would be space in the kitchen/dining room to set it up which would be nice for filling and emptying it by the patio door that is opening to a small yard. The thing is, do you think I'll want to be there ? I'm afraid the distance with the bathroom will bother me. Also, do you think I'll be feeling good about going up the stairs after the birth to go back to my bed ? On that point, I could spend some time on the couch till I'm feeling ok to go upstairs I would think.

Anyway, I would like to hear from you, especially if you've live a birth on 2 floors. Thanks in advance,

Anik

[earth-mama]

I had a homebirth and loved the birthpool that I had. If I had known at the beginning of my labour how much I would love it I would have gotten in it sooner. I highly recommend the pool.

As for the stairs, our house has a bathroom upstairs or downstairs from the main level. However, they are only 1/2 flight stairs--we have a tri-level house. While I was in labour I went up and down the stairs numerous times without much issue and after the birth I was able to get upstairs to our bedroom--about 1.5 hours afterwards. Then I stayed there for the rest of the day and night.

Partner to (7 years) Mother to Lily (8 months) 2 and 1

[abc123xyz]

I would say, "Better be prepared than have regrets!" Have anything and everything you could think you could want available and if you decide not to use it or to birth upstairs, at least you had the option. Maybe you will want to labor there but feel more comfy birthing in your room or vice versa! I know that labor in the tub for me was heaven but at the time of birth, those instincts kick in, and you end up wanting something sometimes totally different than you once decided upon! It depends on where you are comfy at that moment! I would think a couple hours after birth and bonding with your new family unit, you would be able to climb those stairs and settle in your bed! I don't think that would be a problem! You might need some assistance, you might not! But I say just prepare for anything and at least you have it if you want it! You don't want to look back and say, ""Gosh, I wish I had..."

[phatchristy]

You know, I'm one of those who will say you just don't know what you're going to feel like until you're in labor. All four of my babes were born with me in different positions. I had one baby born in the water, however, I did not care to labor in the water as I instibtively wanted to rock and lean on the wall. I seem to be more of a land birther LOL. In fact, the last one was so quick I wouldn't have had a choice either way.

[phatchristy]

...so, what I would suggest is having anything that you think you could possibly want available.

[XanaduMama]

I had a waterbirth downstairs in a duplex where the only bathroom was upstairs. It was fine. I used a bucket thing to pee in during labor, and afterward felt fantastic and climbed the stairs to run myself a bath etc. I really felt great, so climbing stairs was no problem.

In case you don't, could you put a futon or something downstairs?

[beebalmmama]

I have somewhat of the same issue, except I do have room to put it upstairs. But I was also thinking how it would be nice to have it in the kitchen, near the faucet and back patio. But all bathrooms upstairs. The bucket idea for peeing is a good one though (thanks Xanadu Mama). Even if I had to have the pool downstairs I would still choose to have it. You could probably handle the stairs after a couple of hours. I was more concerned with the bathroom thing.

[wbg]

Originally Posted by jkseawell

I would say, "Better be prepared than have regrets!" Have anything and everything you could think you could want available and if you decide not to use it or to birth upstairs, at least you had the option. Maybe you will want to labor there but feel more comfy birthing in your room or vice versa! I know that labor in the tub for me was heaven but at the time of birth, those instincts kick in, and you end up wanting something sometimes totally different than you once decided upon! It depends on where you are comfy at that moment! I would think a couple hours after birth and bonding with your new family unit, you would be able to climb those stairs and settle in your bed! I don't think that would be a problem! You might need some assistance, you might not! But I say just prepare for anything and at least you have it if you want it! You don't want to look back and say, ""Gosh, I wish I had..."

[fromMontreal]

Thanks everybody for you answers, it help a lot to visualize how it could work.

There's the couch in the living room and a small bed in the office downstairs so I'm pretty confident about being able to rest if I need to after the birth.

I think I'll buy the «better safe than sorry» idea.

[Chamsia]

not necessarily necessary

fwiw, folks birth successfully all the time without pools. Not that I want to deny you a resource or a comfort by any means! But...

As we planned our homebirth I found that the whole tub idea was stressing me out. It would be a big thing in our small house, we'd have to hook it up, fill it up, clean it out and clear it out later. I already had too much going on. So we skipped it, and all was fine, despite back labor and 4 hours of pushing.

I made this choice with the awareness that I have high pain tolerance. I realized that the very idea of the tub was stressing me out so I decided to skip it, and have no regrets. I did enjoy both baths (regular bathtub) and showers during the 17 hour labor.

I'm preggo now and again am not planning a tub. There's just too much stuff in my house already.

All of that being said, by all means make it work if you sense that it will be a help to you. I just want you to know that, if the whole debate and the logistics are stressing you out, just remember that you can do this--tub or no tub.

Best wishes mama. I know you'll do great.

[gentlestrengths]

Hot water and submersion while in labor are FANTASTIC. I didn't do a pool w/my first. I have no idea why. It just did not interest me at all. I have had one at all of my other 3 births, and will this time too. It just is a breath of fresh air, right when you need it (if you wait long enough to get in).

Even if you only use it once and end up not liking it - at least you had the option. Maybe you won't like it during active labor, but getting in at transition takes enough edge off that just gets you through. You just never know. I say get the tub, set it up. You can always rest on your couch, and you can get help up the stairs if you have the baby down stairs. You can also go upstairs to have the baby if you want to.

[langdonslady]

Hi!
I had a homebirth (HBAC to be exact) on 2 floors because our house is a cape and the bedrooms are all upstairs, and I had the birth pool in the kitchen (yes large kitchen), and it was GREAT for easing the intensity when hard labor got going. It wasn't ready before then which is as well, because I hear that can slow things down if you use it too soon, though who knows. Mileage may vary.
But it was great, until the pushing urge came and then it wasn't great anymore and I wanted out. I ended up going upstairs, pausing to push twice or three times on the stairs with midwives trailing behind and under with cloths ready to catch, in case, and birthed hands-and-knees at the cedar chest in my bedroom.

All in all a great experience, and no stairs don't seem to matter. And if you have a birth pool, you can still decide whether you want to use it, but it you don't have one, you don't get the choice.

Since you never know what you will want in labor, more choices are good.