[Devida]

Hi,

I am looking into all the options for a planned homebirth/waterbirth and was going to hire a birthing pool, however I have read alot of ladies on this site have bought an inflatable pool - which is obviously the more cost effective option, however, they seem shallower and presumably don't have the heat capability that a birthing pool would have. I am interested to know what your thoughts are - did the inflatable pools do the job just as well?

Many thanks
Dee
x

 

[alegna]

We used the fishy blow-up pool and it worked great.

-Angela

 

[Caring Touch]

We used the fishy blow up pool too and I loved it. It was big and wonderful. My husband just bought a new hose with an adapter for the house and kept the pool warm for me. My friends would take water out with pots from time to to time. It wasn't that time consuming as I thought it would. It worked just fine. I was in the water about 7 hours total and it was great.

Good luck.

 

[Baelzharon]

We used a kiddie blow up pool and DW loved it because the bottom inflated as well and it was very soft to kneel on. When I filled the pool the temp was at 99/100 deg. and about 4 hours later it barely went down in temp (like 96 deg) incase you're basing your decision on the self-heating aspect. Nothing that couldn't be fixed by dumping hot water.

 

[EarthyLady]

I have a queston to add to this post if I may...

I'm so glad someone started this thread cause I've been wanting to ask the same question. My other question to add to is...How tall are you and how deep was the pool? Were you bouyant enough? I'm 5'7" and am wondering if the fishy pool would work cause it's like 22". Would it be better to go with a deeper pool?

TIA!

Mandy

 

[alegna]

I'm 5'5" and the pool was 22" I think. It was MORE than deep enough. sit on the floor and measure how high that is... it's a lot more water than you think...

For me, I think that deeper would have been more awkward unless it was 4' deep (but even then I'd want a bench or something to sit on...)

-Angela

-Angela

 

[Persephone]

Haven't given birth yet, but I"m going with a birth pool, because our water heater sucks. We have to take 15 min showers in the morning in winter, because it's so tiny (we live in an apt). I intend to get a fishy pool if we ever move into a place with a decent water heater.

 

[nuhnuh]

I also went with the fishy pool for money reasons, and I was worried that it said it was only 24" deep. I will tell you that's deeper than you think, though. I'm 5'7" and the water covered my belly and lower back both on my butt leaning back as well as on hands and knees/ on knees w/arms on the side of pool. You want to fill it up with air really well to make sure it will support your upper body weight leaning on the side without collapsing. Also I've heard it can be a problem with curious cats. My labor was super fast so water temp was not the issue, getting enough hot water into it once labor started was. Good luck! Either way, water is almost surely a good thing.

 

[Baelzharon]

Here is the pool we went with:

http://www.qualityinflatables.com/58480.html

22" was fine, she was able to kneel in the tub and put her arms around my waist while I sat in a little kiddie chair outside the pool. This ended up being the most comfortable position during birth, and the water was plenty deep enough to offer support.

 

[Music-mommy]

my mw brought a kiddie pool to my birth and I was totally disappointed, I was so looking forward to trying a water birth, and there was nowhere near enough water to submerge my belly. I'm not a huge woman either. 5'8" and 9 months pregnant weighed 175 lbs.

I didn't get to feel the feeling of the buoyancy at all.... so though dd was born in the water, I was very disappointed, next time for sure i would rent a birthing tub.

I can't remember how many inches it was, maybe 22"? Maybe less.....

 

[anonymommy]

I don't know where you can rent them, but the Voyager Portable Spa is wonderful for third trimester soaks and labor/birth. I would think it would have enough resale value to make it an affordable option even if the price tag makes you shocky. I, however, am not willing to part with mine and it is the kid's winter swimming pool. The walls are about 36" high and it is 6' across.

 

[alegna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music-mommy my mw brought a kiddie pool to my birth and I was totally disappointed, I was so looking forward to trying a water birth, and there was nowhere near enough water to submerge my belly. I'm not a huge woman either. 5'8" and 9 months pregnant weighed 175 lbs. I didn't get to feel the feeling of the buoyancy at all.... so though dd was born in the water, I was very disappointed, next time for sure i would rent a birthing tub. I can't remember how many inches it was, maybe 22"? Maybe less.....

Do you remember what pool it was? Was it as big as the one linked on this thread? (mine was the bigger version of the one linked here...)

-Angela

 

[Music-mommy]

Hmm, I'd guess not, it looks bigger than what I had. I just measured the height of what I remember and I'd say it was maybe 18" or 20" high, and maybe 50" in diameter? I'm thinking that because I spent most of my time on my hands and knees and I was resting my head on the end of the pool, also when I sat in the pool I had to bend my knees to fit, or if I sat upright I think I could just have enough room to stretch out my legs...

I think perhaps if you layed like you do in a tub and measure how much water you'd need in inches to completely cover your belly, it'd probably be at least 18" or so, and you need at least a few more inches more than that in the tub.

 

[crazy_eights]

I just birthed in a fishy pool and it was big enough for me. But I think they do come in different sizes. I was looking at Barbara Harper's site with a comparison of kiddie pools vs. labor tubs (link) I don't know if it was deliberate or not, but while the kiddie pool I birthed in had the same 'fishy' theme, it was bigger - I could float stretched out and my belly was covered. And yes, the recommendation is to fill it to 20 inches - the kiddie pools are typically 22 in while the birth tubs are 24. Either way, the kiddie pool was much better than the fancy jacuzzi I used at a hospital birth center. Not deep enough!

 

[myniyer]

I am surprised to see that I am completely in the minority. I have always been stumped at the idea of laboring in a kiddie pool! I labored in water for some time with DD. It was a jacuzzi style built in tub at a birth center. I had had some concerns about its size before labor started, and those turned out to be right on: I couldn't get comfortable in it and the water did not completely cover my belly, which turned out to be extremely important.

This next time we will be renting a round birth tub. We're not going to mess around - we're going to do what, for us, is right!

 

[jraohc]

We've got a fishie pool - got it for DD this summer. It seemed like it would be a good size for labor. I'm not large, but DH, DD, and I were all in the pool over the summer and DH said it was a good size. DH is about 6' and I'm 5'2".

I have been wondering about keeping the water warm though. Do you fill it with hot water from the tap?

 

[Devida]

Thanks for your feedback.

Having looked into this a bit more - I am a it worried that I wouldn't be comfortable in a kiddie pool - I am tall(ish) Just over 5' 10" and am lucky enough that there is a lady who rents out birthing pools just down the road from me at a very affordable price - so think we are going to go with that option.

Thanks again

Dee
x

 

[Snowdrift]

My midiwfe swears by the fishy pools, but it just seems irritatingly shallow to me. That and with a cat and DH and me both being notorious klutzes it just seems we'd be begging for a combination of the half-beached whale effect and flooding on the carpet.

If we can scrape up the cash we're thinking of buying a spa-in-box and then renting it out when we're done using it. No one in this area rents them that I've been able to find, so we're thinking of starting our own rental service with a couple of tubs to rent eventually.

Just can't see spending a couple of hundred bucks for shipping, y'know? And I'm sure I'm not the only one in my area who'd prefer to be able to rent locally.

 

[Defenestrator]

I know someone in Lansing who rents a Barbara Harper-designed pool. She would probably be willing to deliver to where you are. PM me if you want contact info for her.

 

[Bardocka]

I've had one in a Softub and one in the kiddy pool. The kiddy pool was horrible for me, the sides were too soft and wouldn't give me enough support and it was just a bit too shallow, the water temp was fine though. For my third I'll be getting the Softub again, the walls were sturdy and could support me and I could press against the sides with my legs. The water depth was great and really allowed me to relax.