Homebirth in a swimming pool? Would you? - Page 2

[RiverSky]

Thanks, everyone. I also worry very much about the chemicals and a new
baby. As for the temperature, I would make sure to be in the warm spa with a good temperature before birthing, not in the cooler pool. As for after birth, I just think with nets, everything could be cleaned and removed (except for fluids, I guess). From being there for my friend's waterbirth, I really saw very little extra gunk going into the tub. The water was so clean looking afterwards, and the midwife simply scooped up the few little bits that did end up in the water, leaving it clear and seemingly clean. I might well be extremely naive about that, though.

Originally Posted by mommyfied

I thought of something else... I don't like to open my eyes under water in the pool... wouldn't the chlorine burn babies eyes if he/she opens them under water? I think I can recall seeing water births where baby is peacefully floating to the surface with its eyes open.

Very good point; I wouldn't want that at all, of course.

One thing I learned is that it's rarely the chlorine in the water that burns eyes, especially in a home pool. It's actually bad PH that burns the eyes. Also, the level of chlorine in a public pool is way higher than that in a home pool, so yes, I imagine that high amount of chlorine is way more bothersome than the levels in our pool. My children, for instance, love to swim underwater, eyes open here for hours, but when they go to take a half hour swim lesson at a nearby public pool, they wear goggles to protect their eyes.

My goal, if I ever get to the point of birthing in the pool, would be to test the PH daily to ensure it stays as perfect as possible.

Originally Posted by mommyfied

It sounds like you are a water person so a water birth sounds like a good plan. I'm not, really, but I think if I were I might consider getting in the pool during labor and moving to a tub or birthing pool for the birth. Our pool is only open in the summer months so I'm excited about being able to swim in those last weeks but that's about it! My labors are fast, though, and I didn't even have time to get in my tub last time. I have a big jetted tub in the master bath.

Alas, we don't have any big tubs or jetted tubs, so if I needed to transfer to a tub, I'd have to go into the main bath's tub but it isn't a large tub and I just prefer not to birth in a bathroom (I'm a queasy person and hate bathrooms, odd as that may sound).


Chlorine allergy, yikes, that sounds awful. I've never heard of that before. I wonder if early exposure to chlorine (like in a swimming pool birth) could cause a chlorine allergy. There are other allergies in our family (dh and his family) so that makes me a teeny bit nervous.


Thank you again, everyone! I've been given so so much to think about.

[RiverSky]

One of the reasons why I wouldn't necessarily want to use a regular birthing pool is that they seem so small. It seems uncomfortable to me to sit on your knees, or have to lean back on your butt, legs forward, and I just think being able to float in the pool or stand straight up, or just squat slightly etc., and have so much room and movement available and possible, sounds really helpful.

So maybe an option would be to have a birthing pool filled and available, perhaps on the lanai next to the pool, then I could labor in the pool if I want, and hop into the birth pool to birth. Hmmm....

[Carson]

Originally Posted by RiverSky

So maybe an option would be to have a birthing pool filled and available, perhaps on the lanai next to the pool, then I could labor in the pool if I want, and hop into the birth pool to birth. Hmmm....

IMO, that's the better way to go. I agree with the concerns about actually delivering in a pool, from water quality to what is expelled during birth. I've watched quite a few waterbirth videos and some are really clean and some are definitely not clean. I do see what you're saying about the restriction of a smaller pool and would love to labor in a swimming pool to get the full buoyancy effect. Just not deliver there.

[hillymum]

Originally Posted by RiverSky

So maybe an option would be to have a birthing pool filled and available, perhaps on the lanai next to the pool, then I could labor in the pool if I want, and hop into the birth pool to birth. Hmmm....

That sounds like a great plan!

[Eresh]

The mama in this video has her HBAC in a hot tub attached to a swimming pool. Sorry, I don't know how to imbed it directly from Vimeo so I'm just linking Rixa's blog post with the video.

http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/10...d-reading.html

[xmasbaby7]

I would not consider birthing in a pool because I would be concerned that some of the chemicals in the pool would seem to hamper the transfer of beneficial bacteria from the vaginal canal to the baby, the whole point I do homebirth.

Our babies' immune systems are built to evolve this way, and it is, I believe, one of the most dangerous things about how hospital birth interferes with our babies' health through routine antibiotics and obviously c-sections.

I would not feel comfortable with various chemical agents meant to clean the pool water interfering with this.

[mwherbs]

I have a friend who had her baby in their outdoor pool- she wanted some support so we were in the pool standing- and she held onto our shoulders and I think at one point we were holding her legs- and that would be the logistics to consider- do you have enough physical support for an in pool birth- if there were a hemorrhage is there enough help to fish you out of the pool?

[sunfish21]

I would not consider having my newborn in those chemicals--sorry!

[Jlse]

my 2 cents; I would labor in the larger pool and then have a blow-up swimming pool with fresh water nearby to give birth. My reason is that I've had 2 water births and the first birth was clean and we were able to reuse the pool in the summer for the kids to play in. The second birth the baby started to stress at the end and she came out wrapped 3 times in the cord and following her was thick meconium. She was fine and very healthy but the pool was a disgusting mess LOL! Even after draining the meconium was like tar and after brief attempts we decided it wasn't worth trying to save.
I was a director at a pool for several years and can't imagine trying to clean that up off in a larger pool. My other concern was that she was a little hard to get out of the water - I squated/stood as I gave birth and she was so tangled with the long cord it made it difficult. I don't know if that makes sense but if the water was much deeper it may have been more difficult as she didn't float but was laying at the bottom. That sounds really bad but it wasn't - everything was fine and really quite safe. I loved having my water births and have swam in outdoor pools for each of my pregnancies. Good luck!

[homebirthing]

For me, the lovely thing about the birthing pool was that it was smaller. I felt completely supported by the water, but it wasn't overwhelming in size. I could move freely while still knowing that I could easily get out if needed. I didn't want to stand in the tub though, I wanted hands and knees, squats, gentle floating. I wanted the ease of getting out.

You could certainly labor in your big pool, but think about logistics when birthing in it. A baby can't control their own body heat. We don't bathe our babies at all after they are born. Will getting out of the warm pool into a cooler day drop the body heat? Can you set up a warming pad to keep warm towels by the pool? That would probably feel nice for you both!

Will you want to lay down quickly? Where will you do that? What about the normal blood loss? What if your stools are loose and aren't scoopable? If those things don't bother you (or if your pool can filter all of that out), then go for it!

I would have a small tub ready though, just in case you want a cave rather then an ocean. Some women do (and then again, some women birth in an actual ocean...which is pretty awesome!).

[almadianna]

I almost did this with my second. My parents have a heated pool that uses no chlorine (I would never do it in one that used cholrine) and I thought about doing it in their pool but decided against it. It would be hard to tell how much blood was being lost in that large a pool vs a small birthing pool.

[Irishmommy]

I would do it in a salt water pool heated enough, but not into chlorine. Why don't you convert your pool before you get pregnant?

[HappyMommy2]

i would have loved that! You could stand up and still be submerged up to your neck if you so desired!

That is one thing about birthing pools, not so deep.

I agree with pp that you should decrease or eliminate the chemicals somehow.