Would it "throw me off" to not have a birth pool if thats what I had counted on?

[cahwilson]

From the start I figured I would get a birth pool. Everytime I picture the birth I always picture delivering in the water. Even my "safe place" for hypnobabies is in the water. The problem is finances are crashing down on us right now. There might be no way to really get a pool (even the fishy pool, once you add in hoses, etc). I know my dh really wants me to have it, but I just don't see it being feasible. I just wonder if it will throw me off since I had been planning on it. If we could just have the baby in March (I'm due in Jan), Dh would have a raise and we would have a lot of tax money! Unfortunatly we need all the baby/birth things, Christmas, etc BEFORE then! So I know it is completely possible to not have the baby in the water, but what if it is something you wanted/planned on?

[SublimeBirthGirl]

My kiddie pool was only $25. A new hose you can get for around $10. I'd sell something on Ebay and get the pool.

[MommaSuzi]

It threw me off to not be able to be in the water. I knew it was something that I wanted, and that it just felt "right" to me, but I didn't realize HOW important it was in my mind as a coping mechanism until I was in labor and because of several complications couldn't get in the tub (or at least was told I couldn't). Mine was a hospital birth, so I completely understand the circumstances were different, but my point is that I kind of crumbled and lost a lot of my coping skills once I found out I couldn't get in the tub. It's a big part of why I wouldn't have a hospital birth again.
If I were going through it again, I would find a way to have the tub there at my homebirth.

[Belle]

I didn't get into my birth tub until I was already pushing. (fast labor) I was a little disappointed that it didn't do a darn thing to help with the pain of the contractions but it did help with bouyancy and remaining upright. I would have liked to have labored in the tub a little bit before I started pushing.

But if I had been without it at all, my baby would have been born on the toilet for sure. That's were I spent the majority of my labor. I don't think it would have thrown me off that much. I was really in my zone on the toilet.

[DCMama01]

I'm wondering the same myself. I had plans of renting an Aquadoula, but money is more of an issue now. I'm wondering if the tub would suffice or would it throw me off. I actually considered switching from a home birth to the birth center for their big jacuzzi.

[tvantol]

Have you checked with your MW for resources? Maybe someone who bought one is willing to loan it to you or rent if for a small fee? It would be hard not to have something that you are currently using in your relaxation exercises. One other idea, if you really have no way of getting a birthtub, could you labor in your tub/shower and do the pushing on land?

[Happiestever]

I too pictured myself giving birth in water and had the tub blown up, but no water in it. So no water birth then. This time I have had to by another pool, because I sold my La Bassine ~ major bummer (wasn't sure when we would get pregnant again and how long the plastic would hold up). I sold a few things on ebay and craigslist ~ got my baby hammock, and birth supplies including a fish pool.

So when the time comes you can certainly do without, but I would look into your local homebirthing groups- AP, or whatever, and see if someone can help you out. I know I would do it if I had one lying around the house.

[Bmorefarmgirl]

is there a way you could borrow the money for the tub and pay it back in march after you get your tax refund?

i think that you might have enough time to kind of re-envision your birth without the tub. like others have mentioned, sometimes even if you have a tub, circumstances don't allow you to get in it the way you think you might. maybe think of how a bath or shower would feel instead of the pool.

[simplygreen]

well we rented a birthing pool and never ended up using it, for some reaseon I was more comfortable on the bed? I got into the pool late so maybe earlier would have helped! What about birthing in a normal bath tub? My doc, did this with his first child, the just turned the drain over fill upside down ( or you could plug it with something) so to be able to put more water in it!!

[Nikki74]

I planned to labour in the tub as a coping technique (dh didn't want me to deliver in the water), but it actually slowed my labour right down. My midwife offered the pool to me again this time around (due in 1 week), but I declined this time because I felt that for me it was more of a hindrance than a help. Sure I was able to relax a bit more, but I needed to be upright and mobile to keep things ticking along a bit better. This time I've decided that I'm not messing around with all that, I just want to get on with it and get it over as quickly as possible... I'd rather have more pain for less time, than add an extra few hours to my labour because everything stalled in the tub.

That's just my experience with birth pools.

[momma earthical]

Is there anyone in your area who rents out birth pools? They might be open to barter or delayed payment. I know that I would find it hard to deny any woman the experience of a waterbirth if that was really her desire. It can't hurt to ask - they could say no, in which case you're in the same place, or they could say yes.

[Rejoicing]

There's always the bathtub! It maynot be what you had imagined, but it will still provide some relief, and just think how much easier the clean up will be!