Is anyone else planning a home waterbirth?

[Panthira]

We got our La Bassine (Made in Water) birth tub a couple of days ago, and DH set it up tonight. He washed the drinking hose in anit-bacterial soap. He carefully monitored the temperature with the floating froggy thermometer. I sat in it for a good 1/2 hour and it was heaven!

Now we are sumping the water out. Do we just let it dry? The directions say not to use towels to dry it. DH wants to sanitize it somehow before deflating it. We have an electric air pump so come labor time it will take no time at all to fill.

Anyway, is anyone else planning a waterbirth? If so, what tub/pool are you using? Have you done one before and how did it go?

The midwife was asking if DH would be getting in the tub with me and I said I didn't think so, but now maybe it might be ok. The tub is big enough, I'm just not sure how I'll feel while in labor...

[LISSA~K]

I am We are renting an aqua doula and just picked it up last night. I still need a sink adapter and I want a clean garden hose also. I actually know nothing about them or tubs in general so I will be watching this thread for advice. Am I supposed to clean it first even though it comes with a disposable liner? I am due on 7/13 so it won't be much longer!

[Panthira]

Originally Posted by LISSA~K

I am We are renting an aqua doula and just picked it up last night. I still need a sink adapter and I want a clean garden hose also. I actually know nothing about them or tubs in general so I will be watching this thread for advice. Am I supposed to clean it first even though it comes with a disposable liner? I am due on 7/13 so it won't be much longer!

I don't think you need to clean it first. I believe the rental place does that for you and you do have the liner. I would NOT use a garden hose, as they are made with lead. You need to get an RV/Camper/Drinking hose. They are usually white and you can get them from a hardware store for $10 or less.

[MamaSpruce]

I am planning on my second waterbirth at home in a Rubbermaid horse trough. We just gave our tub a good scrub, then washed it with a bit of betadine to sterilize, then rinsed it and let it dry in the sun. Then we turned it upside down on a tarp so it doesn't catch dust. I guess you can also use something called "green soap". It is a liquid that I found last time at the drug store I think but couldn't find this time. I would think a tub with a liner you would not need to do this.

As far as dh in the tub, wait and see how you feel. I labored in the tub for awhile with my first and didn't really want dh in there. I got out for several hours before hopping back in with him, about 15 minutes before ds was born. He was behind me on my knees and provided perineal massage and caught ds. I know some have also liked to have their dh's behind them in the tub for support, while they are reclined in their arms .

[LISSA~K]

Originally Posted by Panthira

I don't think you need to clean it first. I believe the rental place does that for you and you do have the liner. I would NOT use a garden hose, as they are made with lead. You need to get an RV/Camper/Drinking hose. They are usually white and you can get them from a hardware store for $10 or less.

Thank you soooo much mama, that really freaks me out that I almost gave my newborn a lead bath!!

[luckydog]

My last birth was a home waterbirth (my water baby - I've shared this before, but I love this pic so much!) and I would do it again. (I hesitate to say planning because my experience is that where I am when I start pushing is where it happens - so far my pushing stages have been an intense 30 minutes or less, so not a lot of time/energy to be picky. )

Anyway, this time if I birth in the tub, it would likely be in our very large master bedroom garden tub. It's got it all - depth, privacy, accessibility, easy/fast to fill with no setup.

Last time, not having this convenient option, I rented a hard sided jacuzzi style tub from my midwives. I don't recall filling it with anything other than a normal garden hose. The child birthed in it, FWIW, is normal, superhealthy, exceptionally bright and currently unburdened-with-issues 7 year old.

I STRONGLY recommend having some support from someone - ideally DH - if you're pushing in the birth tub. In fact, I already told DH to prepare for that, because I will likely need him. My experience is that it can be very hard to find purchase/leverage while pushing in the tub. If I do it again, I want DH sitting behind me so I can brace myself against him during pushing. (That location also affords him a fabulous, intimate experience of the birth.)

I was reading up a bit again on waterbirth a few weeks ago and this entry on the gentlebirth archives very much resonated with my experience:

i have noticed a strange phenomenon in the freestanding tub, that the woman in there alone seems, i don't know, awash, and it's hard for her to get in a really good position to push since there's nothing solid to hang on to, especially for primips. (by far, if my intending-to-water-birth-clients change plans at the last minute it's because pushing is more challenging in the tub.)

so, my favorite position for water birth is for the partner to be in the tub too, seated, legs extended, leaning his/her back against the side of the tub. mom sits on his/her lap, with her back against partner's front, in a sort of semifowlers, partner's arms encircling. then, there's an extra set of hands/arms for bracing against, partner gets to feel the intensity of pushing from closer up, mom can melt onto partner between contractions, and when she lifts the baby from the water (i basically keep hands off, too), they all three get to be en face. awesome.

[supermuma]

I am planning my second water ..but I am just using the bathtub ..again!

We are just going to wash it out as we usually do-when labor starts .

Sorry, I am probably not much help.

[IamPink]

I'm just using a little fishy pool from toys r us.
I bought a crapload of tableclothes, dropcloths, and whatnot from the dollar stores so I am good to go on liners and having the area around it covered.
The hardest thing was getting the adapter for the bathroom sink. It took me 5 trips to 4 different stores before we were able to get it working. Once we did, the guy at Lowe's made me promise to not take it apart.. just took the empty boxes up to pay for it all!

[Racecar]

I have my 36 week appt. with my midwives today and this is ALL I plan on talking about with them. We have the fishy-tub/kiddie pool and an electric air pump but that's it, so far. I know I need to get an RV/aquarium hose and some sort of adapter to make it go onto our bathroom sink. But I am still concerned about how we will drain the whole shabang when the time comes.

[IamPink]

The python adapter that they talk about (over on the sticky at the homebirth forum) it sucks the water back out when you are done.
hth

[100%mom]

I ordered a small kiddie pool, electric air pump, floating thermometer, hose/sink adapter, debris net, plastic floor covering, and vinyl repair kit all from BirthWithSol.com. It was nice to get it all at once. The pool is blown up and just waiting now. It will need a little more air because it's been sitting for so long. I cleaned it and the hose with some all purpose cleaner. I also made sure that the sink adapter works. My MW has a pump to get the water out with. My husband isn't going to be in with me, but that's ok.

[AuntG]

Originally Posted by LISSA~K

Thank you soooo much mama, that really freaks me out that I almost gave my newborn a lead bath!!

I looked this up a while back and found that the lead content seepage from garden hoses is lower than the number the EPA set as tolerable for drinking water. You're not going to be drinking it anyway, right?

Actually, the cheaper hoses produced water with a lead ppm content that was less than city water. The very expensive, fancy ones were VERY high.

So, if you have the cheaper hose, it's really no different than filling up the tub directly from your own faucet.

[ChelseaG]

I am planning my second home waterbirth in our big garden/jacuzzi bathtub! I agree that it is better if DH can get in and help out for leverage - DH sat on the side of the tub last time and I braced myself on his knees while pushing - plus I had his hands to squeeze during the ring of fire (so he was in pain too )...

[manitobamama]

I am planning a home waterbirth and have bought the fishy pool from our Canadian Tire store. We still have to get the adapter but I did get a good garden hose that will reach from the back yard and through the kitchen door if needed. I have wondered about draining the tub though?
I am planning on setting the tub up in the corner of the room and having a chair beside the tub for leaverage. My friend suggested a bean bag chair put under in the corner of the pool before filling... not sure if I will do this or not due to expense but thought it was a good idea. I bought a few shower curtains at the dollar store the other day. And I plan on heading to the thrift store to find some old towels that I can just throw away. I want to have our bed set up too just in case I want to birth there. As someone said when I start pushing I won't be worried about where I am!
Side note... dh wasnt' too convinced on the whole wb thing until he watched the Russian Waterbirth video a few weeks ago and now that is all he talks about (even to the guys at work)

[Panthira]

My midwives said you can get one of those cheapo fish tank air pumps, for like $5, and drain the tub that way. They said it takes forever, but it works just fine.

We got a little sump and it took all night to drain the tub last night.

[marziechar]

Originally Posted by Panthira

I don't think you need to clean it first. I believe the rental place does that for you and you do have the liner. I would NOT use a garden hose, as they are made with lead. You need to get an RV/Camper/Drinking hose. They are usually white and you can get them from a hardware store for $10 or less.

You can also get one from Target (I had no idea where our local RV supply place was, so I got mine at Target for about $20....40ft "HydroHose" safe for drinking)

We're not sure whether I'll end up in the pool or not. Our midwife brought over a clear baby pool...heehee

My problem is, that it's off gassing like crazy--it's vinyl, so I've have it out on the patio for a couple weeks. I'm going to try sprinkling some baking soda in and leave it out there until we're ready.....

[SleepyMamaBear]

we are using the la bassine. its been previously birthed in by a friend we lent it to. she birthed in March, we arent planning on birthing tilla t least july, so no biggy. i will be washing it with some madicide or green soap. or some TTO and GSE.

we went to home depot with thefaucet aerator nozzle thingy.. the little round part that screws onto the end of the faucet in the kitchen.
said "this is what came off our kitchen faucet, i need something that is this size to hook up some RV drinking hose from my faucet to a birthtub 20ft away.
they gave us the stuff but werent really THAT helpful or knowledgable about what they were doing.
thank goodness DH got it home, and tested it out and it works.
my RV hose isnt white. its clear.

[pwit]

we are planning our second homebirth and I'm starting to think I want a waterbirth as an option this time, or at least a nice size kitty pool to labor in. I still haven't bought anything though or decided for sure. I normally HATE bathes and the thought of sitting in the water I birth in grosses me out- BUT last birth I was loving my bathtub during much of labor.

[IamPink]

We are on the downside of the "tryout". I am pretty sure that it is sucking the water out, I'll give it a little bit and check again.
Oh, it felt amazing to be in there! My mom got me a blowup baseball that is 36 inches when blown up. It is plastic, but has that soft cover thing on the outside. I layed on my belly with the ball on the outside and put my head on it... felt so good!!!

[meg-momto2]

this will be my first homebirth and waterbirth. my son was supposed to be a waterbirth at a birth center but things didn't go as we had hoped. i bought a La Bassine and we've did the test run weeks ago. i really like it and i'm glad i got it. i'm 39+ weeks so i'm playing the waiting game right now and it's driving me nuts.