How to organise a waterbirthIn 1992, the House of Commons Health Committee report on the UK maternity services recommended that all women should be given choice in childbirth including labouring and giving birth in water. As a result, many hospitals installed birthing pools. Some became expert in helping women give birth in water. Others did not encourage women to use the birthing pool and so developed few skills. This picture is probably still the same today, with some maternity units keen to make use of their pools, and others very reluctant, so that women either do not know the unit has a pool available, or are discouraged by staff from using it. Alternatively you can hire a birthing pool for home or hospital use, don't think this is extreme:many women do this! Hospital waterbirthCurrently, there are no national guidelines for the use of birthing pools but as the practice of waterbirth has become more common each hospital has compiled its own protocols, or policies, taking into account the research evidence. Carine Pouypoudat runs Made in Water, a website dedicated to natural childbirth. She believes that women should be routinely offered a warm pool of water before being offered an epidural or a shot of pethidine. "A birth is a very intimate and unique moment in our life and we should do all we can to ensure our wishes are respected," she says. However, Mary Newland, head of policy research at NCT, says "A lot of maternity units either have a pool they don't use or they are allocated on a first come, first served basis. There is certainly not a sufficient number to meet demand." And Janet Balaskas adds, "Women rate water labours and births very highly. It's high time every woman had this option just as every woman can have an epidural." Many hospitals have a plumbed-in water pool, and have also created a relaxed and informal environment for waterbirth. If you are interested in a waterbirth in hospital, speak to your midwife. She might be happy to support you in labour, or to give you the name of another midwife who has more experience of waterbirth. If she cannot help you, get in touch with the supervisor of midwives at your hospital. If there isn't a midwife on the staff who has experience of waterbirth, one or two of them might be able to do some specialised training if you give them enough notice of your wishes. Or you may be able to choose to have your baby at another hospital that does offer waterbirths. Carine says, "Birthchoice has a statistic of all UK maternity units and it is easy to find one which will support your choice. "This is something you may want to think about early in your pregnancy as set backs can be very frustrating and difficult to deal with when you come close to your due date." Some hospitals also run a special antenatal session on using a water pool and again your midwife will be able to tell you more about this. If your local hospital doesn't have the facilities for waterbirths, the midwives may be willing to use a pool which you have hired, although it is important to have agreement to this arrangement in writing, from the supervisor of midwives, before you go to the expense of hiring the pool. However, many women find that their hospital is unwilling to allow parents to bring in their own hired pool, a situation which Janet Balaskas finds very frustrating. "If women are prepared to hire a pool themselves and do all the work - surely it must be possible for hospitals to accommodate them. "I think that the main reason is that the hard pressed midwives don't want to hassle with putting up, emptying and dismantling pools. "Portable pools work brilliantly with very little trouble and partners can do all the work to fill and empty them just as they do at home." Carine says that pools are generally well accepted by most hospitals but recommends you speak to the midwives first. "You must check with them how you will fill the pool - which tap connector you may need for example and where you will empty it. "You also need to think about the size of the pool as some hospital rooms are small." Home waterbirthIf you are planning a home birth, you could hire a midwife to attend your home waterbirth. The Association of Independent Midwives is an organisation which has midwives experienced in home and waterbirth, but you will have to pay for their services. Alternatively, you could discuss with the midwives at your local hospital if they are willing to attend you at home. As well as the practical aspects, you may want to consider other things when organising your home waterbirth.
Hiring a pool
Different types of poolA few years ago there was only one kind of birthing pool available but as waterbirth is getting worldwide recognition for its many advantages, women now have access to a wider range of birthing pool offering different advantages to suit the need of every woman. Types of poolThere are three main types of birthing pool. 1. Rigid pool - these are available to rent from many companies and come in different shapes and sizes. They usually come with a full kit as well as accessories such as a birthing ball and video. They are a good choice if your partner wants to be in the pool with you as they are slightly larger than other types of pool. However, they can be expensive to rent. 2. Heated pool - also available to rent, these pools are the ultimate luxury in waterbirth. They can be set up in advance and enjoyed for relaxation weeks before the big day and again after the birth. However, they are very expensive and may not suit everyone's budget. 3. Inflatable pool - these are available to buy and are an affordable way to a waterbirth. They are compact, comfortable and easy to set up although you will need to get accessories to fill and empty the pool. Some women do not feel as secure in the inflatable as they would do in the rigid pool. Which one will I choose?Waterbirths have been popular with Babyworld members and much discussion has gone on regarding which pool to choose. Here are some of your comments. Inflatable pool "I used the La Bassine pool and it was great. The midwife was also happy with it too." Katy "The pool was great, well worth the money. We bought an electric pump so it went up really fast." Tracy "Blow up pools are really comfy to birth in (blow up floor), and keep their temperature really well due to the insulating sides. La Bassine even has handles that you can hang on to!" Caroline Rigid pool "I used Gentle Waterbirthpools in my last delivery as my tank could not fill a bath full in 1 loading (and takes 3 hours to refill) so it was never a option for me to not have a heated one. I've no complaints." Lonnie "They are quiet pricey, but the pool is a great size, temp controlled, has a safety cover, padded sides, pump, and my partner said it was very easy to construct." Anne "I used a hospital rigid birthing pool in my third labour and it made such a difference: my contractions went from one a minute to one every 10-15 minutes, I totally relaxed, and I gave birth less than two hours later." Jill Pool in a box "I used the birth in a box version for my home waterbirth and at 5ft 8 it wasn't quite deep enough for me - the midwife had to keep pushing my bum under the water." Caroline "The sides are quite wide and I lent on the sides with all my weight and it was really stable." Rachael
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