question for homebirth mamas

[mamahen2coop]

Would it work to deliver in a hot tub?  We have a hot tub that hasnt been used in years but if we got it working would it work to just fill it with clean water for the birthday?

[elisheva]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Jsut might be difficult to clean afterward if you actually give birth in the tub.

[mamahen2coop]

Originally Posted by elisheva 

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Jsut might be difficult to clean afterward if you actually give birth in the tub.

That would be the goal I think.  We have a jetted tub in the bathroom and it  was great for labor but couldnt stand (obviously).  But I have NO idea what goes into a homebirth so what does happen afterward?

[NuzzleNudge]

There are a lot of helpful posts on Waterbirth and Home birth in the designated sites on here.

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/list/20

The afterbirth as well as any blood will come out in the water. it's generally suggested to get out as soon as possible so to gauge how much blood loss there is because it is difficult to tell in water. You might want to look into getting some sort of liner for the hot tub just to save your self (or someone else rather) the work of cleaning it out, especially if it is the kind with jets. But I have seen mamas give birth in their hot tubs in videos, and it sure does look cozy and nice! So Hope it works for you.

[mamahen2coop]

but what's getting in the jets?  The bloody water?  Of all the deliveries I see aside from blood and some occasional BM there isn't too much "chunky" stuff.  I've never had a hot tub and have no idea how they work either, so maybe it's a no-no to have anything but clear water going through it? 

Thanks for the homebirth link.  I haven't done much exploring on MDC I guess.

[mumofmak]

To clean the tub after the birth the birth center I used to work at used to run the bath with jets on for 30 min or so with a full bath plus some bleach and some dishwashing powder in it in order to clean it all. They had to do testing every so often to make sure the jets were clean and there was never a problem.  HTH 

[elisheva]

Originally Posted by mamahen2coop 

but what's getting in the jets?  The bloody water?  Of all the deliveries I see aside from blood and some occasional BM there isn't too much "chunky" stuff.  I've never had a hot tub and have no idea how they work either, so maybe it's a no-no to have anything but clear water going through it? 

Thanks for the homebirth link.  I haven't done much exploring on MDC I guess.

Um, at both my births I have pooped in the water  obviously not by choice... I will *not* be giving birth in the pool this time though I will labor there till I feel like pushing. Ick.

[mamahen2coop]

good input!  I labored in the tub until only 5cm and getting out to go to the hospital was definitely not fun!

[~Katie~]

We haven't had too much yuck with my waterbirths. I've never had a BM while pushing. Little fish tank nets can be used for cleaning out solids. Normally after that first initial gush from the placenta detaching I get out to deliver the placenta so there isn't too much blood in the water, and there's vernix of course. There should be a way to sanitize it, it sounds like the previous suggestion to clean with bleach is a good one. The only thing I'd suggest is cleaning it well before use because hot tubs that sit for a long time can sometimes get mold in the jets. With my births we've used both an aquadoula and a la bassine and both require a liner. After the birth they pumped the water out and into the bathtub and then dragged the liner in the bathtub to finish cleaning up.