Anyone take a portable pool to the hospital?

[Cassaba]

I am going to be giving birth in a hospital. They do not have tubs in the rooms. I am going to approach them about bringing a portable pool (the kind used for waterbirths). I am just wondering if anyone else has done this? I am wondering how that would work. If I wait as long as possible to even go to the hospital, will there be time to set it up and fill it? Seems like it might be kind of hectic...

[forumyonly1]

i havent done this but i thought about doing it when we first moved to this state.. i called 4 or 5 hospitals and only one allowed it.. and they did not allow birth in the tub.. and you have to make sure your doc allows it too.. personally i would just use the tub at home for labor and head in at the last minute since you most likely wouldnt be giving birth in the water any way!

[MacKinnon]

I was really surprised to learn that one of the hospitals in our nearby town allows women to bring their own tubs, but you have to have a designated person to deal with it, other than you and your support person. They have tubs but only in a handful of rooms, so if you can't get one, you can bring one! This is NOT a small hospital, this is a big world class teaching hospital affiliated with a major medical school.

[Cassaba]

Thanks for the replies ladies. I am thinking that it might be more trouble than it's worth if I cannot give birth in the pool. I'll talk to my midwife about it more. My challenge is that I live 40 minutes from the hospital, so if I labor at home in the tub, I will still be out of the water for quite some time. We are thinking about checking into a hotel near the hospital once I am in labor, so we can use the tub longer.