Tiny apartment--labouring at home

Nukke · July 2013

Hi guys. I live in an approximate 500 sq foot apartment (but that's a guess. I think it's less than that even). I don't feel comfortable having a home birth in our cramped (90% carpeted) space. I would, however, like to labour at home as long as possible.

Have any of you laboured in a similarly tiny space? In many ways I'd feel much more comfortable labouring here than at my local hospital (5-10 min drive away), but at the same time I don't want to feel cramped. Any advice?

tokenhoser · July 2013

While labouring at home, I tried the bath tub, and mostly watched TV while leaning over my yoga ball. I didn't need much space.

You can also do what is comfortable when you get there. You don't have to decide now - go to the hospital when you want to be there.

Nukke · July 2013

It just occurred to me that my hospital room is going to be a lot smaller than my apartment. So I feel a lot better about labouring here now. Still, any advice (or personal stories) would be appreciated.

Khaleesi07 · July 2013

No advice since I'm a FTM, but I will be in the same situation. My BF and I live in a 1br apartment, about 600ish sqft. We're moving before my due date, but most of the apartments we've been looking at are roughly the same size. If we can't find a place before mid-August, then we're just going to stay put until after the baby comes.

It's weird not knowing where exactly I'll be when laboring, but either way I know it's going to be a small apartment!

Do you have a yoga ball and other equipment/aids you'll be using for laboring? Maybe it would be a good idea to have all of your "laboring stuff" together ready to go in one spot as your due date approaches, that way even though you're in a small space, you'll be organized and prepared.

Nukke · July 2013

Khaleesi07:
No advice since I'm a FTM, but I will be in the same situation. My BF and I live in a 1br apartment, about 600ish sqft. We're moving before my due date, but most of the apartments we've been looking at are roughly the same size. If we can't find a place before mid-August, then we're just going to stay put until after the baby comes.
It's weird not knowing where exactly I'll be when laboring, but either way I know it's going to be a small apartment!
Do you have a yoga ball and other equipment/aids you'll be using for laboring? Maybe it would be a good idea to have all of your "laboring stuff" together ready to go in one spot as your due date approaches, that way even though you're in a small space, you'll be organized and prepared.

I'm due in late september, and my birth classes are in early August. I don't really know what labouring aids I'll need, or what I have already. Other than my DHs massaging hands and comforting words, the only aids I think I have right now are my yoga ball (or whatever you call it). I bounce on it all the time when baby gets in an awkward position and I feel uncomfortable.

Iff you do move before you labour, I hope you feel comfortable right away in your new place. I hope it feels homey and secure.

Nukke · July 2013

tokenhoser:
While labouring at home, I tried the bath tub, and mostly watched TV while leaning over my yoga ball. I didn't need much space.
You can also do what is comfortable when you get there. You don't have to decide now - go to the hospital when you want to be there.

Thanks! Yeah, and my midwife and DH will be here with me too. My midwife says usually they wait until 6cm to go to the hospital, but typically the mums tell her sooner than that that they're ready. So we'll see.

barnwife · July 2013

I haven't needed a ton of space for laboring. Just a nice place to sit (I rocked in our rocking chair for hours with J. and spent time on the toilet) and enough space to be on my hands and knees. Oh, and a place for the birth tub (we have HB).

So I guess my advice is that maybe you just won't need much space. I didn't want to be moving around much.

shiway · July 2013

I labored in my apt for my first. Apt was 450500 sq feet. We had a single bed in the living room for when my mom arrived. I labored 2 days and 2 nights there. It was plenty of space but was ready by the 3rd night to go to the birth center. When we got home after baby came It looked like a tornado came through! Kinda funny!

atcwag · July 2013

Depending on how you are feeling in early labor, are you in an area where you would be comfortable going out for a walk? Maybe a local park or even the mall? You'll want to change positions often (hands and knees, sidelying, bouncing on the birth ball, squatting, etc.) to move labor along. The worst thing you can do is lay in bed. However, none of these positions take a lot of room to achieve. If you feel like you may get "claustrophobic", I would try to get out of the apartment for a time while in early labor.

Nukke · July 2013

atcwag:
Depending on how you are feeling in early labor, are you in an area where you would be comfortable going out for a walk? Maybe a local park or even the mall? You'll want to change positions often (hands and knees, sidelying, bouncing on the birth ball, squatting, etc.) to move labor along. The worst thing you can do is lay in bed. However, none of these positions take a lot of room to achieve. If you feel like you may get "claustrophobic", I would try to get out of the apartment for a time while in early labor.

Yeah, that's another reason I want to labour at home. There are wonderful places to walk for when I'm in early labour.

ec0983 · July 2013

i actually think i would have preferred a smaller space to labor in. my house is certainly not huge- we live in a very modestly sized townhouse- but i labored in 3 places: my bathtub, my toilet, and on a yoga ball in front of the tv in my living room. i was one of those people that did not want to walk during labor, so going from one labor spot to another, especially getting up and down the stairs, was a pain. i think labor is just one of those situations where you work with the space/place that you have available. and like others said, you can always go outside to walk or head to the hospital early if you feel the need!

lioness13 · July 2013

I mainly labored in my bed and in the tub too. You don't need much space.

MrsBigTime · July 2013

I don't have a tiny house, but I could have and I don't think if would have made a difference. I paced the little area between my bathroom and my side of the bed and only left that area to puke in the toilet and then go down to the car.

rooftop · July 2013

FTM but I live in an equally small space. I've set up a spot specifically for laboring with my birth ball a yoga mat and some small focus items so even tho its not much room I'll feel cozy instead of cramped

sschwege · July 2013

That might make you feel even more safe, to labor in a small space. I typically avoid spending any time in our bedroom because it's tiny (our queen size bed barely fits), but while I was in labor with both my babies I was either in the bathroom or in our bedroom. It felt cozier than a big open space. But I'm not a walker, I guess if you like to walk a lot during labor that might be more of a challenge.

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