Two story homes

[Momtotwo2004]

Where did you choose to set up your pool (if you had one?) Where did you "plan" to birth?

Our bedroom is upstairs and I guess I always pictured birthing there. I'm hoping we'll be able to hook the birth tub up from the bathroom and that the hose will reach! But DH mentioned in passing that he saw me birthing downstairs. He certainly wouldn't push me to do anything I don't want but he then got me doubting where I should "plan" to give birth.

Does it matter? I was thinking of setting up the tub downstairs and then I can choose downstairs and the tub or upstairs and my bed but that seems like it might be a pain to walk up/down the stairs if I change my mind.

[mama_ness]

I had a two story home and chose to birth upstairs in our bedroom for several reasons.

1) my bed was there and I didn't want to walk upstairs immeadiately after birthing. And sleeping in my own bed was a major plus for me when considering a home birth.
2)our full bathroom was upstairs- convenient for washing up a little after the birth.
3) some family members were at our birth which ended up being in the middle of the night, so i was glad that they were able to sleep downstairs and stay out of my space while I was quietly laboring in the pool!

Either way is totally fine, but personally, the pros of birthing in my own bedroom outweighed any of the reasons that we thought about birthing downstairs. (And the only thing we could really think of in that instance was kitchen access. In the end, I stayed in bed for 3 days with the baby while my husband and older children brought me water and food. A pretty sweet deal!)

I have other friends who really loved birthing in their living rooms and found the space soothing. It is so personal.

I hope you have an amazing birth, upstairs or down!

[Jlse]

I agree with upstairs as well for most of same reasons. I find I like to 'cocoon' and stay in the safety of my bedroom so we set up the pool there each time. We've discussed setting up downstairs this time but dh thought I would probably be more comforatable upstairs in bedroom which I agree. Downstairs is too open with lots of windows and I like privacy. Being able to set out of pool wrap up in a towel and lay down in bed in one step with newborn was great!

[mbhf]

I have always given birth upstairs. Downstairs just didn't feel right. I didn't really plan on a spot for my first homebirth (second birth) but it was in my bed. My second homebirth, I rented a tub and had it set up in my dining room (downstairs) because it was the most practical place. I ended up going upstairs (into the playroom/guest room, the most cluttered crowded room in the house! ) for the birth. For my last birth, I had a nice big deep garden tub in the master bath so I labored in the tub and was trying to get to my bed when the birth actually happened. I didn't go downstairs for a week. Downstairs just felt too public for me, I guess. One of my houses (we are military so all of my births have taken place in different houses) didn't have a bathroom downstairs, and my midwife said afterwards that she would have recommended that we move upstairs if I hadn't been there already so that might be a consideration.

[alegna]

I birthed downstairs in the living room both times. It was easier for space. Going upstairs after wasn't a big deal.

-Angela

[DoulaVallere]

We're planning a waterbirth, so I'm planning to birth in the dining room downstairs. I'd be so scared that the pool would leak and go though the celing that I probably couldn't relax during labor if I had it upstairs! I figure I'll make the couch up like a bed and transfer from the tub to the couch after the birth, then when I'm feeling up to it, go upstairs. My sons were both born at a FSBC, and after my second son's birth, we only stayed there 4 hours, then drove 1.5hrs home and I went straight upstairs with no problems, so I'm guessing I can just hang on the couch for a while till all the newborn exam stuff is done and the pool has been emptied and the mw has gone home, then go upstairs.

Plus, the boys' room is upstairs and if I labor at night, they can stay up there asleep and I probably won't wake them setting up the pool/moaning/etc. And that also leaves our bed free for my bf to sleep in (she'll be watching the boys) if she needs to. And being downstairs will have me with easy access to the kitchen and front door so I can go walk around outside if I want. Of course, we have a full bath downstairs, too, so I can use that shower if I need to.

[emnic77]

I'm planning on birthing upstairs as well. It's actually the third floor, we share a two family house with my sister and her husband, and they are on the first floor. I thought briefly about setting up the tub in our living room, but 1) if my other two need some tv distraction time, I don't want the tv on while I'm laboring in the same room, obviously. 2) My sister lives downstairs, and she's totally supportive of homebirth but squeamish and I don't want her to have to listen to me right above her head if I can help it.
3) I wanted to be near my bed. We have a full bathroom upstairs so logistically it's easy.

[Peony]

I've done both, I really prefer upstairs. When I did downstairs, i was right in the middle of the action, there was no quiet place to stick the pool so I ended up hiding in the bedroom and only emerging to actually give birth. I wanted to use my pool more the next time so I set it up upstairs in the master bedroom, it was heaven! The kids were running around downstairs and I still had a private place to be alone.

[St. Margaret]

I've been thinking about this, and I think I'll end up birthing upstairs. I am not really into the idea of a waterbirth, but there is a small bathtub up there and I did spend some time there during the middle of my labor last time. Our bedroom is big, and I can totally see myself pushing either on or leaning on the bed, or in the space next to the bed. The one thing is if we set up the crib to be a side car again, it might take up a lot of room, but I'll just make DH do it after the birth I guess!

I guess this means I have to start putting away the laundry instead of spreading it all over the floor on my side of the bed, huh? Thank goodness for when nesting kicks in!

[mamakaikai]

I'm setting up my pool upstairs.
My dp also had figured that we'd set it up in the kitchen. It's just where he saw it making sense to him because the oven is right there to warm up water and it would be easier to dump out the tub into the backyard after we're done with it.

But he's not thinking birthwise!!

For me, I want the cosy, quiet, intimacy, nest of the bedroom. I want to be away from the action of people entering and leaving the house, cooking food etc. Plus, our bathroom is upstairs and I might want to use it and won't want to go too far in labor. And after the birth, I can crawl into bed easily if it's just there. Or, choose to get out of the tub and use the bed to give birth.

I say go with where you envision things happening. Trust your intuition and go where it leads you.

[etsdtm99]

this is our first homebirth - but i have been planning to set up the tub/birth upstairs.. our situation sounds a bit different though because our bedroom and the livingroom/kitchen is also upstairs.. the reasons to birth downstairs would mainly be because of the weight of the tub and the leaking possibility, but it is also cooler down there (and i'm due in sept. so that is good) and out of everyone's way .. i think there is a possibility i will change my mind about upstairs because it would be easier to create a nest downstairs where the kids couldn't get to me without a grown up bringing them.. and that would force me to stay out of the kitchen and away from the clean up (from meals etc not hte birth) for a few days.. plus, we could empty the tub out back (walk out basement).. and there is a lot more room down there.. hmmm.. i'm a lot of help here, huh. lol

[balancedmama]

I birthed upstairs in our bedroom both times. We set the pool up in there as well. I labored all over the house but felt best being in my own room for the births.

[lunarlady]

Birth for me was very private and intimate, which ment the bedroom. I'm not one of those people who is very comfortable naked outside my bedroom, even in my own home! So upstairs it was. I plan to set the tub up in our room, even though it will make the space VERY crowded. But I can't imagine bathing in my living room, and I like the tub for early labor (I birthed on the bed). If it leaks, it leaks. We'll deal with that at the time. I'm sure not well, since DH is not the best with this sort of thing. (Last labor a candle was overflowing so he put a towel under it. A towel? Really? Not a plate? Come on!) But it is all about your comfort level, and where you feel best baring all that you were given.

[Momtotwo2004]

THanks guys! I appreciate everyone's stories. It really made me think.

I think I'm going to stick with my bedroom because, like others said, it's a private place and I think I'm going to need that. Although I'm open to the fact that anything can happen, I liked the advice to go with what I've envisioned. I can't seem to get the idea out of my head that I'll birth in my room.

Thanks again!