Hi everyone! Im planning a natural birth (no pain meds/induction etc) in a hospital with a midwife. (hopefully, since the practice also has 2 other OBs on call if she isn't available.) The hospital provides what is called a "labor tub" in the L&D suite. There is no mention on a birthing tub, so is there a difference? Or will they make you get out when it's time to push? I haven't gone on the hospital tour yet but I'm terribly curious about this tub! Could they really make you get out last minute if you were needing to push!? Thanks in advance for any info!
Re: Birthing in a labor pool at the hospital
From what I understand, the hospital allows you to labor in the tub but it's against (most) hospital policies to let you birth in one.
I would call and ask your doctor or the hospital itself for the best answer though.
In my state you are not allowed to give have a water birth in a hospital which I found out after my first appointment at a hospital that had a "labor tub" they told me that if I wanted to use it I could, but that there was only one tub in the hospital and it was first come, first serve, and that I would have to get out of the tub to give birth.
I switched to a birth center and gave birth in the tub. Having gone through the labor and delivery in the tub there was no way I would have wanted to get out to deliver.
It may be different in your hospital but my guess is that if they're calling it a labor tub, that's all it's for
The hospital I had my son in allows you to labor in, but not give birth in the tubs.
Another local area hospital (that my insurance does not cover) does allow births in the tub. A couple who had a waterbirth there spoke at our Bradley classes.
So you'll have to ask! GL!
This is the same where I'm delivering too. I'm still crossing my fingers to get one of the two tubs!
You'll have to ask the hospital to be sure. I am planning a hospital water birth, but I had to sign a consent form, get a hepatitis C test, and pay a deposit for the larger birth tub that they set up in the L&D room--it's not built in. The consent form also says that the MW can make me get out at any time and things like presence of meconium will rule out the water birth.