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* Welcome * Why use a Waterbirth pool? *
birthing pool hire for central Scotland
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Why use a Waterbirth pool?		 *
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* The increasing popularity of waterbirth pools has grown from the need for greater choice in labour for those who wish to labour without drugs and intervention and their consequential risks to both mother and baby. Using water for pain relief during labour is now well established with many hospitals in the UK providing deep baths for the purpose. Waterbirth pools must be hired for home births. Many women are drawn to water during pregnancy for relaxation and support and so using water in labour is a natural continuum.

Using a pool in labour can offer:
  • Privacy
  • Relaxation
  • Buoyancy
  • Warmth
  • Space
  • Freedom of movement
  • Restful environment
  • Endorphin release
Being immersed in a deep bath of warm water can enhance a mother's ability to relax: she can move easily, her body is supported and she can breath deeply. The heat of the water can have a direct effect on her pain by increasing her endorphin production (her own pain relieving hormones) and reducing her muscle tone. The warmth of the water can also help her soft tissues of her pelvic floor and perineum to relax as she approaches birth. A warm, deep pool can provide a space conducive to physiological labour with optimal hormone release: minimising adrenaline release whilst maximising oxytocin and endorphin release.

The size and shape of the pool can allow her a freedom of movement often difficult on dry land. The buoyancy of the water can facilitate open birth positions such as squatting, so that she can maximise the size of her pelvis, helping her baby to move down and forward to birth.

Studies show that women who use waterbirth pools may:
  • Have a significantly shorter labour
  • Have reduced need for pain relieving drugs.
  • Have a significantly reduced risk of tearing.
  • Have a significantly reduced risk of bleeding after the birth of her first baby
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The birth pool was brilliant! It literally took the weight off my shoulders as soon as Jules got into the pool. With a chair to hand for her to lean on and me to sit on, it was only the cocktails that were missing.

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