Labor/Birth pool outside and down stairs?

[funnygrace]

I live on the 2nd floor of a creatively framed Edwardian house. I don't trust the floor joists to hold a pool. I know this might be a ridiculous fear, but it is certainly one I don't need while I am giving birth. I am still considering having one and working through the fear or bracing the pool in someway, but I am also exploring other ideas.

I need opinions from experienced mamas. What if I put the pool outside and downstairs? I could get a big tent out there as well for a bit of privacy. Would it be likely that I might use the pool as a labor aid and then have enough strength during active labor to climb the stairs into the house for birth on land? I could also see having a mat outside in case it felt right to stay outside and I wanted to get out of the pool. I could also stay in the pool if that felt right. This would probably involve it being day time and warm (labor day-ish, which is a warm time for us--but not super warm, coastal warm and almost never warm nights).

My thought is that it might be worth doing this just in case it feels right and less as a plan. I also see myself perhaps using the pool once a week during the last month or so just to achieve weightlessness and then watering the garden with it. Thoughts?

[melamama]

I've read lots of birth stories with mamas that had their birth pool outside.
I've also walked my house's stairs during each of my labors. With my 2nd I remember going up and down and up and down many times.
I think it's great to have options. It also may be that you're not into the birth tub when it comes time to push. Or that you just want things a certain way and it never seems right to even get in the tub; or you like the tub so much outside it's fine for everything. Why not just have things set up inside upstairs, then have an area outside ready to go?

Having to deal with a worry about the tub crashing through your house during labor is not a reasonable fear to have to work through while you are laboring. Work through the fears before so you don't have to spend labor doing that work. I know you're sort of joking, but really it's more reasonable to have things the way you want them so you don't have to think. Or worry. Just birth.

[funnygrace]

Thanks, melamama! And oh no, I meant that I would work through the fear months before birth not during birth... goodness! But I might just go with the pool on solid ground.

[melamama]

sure.
The only thing I'd also mention because it was a big deal after the birth of my dd was that our birth pool was on the first floor, and after everything I tried to walk upstairs and my bp dropped and I pretty much fainted. It was a little too much for my body at that point. After that I always stayed on the same level that I'd birthed.
But, again everyone is different---but it had never occurred to me that it might happen---so I mention it in case you do go with the pool outside then return upstairs after.
Good luck!