Anyone with experience using a birthing stool?

[ACsMom]

I really think it would be a good thing for me, but I'm noticing that they're very expensive online, most over $300.

Has anyone used one and what did you think? Invaluable? Something you thought you'd use and then didn't?

Can you build your own? Saw out the middle of a chair? lol.

TIA!

[jtrt]

My midwife brought one to our second homebirth and I HATED it. Made contractions excruciating and the rectal pressure unbearable. Just my experience....FWIW, I am a walker and a stander in labor. Can't lay down, sit or squat. I can't think of a single nice thing to say about that stool.....

Amy

[Gena 22]

It meant everything to me. Was the way I imagined birthing, and it worked for me. Of course I was pushing with a distended twin uterus, so I needed gravity and all the help I could get.

Guess it's a love hate kinda thing.

Don't buy one, ask around. If you midwife doesn't have one, maybe someone she knows does.

Mine was really simple, someone handy could make it themselves. But why re-invent the wheel if you can borrow?

[Jane]

Awesome tool, gets the babies out a little faster sometimes. Not for every labor or woman. Don't like to catch the babies on them, but for one of the positions in pushing, it's great! Can do the the exact same thing on a toilet, tho.
Feels pretty modest to some women, that's another plus.

[groovynaturemama]

i used a birth stool for my 1st baby (supplied by my midwife), and i had about 10 minutes of pushing. the gravity helped out very nicely (that, and her head was riding low and engaged for about 3 weeks before i birthed her). with my second i gave birth upright, in the pool (about 6-7 minutes of pushing). i think that the birth stool really helped me as a first time birther, but i don't know that it would have made any difference with ds.

something that you can do to sort of mimic a birth stool is to birth upright in a squat with someone sitting in a chair behind you for support. the person's thighs are like he "arms" of a chair and you sort of hang off of them with your arms while they help hold you upright. it is not the same as a birth stool in that you don't have much in the way of support on your bottom (your legs could get tired if you have a long pushing stage), but it opens up the pelvis and gravity will help facilitate the descent of your baby.

[marrymeflyfree]

I used one during both of my labors. With older daughter, it was invaluable. I had been pushing for nearly 2 hours and felt like she was still kind of high - I really felt her finally move down while pushing on the stool, and she was born shortly after using it (with both fists at her temples...I think that's what the hold up was, and feel as though the stool REALLY helped!).

Younger daughter was a different story; her position was not favorable at all. 8 hours of pushing, including on the stool, but to no avail. She just would not descend...so we transferred to the hospital and ended up with a c-section. I remember the power of DD1's descent on the stool so vividly...it was surprising to me when I realized that it was not helping me with DD2. But then, I don't think much could have.

All in all, I was certainly glad to have had them available both times. I got some great leverage, and felt more open than when I'd previously pushed on the toilet.

[~Bug~]

With my first 2 hospital births, when it came time to push my natural instinct was to squat. Unfortunately, I had to get back in the bed. So with my 3rd (homebirth) I asked my midwife specifically to bring a birthing stool. Sure enough, when it came time to push, I wanted to sit. That's what felt natural to me. I didn't sit on it at all except for the pushing stage-- which was only about 3 minutes! Next time I plan to have one on hand as well!

[Tizzy]

FWIW I saw one in a used furniture store for $15 I should have snatched it up to pass on!

[loveneverfails]

For me, it was too high up. I felt like I was too high in the air, and really would have been more comfortable squatting. That's just how I felt while using it. I will not be using one again.

[jljeppson]

While apprenticing, I saw a birthing stool used twice. Don't know why it was used for the first, but the second time it was for an extended pushing phase (high baby) and worked like a charm. Both times, though, it ripped the momma out the ying-yang. This thing was metal pipes with some styrofoam covering and is not the kind I will EVER use again. Supposedly the wooden ones are really nice; I'm going to see if I can get my sister to make one for me.

[averlee]

My midwives had one- the pipe and foam kind jljeppson mentioned. For me, it was really uncomfortable and I had the feeling of being perched on a fence- kinda like loveneverfails. I think you could use a folding camp toilet like this, without the bag- http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-15130.../dp/B000P9D07G

and here's a cheap- $50- birth stool http://www.birthwares.com/birthstools.html

[Mhorai]

I birthed my son on a birthstool just like the one linked above. Did most of my pushing on it too. The bed felt terrible for me...to the point that when the midwife (who was great) suggested maybe switching back to the bed I said no thanks and continued on the stool. I had a 2nd degree tear, but Rigel also was born with his hand by his head so that's probably the cause.

[magrat]

DD was born in the hospital on a birth stool. I pushed for about 25 minutes on the bed using the squat bar. Suddenly I said "I want to use the birth stool!" and climbed off the end of the bed, turned around and sat, totally lost my balance and flailed around grabbing whoever was there to keep from falling over and pushed my baby out. So I'm really glad it was there (my legs were too tired to keep squatting) but I didn't use it more than a couple minutes. I have no clue what it even looked like I was so out of it. I think I'll use the toilet or maybe one of DD's children sized chairs or something if I feel the urge this time, I'm not going to buy one. Like a previous poster, I really had a clear idea way in advance of how I wanted to give birth, and that ended up being what I wanted to do when it actually happened. I did not think I'd want to be lying down or on someone's lap, and I was correct. Oh, I did get a 2nd degree tear and I can't say it wasn't caused by the birth stool, but she sure came shooting out fast when I sat down on it.

[ACsMom]

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

For me, it was too high up. I felt like I was too high in the air, and really would have been more comfortable squatting. That's just how I felt while using it. I will not be using one again.

This is what I'm afraid of. I am short (5'2"). The ones I saw online looked pretty high - somebody said perched on a fence, that's what I think I might feel like! If it was lower to the ground, maybe....

[ACsMom]

Originally Posted by averlee

My midwives had one- the pipe and foam kind jljeppson mentioned. For me, it was really uncomfortable and I had the feeling of being perched on a fence- kinda like loveneverfails. I think you could use a folding camp toilet like this, without the bag- http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-15130.../dp/B000P9D07G

and here's a cheap- $50- birth stool http://www.birthwares.com/birthstools.html

Thanks for these links! That birthwares stool is much more what I had in mind - adjustable legs..

[Gena 22]

FWIW - Mine was a short pushing phase, but very controlled by the midwife. Some olive oil peritoneum massage. Two babies - no tears!

[Angelette]

I used a birth stool for my daughter's home birth. I had planned to deliver in the water, but then changed my mind. Thankfully my midwife had brought along a birth stool, and I was like, "what is that?", but I'm so thankful she had it. I spent forty minutes pushing my dd out, and the stool made all the difference. I was able to grab onto it and while I pushed which made me feel really strong! My daughter was 9 Ilbs. with a 16 in head, so I'm glad I was in the squatting position on the stool! It was pretty comfortable, but I wasn't worried about comfort so much right then It was great for me!

[magrat]

Since I do want a birth stool option this time, but don't want to buy it or rent it I was brainstorming and remembered that last time I labored most of the time at home sitting on the stairs. It was great because I could hold onto the banister for support (or for dear life ). So I think I'll make sure I have some towels or something ready to put down there this time.

[ACsMom]

Originally Posted by magrat

Since I do want a birth stool option this time, but don't want to buy it or rent it I was brainstorming and remembered that last time I labored most of the time at home sitting on the stairs. It was great because I could hold onto the banister for support (or for dear life ). So I think I'll make sure I have some towels or something ready to put down there this time.

What an awesome idea!!! Thanks for posting that.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by ACsMom

This is what I'm afraid of. I am short (5'2"). The ones I saw online looked pretty high - somebody said perched on a fence, that's what I think I might feel like! If it was lower to the ground, maybe....

I think it depends on the style and exactly what you want. With DS (2nd child), I used the one my midwife brought, my bottom was free-hanging and I don't think my feet were on the ground (it was one of the bent aluminum pipe types), but I don't think they were meant to be. I'd started having the urge to push but couldn't find a comfortable, effective position, and after I got myself onto the birthing stool, it just felt right, and DS came out fast. No tears or anything, and after my long labor, it was nice to not have to push for long at all.

I can't imagine a stool that I rested my bottom on doing the same thing, but I also can't imagine laboring on this at all, it was very helpful for pushing, but even just sitting on a chair would've been far preferable for labor (though I preferred standing or our tub).