Waterbirthers! Help!- don't hate me!

[ARG2003]

Ok, I am sure this has been asked on this forum a million times. Searching the archives doesn't give me quite what I want to know, though so please don't hate me for asking again...

I need to pick a birth pool and so I have a few questions. When getting advice to choose the Aquaborn pool or Birth Pool In A Box, people just say which they had and that they loved it. Not many have experience with both, which makes perfect sense.

So, my questions are:

1) Do you think having a seat (like in BPIAB) did or would have helped you? Would you have preferred it not be there?

2) Did you use interior handles (like in Aquaborn or La Bassine) or did you think they were in the way? If you didn't have them in your pool, do you wish you did?

Other than that, the pools seem to be nearly identical in basic measurements, etc, so I feel like the questions above might help me make a decision. In either case I will be buying the full kits that come with the cover and supplies (see below):

http://www.waterbirthsolutionsstore....&categoryId=11

http://www.waterbirthsolutionsstore....8&categoryId=2

Thanks!

[elus0814]

I bought a birth pool in a box but haven't used it yet. I could have gone either way with the seat, I tried blowing it up and the seat seems nice because it's so deep. The seat should allow me to sit with my head and shoulders out of the water if I choose to, because I'm on the shorter side sitting on the bottom of the pool would mean being submerged up to my neck. I didn't go with interior handles because I felt like they would get in the way more than help, all I really wanted as far as handles were something that I could hold while 'draped' over the side of the pool.

I ordered my pool from waterbirthsolutions and spoke with a woman there on the phone before purchasing. It took several days of calling (I didn't leave a message though) to talk to someone but she was very helpful and answered all my questions completely. Why not just give them a call?

The other reasons I went with the bpiab were: the color, I just liked the white floor and blue sides; the opaqueness, I didn't want the la bassine because I knew the clear sides would make me feel like I was in a fishbowl, especially if I wasn't wearing anything; the egg shape, it seemed nice to be have one end to spread out in and another end that would feel more cozy.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Originally Posted by ARG2003

1) Do you think having a seat (like in BPIAB) did or would have helped you? Would you have preferred it not be there?

2) Did you use interior handles (like in Aquaborn or La Bassine) or did you think they were in the way? If you didn't have them in your pool, do you wish you did?

I'm not sure what brand mine was because my mw just provided it. It had a seat on the inside and handles on the outside.

1) My DH actually used the seat to sit behind me for a while and I was able to lay against him. I liked having it there for that.

2) We actually originally had a pool with handles on the inside, but when the bigger tub that we ended up using came available, my mw swapped it out for us. The handles on the inside would have been completely useless. They were really awkwardly placed as well. The handles on the outside got lots of use though. I draped myself over the side of the tub and held onto them during contractions.

[Jane]

I haven't waterbirthed myself, but I've been to lots of waterbirths.
I've never seen anyone use the handles. A real person to hang onto is way better. You get that anchored feeling I just don't think the handles give.
The seat is not usually useful, either. It's too close to the edge - you fall off it, in my experience. If you were a support person and had a pregnant woman against you, yeah, I see how that would work nice. But pregnant women have found them irritating to try to use, IME.
If you really want a seat, you can put a towel in, and put a little step stool on the towel. Then you can move it where you want.
Buy which ever one appeals -they both work fine!

[ShwarmaQueen]

I had the fishy pool, so no handles or seat to speak of. I had a great water birth; I mainly leaned back against the side, submerged up to my chest, or hung over the side, holding someone's hand.

The fancy stuff isn't necessary if you're on a budget.

[Sharlla]

i had the la b and did not use the handles. i did drape myself over the side at times or hugged dh (i had my arms around his neck face to face when dd was born)
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[emily11megan]

I also used a "fishy pool", an inflatable backyard type pool. The sides are taller than usual and the bottom is also inflatable. It was $40 or so and you don't have to use a liner, just pump out the water and rinse with some bleach water. We re-used it as a kiddie pool the next 2 years! I've seen several other women use the same pool and we all laid back on the side at first, and during hard labor hung over the edge, without any instructions to do so. It is comfy and affordable. My midwife buys them online. Good luck with your water birth, they are wonderful!

[redpajama]

I'm an apprentice, and the midwife I work for owns several BPIABs and loans them out to her clients, so I've attended quite a few waterbirths with these pools (I also gave birth in one).

In my experience, the handles are occasionally useful, and never in the way. Women sometimes drape themselves over the side of the tub and hold the handles. I don't recall whether or not I used them when I was in the pool, but I actually do recall using them before I got in the tub--I spent a lot of time on a birth ball next to the pool, and used the handles to hold onto then.

As for the seat, I've rarely seen anyone use it during labor/birth, but it is often nice right after the birth to have a place to sit (most of the women I've seen have given birth on hands and knees, then turned over to sit down right afterwards) after the baby is born. It puts you up a little higher and makes it possible to nurse the baby without getting out of the water, if that's what you want. Again, I've never felt like it was in the way.

[ARG2003]

I kind of envisioned the seat to be helpful for DH supporting me in the pool and for me after the birth. It doesn't seem like I would be able to stay on it in labor, but not completely useless.

I wish there was a place to try these pools out locally.

[sattygirl99]

My intex pool has an inflatable seat... I don't forsee myself using it during labor but I thought it would be good for DH if he's in the pool with me and for sitting down after the birth. I don't feel very secure on it with my giant belly lol.

[ARG2003]

I decided to just stop over-analyzing everything and buy a Birth Pool In a Box. I actually contacted a local doula who rents birth pools and asked her if she had any clients who might want to share the cost and then said, "Or maybe you would like to split the cost with us then after we use the pool, you can just keep it and have it to rent to clients." She loved that idea! She was starting with a client so we didn't chat long, but I am so excited to be able to split the cost. I will be getting the whole set up for half the cost!