Customer Comments
Spring birth story
Kia is 17 years old,lives in Lewes with her partner Graeme, 21 and their new baby daughter Tiffany.
“I’ve always thought of birth as normal, not a sickness. So I didn't feel the need to go to hospital.The idea of bright lights, a sterile environment, being wired up, with other people in charge was a horrible thought to me. Graeme also thought that it was better to be at home.
In the early morning of 5th December, I couldn't sleep and was out of bed walking about, periody type pains. I had a show at about 8.00am, and the period feeling got stronger. My mum took me for a little walk in the fresh air and said “ this isn't a period,this is having a baby, so you must try to allow your body to accept it, not fight it” I leaned on a gate and remembered the breathing. Back at the flat my sister was there and she was timing the contractions, they were about one in 10minutes, then 1 in 7 then I had a huge one that ran into itself for about 15minutes.
We phoned the midwife and she said she would be out later. About 4:00pm I got into the pool, Graeme had gone for a sleep and my sister was rubbing my back every time I had a contraction. The midwife came at5.00pm and asked me if I would agree to have an internal examination to see how far labour had progressed. I got out of the pool and that was awful. I didn't really understand when she told me that I was 7 cms dilated, fully effaced,direct OA, all I wanted was to get back in the water. Everyone else seemed to know that it was good news.
Graeme came and held my hands. The midwife told me I was smiling after each contraction. From the minute I got into the pool, I knew that it was going to help, I felt light and able to go through it. Holding on to Graeme, knowing he was there with me helped a lot. I did ponder before whether it was right to ask him to be there, but now I’m so glad he was.
I saw the head, then moments later my newborn daughter being lifted out of the water. When she was in my arms, I was overwhelmed with happiness.
Graeme says he was numb,overwhelmed at the time, later on he had a rush of emotion. When she came out he had a glowing smile.
We’ve been coping really well since the birth. I’m finding breast-feeding easy and can express enough milk so that Graeme can feed her by bottle too. Because baby’s been so good, it’s a shock for him to find her sometimes inconsolable. He’s trying his best to support me, he’s really lovely with Tiffany. He’s happy and proud of both of us; he calls us “his girlies”. We area family.
It’s not so much a “high” now, more of a routine. I really enjoy it, it’s like an adventure with a map, it’s exciting in a manageable way.
My advice to a friend of my age who is expecting a baby would be to say;have a water birth, don’t listen to horror stories, trust that your body is well equipped to do the job.”
Angela Horn’s Review www.homebirth.org.uk
For my third labour, I have been given free use of a Gentle Water pool in order to review it. At the time of writing, my baby is due any day, and the pool has been set up for a week - my two boys and I have been enjoying relaxing in it.
The Gentle Water pool is made of reinforced polystyrene panels which clip together, with a strong inner liner, and padded top rails. It is adapted from a portable hot tub/spa from theUSA.It has a heat retention cover which clips securely all around the edges of the pool, and which can be locked in place to stop older children or pets from falling in. The pool is supplied as two large boxes containing most of the equipment, and one smaller one with a pump - all fits into a hatchback car. The boxes were surprisingly light and I had no trouble in moving them around myself at 37 weeks of pregnancy. Assembly was very easy - my oldest child (nearly 5)did most of it! One person would have no problem in doing this alone. It took about half an hour.
This pool is supplied with a heater/filtration unit, which was also pretty easy to set up. You can set it to maintain the water at a particular temperature, and it also seems to heat the water efficiently.
Preliminary findings from my family's test run of the pool are very favourable - the padded rails around the side are comfortable to lean against, and it seems to be strong. The heater/filtration unit is unobtrusive and does its job well. Although the pool is supplied with a thin layer of padding to go under the liner, this didn't look sufficient to me for our hard floors, so I chopped up some carpet underlay and simply lay this in the base, before I put the liner in. There was plenty of room to move and the pool seems to be strong. It did creak a bit when I tried bracing my feet against the sides, but the pool's supplier assures me that this is normal and is not a sign of weakness. Apparently it is designed to be strong enough to withstand having a ride-on mower crashing into it.
Update:
My third baby, Teàrlach Andrew McKenzie Horn, was born at home on 29 December 2002, in the Gentle Water pool reviewed above. He is gorgeous, and the pool was wonderful!
The heater unit performed well - I wanted the water hotter than I had expected, and the heater unit seemed to take only around 15 minutes to heat the whole pool up by one degree C. The padded top rails were a real bonus - no need for inflatable pillows or rolled-up towels to make it comfortable to lean your head or neck on the sides. This made a real difference to me - one less thing to have to fuss about while in labour. It also made it easier to climb in and out of the pool -the soft rails are less slippery than hard edges. The submersible pump provided to empty the pool performed well, and made cleaning up easy.
The midwives were impressed with the pool, and particularly liked the fact that the sides were not too high, so it was easy for me to climb in and out unaided. They also liked the digital temperature control and display.
Overall I was very pleased with this pool and would certainly recommend it. I loved the combination of a rigid, stable pool, and soft, padded sides. I hope to use this one again.
Caroline Bottrell
I knew that most people tended to have their babies in hospital and I also knew that I didn't want to. I think the main reason was because I associate hospitals with sick people and having a baby isn't an illness is it? It's supposed to be a natural process! I also have a thing about sterile smells and the look of medical equipment that you can glimpse through open doors. But that's just a personal thing and I know not everyone is like me. I also knew that in order for me to get through labour I had to be genuinely relaxed and the best place would be in the comfort of my own home with my things around me; a big sofa,carpet under foot and privacy.
Once I'd decided on the home birth, hiring a birthing pool seemed sensible. I've always enjoyed water and find having a deep bubble bath and a glass of wine the best way to unwind after a stressful day. Drinking wine would have to wait but having a warm pool set up in my back room that I could just float in every afternoon was pure bliss. I'd switch on Classic FM , pick up my baby magazines and relieve the weight. I even invited my NCT friends round so that we could all wallow together.
When it came to the big moment I couldn't wait to get into the pool. My body instantly relaxed as it felt the warm soothing water. I remember making the most gratified 'aah' as I sunk into it's warmth - it was heaven. The water kept me buoyant and enabled me to get into all sorts of positions which I couldn't do on dry land, particularly not whilst having contractions! Little things about the design of the Gentle water pool were key e.g. the padded sides were great to hold onto and rest my head against between contractions, I think most hospital pools are enamel. This comment may sound strange but once you've been through it you'll know what I mean.
Living in a second floor flat I was unsure if we'd be able to have a pool because of the weight but we made some contingency plans and bought some hardboard to spread the load and we had no problems. Every one has different opinions about home births and birthing pools. All I can say is I had a good experience, Joshua was my first baby, he was born an hour after I got into the pool, I had no need for extra pain relief (and I'm no brave lady) and we were able to watch him swim up to the surface and take his first breath of air. I will definitely hire a pool for baby number two.
Kind Regards -Caroline Bottrell
Jenny Lesley who had a vaginal birth after 3 cesarean sections
The pool was like a welcoming old friend giving you a hug. I had used it so much during the wait for labour that it was a familiar, safe place,somewhere I associated with relief from aches and pains. I half knelt, half floated, arms and elbows on the side. Sue was near me, asking me if it helped,Raymond was issuing his mum with sleeping bags for children in the other room.As I aaahed and oohed my way through a contraction I hoped briefly that my mother in law wasn't too embarrassed.
Kerry Simpson, who recently gave birth in the Primavera pool,says: "Myself, my husband and child used the pool daily for 3 weeks and a few times after the birth. It was the only place I could get relief from ‘end of pregnancy’ back and hip pain. Once the pool is ready it can be kept heated for several days at a time, which meant I still managed to use it for my short labour. As soon as I needed the pool, it was beautifully warm and I got instant pain relief. Having used a different pool for my first birth I really appreciated the simple assembly and softer, roomier construction of the Primavera pool. The water temperature control was straightforward and the filter system kept everything clean. The lockable cover removed any worries about my little boy coming to harm and of course it was portable! We were so impressed with the pool and difference it made to my birth that we are now considering taking a franchise to offer the benefits to other families in our area.”
Samantha G
"I found the warmth of the pool very inviting and relaxing. I suffered from varicose veins during pregnancy and appreciated the comfort and buoyancy the water gave me.
My family also enjoyed the pool; Theo (aged2 1/2 ) who will not go near a swimming pool got into the water at the first opportunity and splashed around happily.
James (aged 8) made use of the pool with friends and thought it highly exciting.
My baby was very peaceful in the pool during the times the family relaxed in the pool in the days following the birth".
Simon P.
"Once again having the pool made the whole birthing (from before to after) a softer and deeper experience. Having our second baby born in the pool at home is the best thing ever".
Thank you from a Grandmother
"As a 56 year-old granny who had 2 children in hospital on her back, I am amazed at how wonderful a water birth was for my daughter. She was totally relaxed and had very little pain. The whole experience was calm and stress free. Thank you. A wonderful idea".
Peter G.
Delivering my own daughter underwater, in the tranquility of our sitting room, was the most profound experience of my life. Thank you to all at Gentle Water for helping to make that possible".
Michael and Elizabeth W.
"The pool was fantastic! Even though we couldn't use it for the birth in the end. Elizabeth said she would not have been without it for the relaxation and pain relief it provided in the four weeks up to the birth. It was great just having it ready to get into anytime of the day or night".
Stuart G.
"Having used a less sophisticated birthing pool two and a half years ago when our son Theo was born, I appreciated the advantages of this more recent model. Assembly was very straightforward, the various components being light and manageable. The pump mechanism was simplicity itself, merely a matter of plugging in at the mains and waiting for the water to reach the pre-set, thermostatically controlled,temperature level. The robust but easy to fit cover was a reassuring safety feature, particularly with a toddler in the house".
Vicky C.
"Having a pool to give birth in and relax in before hand was lovely. As this was my third baby the labour was just 4 hours long and the water was particularly important for pain relief, as this was my shortest and most intense labour. With my two previous births I hired a pool with no heater so was grateful that I could rely on the water always being the right temperature because I thought this labour would be short. My two older children played for an hour in the pool before bed, which gave me some rest time in the two weeks before I gave birth. It was a lovely experience and he is a sweet and calm boy".
Belinda.
"I'm the envy of all my friends at the moment! It's the only place I can completely relax, and I'd recommend people to have one in the last weeks of pregnancy even if they were planning a hospital birth or had no intention of a water birth".
