Birth Pool vs. Bathtub

[munkeesmama]

I'm planning a home water birth in April. I've been oogling over the La Bassine and decided that I would get it. The only thing is it's pretty pricey, and I have a perfectly good garden whirlpool tub in my bedroom. I'm just worried that it may be too hard/not deep enough/big enough to hang over side etc. But on the flip side, when we bought this house, I saw the tub and said "that's where I want to have our next kid". when I envision this birth I see myself sitting in the tub, with my candles at the opposite end. I sit in it every night for an hour or more, lights dim, candles lit and relaxing and thinking I can't wait to have this baby in this tub. But then I read all the wonderful things about the la bassine and how comfortable it is, how the inflatable bottom is great, how the sides are nice to hang off of, etc. which I won't have in the tub.

For those of you who have used both a tub and pool, which did you like more? For those who've only used a tub did you enjoy your experience, or would you opt for a pool next time? This is most likely our last child, my first homebirth, and probably last, so this is a one chance shot type of deal.

Here's a picture of the tub from when we first moved in the house. the water level really only goes to about an 1in - 1 1/2 inches above the jets. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/...750374.jpg?v=0

[dayiscoming2006]

I think the whirlpool tub is enough. Sure it lacks in a few things but it sounds like you are quite comfortable with it and I think it might make for easier clean up after the birth.

If you REALLY want the la bassine and you have money to spare then go with what you want but I honestly think your tub would be enough.

(I've never water birthed, but I would consider it if I had a larger tub)

[jrabbit]

We have a standard size tub, but it's got whirlpool jets. When we remodeled, I personally designed the tub area in anticipation of a home birth. I wish I'd done more research, because there are a few flaws to it, but we were happy with it overall.

In preparation for my birth, we figured out what parts of the house would be suitable for different positions. Leaning over the side of the tub would have worked, but I didn't do that. What made it work best for me was the ability to seclude myself in my tub/nook. I had a candle, and I used the jets off & on, and it also has a heater, so it stayed hot. My bathroom is big, so I got in & out of the tub, and I used a birthing ball in there, too.

The only downside is that it wasn't big enough for DH to hold me or sit with me. I'm trying to figure out a way to make that work this time, though. (there is a ledge I might be able to convince him to sit on)

I really preferred being able to clean out the tub easily rather than having to drain a big separate tub. But that might not be as hard as I imagine it to be.

http://www.pigvig.net/photos.html

--janis

**writing this has reminded me that I need a birthing ball and a head-rest for the bathtub!!!

[nashvillemidwife]

Since you're not due until April, you've got plenty of time to hang out in the tub with your growing belly and determine if it will be a comfortable place for you to birth. If you get to about 34 weeks and decide it's not big enough then just get the pool.

[wholisticmidwife]

If you have envisioned the birth in that tub and you give birth and the baby is perfect(in your dreams), listen to your intuition. I REALLY listen to my moms intuition and encourage them to do so. If you tub is large enough to sit sideways and squatting I say don't add more plastic and chemicals to our mother earth.
Sam Evans LM CPM

[Full Heart]

While I took baths in my garden tub up till the birth I was not comfortable at all during labor. I hurt my knees and I couldn't sit on my butt at all cause it hurt too much. Leaning over the edge was not nearly as nice as hanging over the side of an inflated tub either. I've known women who gave birth in tubs before and were fine. I thought I would be, water is water. But it wasn't anywhere near what the pool offered. Jme.

[munkeesmama]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

We have a standard size tub, but it's got whirlpool jets. When we remodeled, I personally designed the tub area in anticipation of a home birth. I wish I'd done more research, because there are a few flaws to it, but we were happy with it overall.

In preparation for my birth, we figured out what parts of the house would be suitable for different positions. Leaning over the side of the tub would have worked, but I didn't do that. What made it work best for me was the ability to seclude myself in my tub/nook. I had a candle, and I used the jets off & on, and it also has a heater, so it stayed hot. My bathroom is big, so I got in & out of the tub, and I used a birthing ball in there, too.

The only downside is that it wasn't big enough for DH to hold me or sit with me. I'm trying to figure out a way to make that work this time, though. (there is a ledge I might be able to convince him to sit on)

I really preferred being able to clean out the tub easily rather than having to drain a big separate tub. But that might not be as hard as I imagine it to be.

http://www.pigvig.net/photos.html

--janis

**writing this has reminded me that I need a birthing ball and a head-rest for the bathtub!!!

Thanks for this post! I think my tub is "bigger" than yours but not necessarily deeper. The depth is what I was worried about. Did you push kneeling or how did that work? Hubby can get in with me, But i'm not sure that's something he'd be interested in (or me for that matter as i like my space). I've figure out if i sit sideways instead of longways it may be perfect to prop my feet against the tub for pushing (and the emergency drain thing works pretty well as a mirror!). I also like the appeal that it will be MUCH easier to fill/keep warm/drain/clean. Since hubby has already said he does NOT want to clean a birth pool (birth fluids/yuckiness does not appeal to him.)

I've added a link to my original post with a picture of our tub (it was while our house was being built so me and the kids all jumped in )

[munkeesmama]

Originally Posted by wholisticmidwife

If you have envisioned the birth in that tub and you give birth and the baby is perfect(in your dreams), listen to your intuition. I REALLY listen to my moms intuition and encourage them to do so. If you tub is large enough to sit sideways and squatting I say don't add more plastic and chemicals to our mother earth.
Sam Evans LM CPM

It is definitely big enough to sit sideways, and perfect to prop my legs up for leverage for pushing (and the emergency drain thing is perfect level to act as a mirror. lol) but the kneeling is what i'm unsure of. If I get one of those plastic things to cover the emergency drain then I can probably get another inch of water. If I kneel my biggest worry is that the baby won't be completely under water. I'd have to really focus on kneeling LOW enough to keep baby under water until it was born, and i'm not sure i'd be able to at the time. But I guess i could just push another way.

as for the dreams, they're not necessarily night time dreams, but more daydreaming.

[munkeesmama]

Originally Posted by Full Heart

While I took baths in my garden tub up till the birth I was not comfortable at all during labor. I hurt my knees and I couldn't sit on my butt at all cause it hurt too much. Leaning over the edge was not nearly as nice as hanging over the side of an inflated tub either. I've known women who gave birth in tubs before and were fine. I thought I would be, water is water. But it wasn't anywhere near what the pool offered. Jme.

Hmmm, that's what I'm afraid of

[jrabbit]

water birth in a bathtub is definitely different than a birthing pool - when it came time for our birth, the tub had actually been drained a little. We weren't going for a total immersion birth. The water was a relaxation thing for me. I did hands & knees on my bed - which is where my water broke - then I got back in the tub. I did squat in the tub, and i got good leverage with the side of the tub. You could put a foam/rubber mat on the bottom of the tub for kneeling (I'm going to think about that now). I used a tub-pillow for my neck, but it could have been under my knees, too. At the end, it was interesting, though - because there were 2 adults and a 4 year old trying to get a good view, and only a narrow entry point for them!

Molly was 8#13, and her birth was much easier and less painful than my first 7#1 in the hospital. I think the water helped with the perineum, maybe?

I particularly appreciated wholisticmidwife's comment about not adding more plastic ... a valid point worth considering.

--janis

[logcabinmomma]

I have a huge whirlpool garden tub that does cover my belly now (38 weeks!). I plan to birth in it again- my last baby was also born there. I actually found it very comfortable to lay sidelying in it as I was able to push in a very controlled manner. I leaned/hung over the side through transition and never even turned on the jets. *My* tub is big enough for 3 (triangle shaped, and lots of places to brace feet if needed/wanted), but DH gets the heeby-jeebies and doesn't want to get in with me!

The seriously best thing about it though is #1- it's always ready and will fill deep enough to get into in 15-20 minutes, and #2- cleanup is amazing- pull the plug and swish with the placenta bowl- ta-da!!!

-Kristi

[Emilie]

I would go blow up fishy pool- My favorite position was hanging over the side- in the beginning of labor I was in the tub while my husband got the pool ready- it was NOT anything like it- I loved the pool.
Em

[mommajam]

[QUOTE= If I kneel my biggest worry is that the baby won't be completely under water. I'd have to really focus on kneeling LOW enough to keep baby under water until it was born, and i'm not sure i'd be able to at the time. But I guess i could just push another way.
[/QUOTE]

For me personally, this would have been a big big deal. I have had two water births. One was in a nice big tub at a birth center and the other was in a fishy pool under a tent in my back yard. I liked the depth of the tub, but it was not wide enough for me. And it was hard for when I wanted to hang over or be on hands and knees, or spread my knees wider. The tub I was in was wider than your tub, but also deeper. I could be on my hands and knees and be covered all the way to about the top of my lower back (I think...it is a little hard to remember). In the fishy pool, I had a much easier time because I had a lot more width to work with, I could move around and many different positions. Hanging over the side was wonderfully cushy, and if I needed to push against something I could have had my husband get in and help create the right space (it was round and not oval like most of the birthing pools). I loved the freedom the width gave me. I think for most people it would have been deep enough, also, as it is close to the same depth as most birthing pools, but here is where I had a little more difficulty, because I am very tall with very long legs. On my hands and knees the water only just came up to almost my lower back. That wasn't really good enough for me in that particular labor, but the compromise was that my husband just poured the warm water gently over my back during contractions. That worked ok, but was not my ideal.
Looking at your tub, and realizing what you said in the quote up top, my advice would be to get the birth pool. For me the greatest benefit of the waterbirth experience is the comfort the water brings my body as it labors and pushes. If that much of my body was out of the water so that I had to try to lower myself to keep the baby in, then the benefits of the water would be at the least greatly reduced, if not completely nullified. I have also found that having real freedom of movement in the water makes a HUGE difference (that was the only baby with whom I did not tear, and it was the fastest delivery). If I had a choice of no water or your tub, I would definitely go for the tub. If i had a choice between the birth pool and the tub, I would go for the birth pool. Be in mind, my opinions are based solely on my own experiences. Maybe your body doesn't need what my body needs.
As for the cleanup, my husband made a simple siphon ( I think just like the ones you would use to drain a fish tank, only longer and a little more wide) and siphoned it out onto the ground in the yard outside. What was left was simple to simply hose out and then he let it dry in direct sunlight. So I don't think it was too hard to clean.