Birthing Equipment

Below is a presentation of the birthing equipment that is included in the Birth assistant Doula's package. The items are also available for private rent.

La Bassine™ Home Birthing Pool – Maxi

The maxi birth pool is significantly larger than the original regular pool and will easily accommodate two people. There are four handles on the inside and two on the top for utmost convenience, comfort and support.

Using a birthing pool offers key benefits like natural pain relief (endorphin release), reduced need for drugs, increased mobility and comfort due to water's buoyancy, a feeling of more control, faster labour, and potentially fewer tears because the perineum relaxes. It creates a calm, private, and soothing environment, helping mothers conserve energy, adopt various positions, and potentially leading to a more positive, less medicalized birth experience.

Pain & Anxiety Relief

Natural Pain Relief: Warm water triggers endorphin release, the body's natural painkillers, reducing pain perception and anxiety.
Less Need for Drugs: Many women find water immersion reduces or eliminates the need for epidurals or other pharmacological pain relief.
Soothing & Calming: The buoyancy and warmth create a relaxed atmosphere, easing tension and stress.

Mobility & Positioning

Buoyancy: Water supports up to 75% of your weight, making movement easier and conserving energy for labor.
Freedom to Move: Easier mobility allows you to change positions frequently, which can help the baby descend and labour progress.
Gravity's Help: Upright positions in water use gravity to encourage baby's descent.

Labour & Delivery Experience

Shorter Labour: Relaxation and efficient contractions can lead to a shorter labour.
Empowerment: Increased control, privacy, and less intervention can lead to a more empowering birth.
Gentler Birth: Helps perineal tissues stretch, potentially reducing severe tears.
Calm Arrival: A warm, relaxed baby can be brought straight to skin-to-skin contact, promoting bonding.

Birthing Stool

Using a birthing stool offers key benefits by utilizing gravity to help the baby descend, opening the pelvis wider for easier passage, potentially shortening labour, and increasing maternal comfort and satisfaction, reducing the need for interventions like epidurals or C-sections, by keeping the birthing person upright and facilitating more efficient uterine contractions.

Physical Benefits

Opens the Pelvis: Upright positions, like those on a stool, allow the pelvic outlet to open wider, creating more room for the baby to pass through.
Uses Gravity: Gravity assists the baby in moving down the birth canal, making contractions more effective.
Strengthens Contractions: Helps the uterus contract more efficiently.

Labour & Delivery Process

Shortens Labour: Can significantly shorten the first stage of labour, reducing exhaustion.
Reduces Interventions: Less likely to need epidurals or C-sections.
Increases Comfort: Offers greater comfort and maternal satisfaction during labour.

Positioning & Movement

Freedom of Movement: Makes it easier to change positions frequently (squatting, kneeling, sitting).
Supports Spine: Takes pressure off the lower spine, allowing for natural movement.

How it Works

A birthing stool supports upright positions like squatting, sitting, or kneeling, which are natural ways women have given birth for centuries.
These positions work with gravity and open the body, unlike lying flat on the back, which works against gravity and restricts the pelvis.

Elle Tens Machine

The NEW 3-in-1 Elle TENS+ 3 units in 1 : treats birth pain, general pain and pelvic floor toning,

With contraction timer it is undoubtedly the ultimate obstetric TENS unit, the Elle TENS+ boasts 3 fully functional units in one - for all your labour and post labour needs.

Built-in contraction timer. Pre set modes for ease of use.
Integrated boost button. Optimax technology for extra power. Uses 4 large pads.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) provides drug-free pain relief in labour by sending gentle electrical impulses to block pain signals and release endorphins, helping you stay mobile and control pain, especially in early labour for back pain.

Key benefits include self-controlled, portable, non-invasive pain management, promoting freedom to move and use at home, with no known side effects for the baby.

Birthing Ball

Birthing balls offer benefits throughout pregnancy, labour, and postpartum by easing pain, encouraging optimal fetal positioning, and strengthening core muscles through gentle bouncing and rocking, which helps open the pelvis, relieve back/hip pressure, promote circulation, and potentially shorten labour, all while providing comfort and stability.

During Pregnancy

Encourages Optimal Fetal Position: Sitting and rocking helps rotate hips, creating space and encouraging the baby to move into the head-down position for birth.
Strengthens Core & Pelvis: Gentle bouncing works tummy and back muscles, building strength needed for labour.
Relieves Discomfort: Alleviates back pain, hip pain, and fluid retention by promoting circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Improves Posture: Can be used as an alternative to a desk chair, keeping you active and upright.

During Labour

Reduces Pain: Bouncing, swaying, and rocking can significantly ease contraction pain and discomfort.
Opens the Pelvis: Upright positions and pelvic tilts help create more space for the baby to descend.
Shortens Labour: Studies suggest it can help labour progress faster, potentially by an hour or more, and reduce the need for interventions.
Provides Support: Offers a stable surface to lean on, allowing partners to offer massages and support.

Equipment for hire prices:

Birthing pool: Comes with liner and electric pump for emptying of the pool.

An electric pump that will inflate your La Bassine in 5 mins!
A 15m eco water hose: contains No Lead, Cadmium or Phthalates, anti-algae.
A water pump, perfect to empty your birth pool easily and silently.
Debris net to help clean pool after use.
Waterproof Ground sheet to protect your floor.
Pool Cover– helps retain heat
A tap connector to fit your hose to your taps.

6 weeks: £120.00

Birthing Stool: 6 weeks: £20.00

Birthing Ball: 6 weeks: £10.00

Tens Machine: 6 weeks: £20.00

Pelvic Physio

Although I am not a qualified physiotherapist I have devised a safe and very effective program for the relief of pelvic pain. The sooner you begin these exercises the better chance you will not be left disabled in late pregnancy.

3 X 1 hour sessions: £60.00