Labor, Birth and Postpartum

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

NDdoula — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:24:37 GMT

This birthing stool sounds ideal. I am working in Toronto, Ontario, any idea where I might be able to get something like this? I'm assuming the one you describe is hand made. Do you have a picture you could send?

Thank you!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

midwifea — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:13:08 GMT

Aloha Ola,

I sent you a private email and photo, but below are the measurements for anyone else interested. If anyone wants a photo too, email me.

My husband made it from mango (the seat) and guava limbs (the base) that are around our house here in Hawaii but any hardwoods would do.
It is a toilet type seat on a four legged, 3 brace, base. I wanted more room underneath to slide a bowl than a tripod design would allow.
The approximate measurements are:

floor to top of rear center seat 11"
floor to top of center of each side of seat 12"
18" from outside to outside each arm at widest point
15" from outside top center seat to center (imaginary) of opening in the seat.
the width of the seat is 3.5" the depth of the seat piece is 1.75" approx.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Brlnbabies — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:23:50 GMT

I am going to try pasting a photo of the stool here but if that doesn't work, I'll send it to you privately.

Well, neither of those options work for me. Please email me at wnc baby lady at g mail dot com and I'll attach the photo. Thanks!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

olevitin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:02:33 GMT

April,

Would you have a picture or plans for your birth stool? It sounds exactly what I've been looking for.. All the birth stools on the market right now don't have the back lower than the front! I am a newly registered midwife in Ontario, Canada. My husband has agreed to make me a birth stool, but needs at least a picture or better some kind of plan/measurements.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,
Ola

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Brlnbabies — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:14:28 GMT

Just sent you an email about wanting to adopt your birthing stool!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

claudiaToms — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:19:23 GMT

Still no takers on my birthing stool. Would love to get it out of my way. I want to see it go to a good home!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

midwifea — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:47:23 GMT

Yes, I have that book in my collection.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

MotherNurtured — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:13:11 GMT

I would think you're onto something here- the birth stool should be offering a supported squat, not sitting up high like a throne (or toilet ;)). Have you read Birth Chairs, Midwives, and Medicine? It's an interesting read and covers the history of the birth stool.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

midwifea — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:43:01 GMT

You know, those stainless steel ones always looked way too high for my tastes and cold looking, figuratively and literally. Mine is a wooden seat, cut out like a toilet and wide on the sides so mama can grab her hands around the seat sides if she wants while bearing down. The butt end is angled down an inch or so from the front end. The whole seat is only about a foot off the ground for stability and squat maximization, and the feeling of being grounded to the earth. I can slide my placenta bowl underneath it between the legs and I have to sit in front of mama on the floor to catch babe or she can reach under and catch or we let babe gently down on some soft toweling. Papa can stand or sit behind mama. Often times we push the birthing stool up against a bed or couch and papa sits behind mama with his legs wrapped around her upper body so she can rest well in between pushes.

Every ancient culture had some type of birthing stool. It's just another tool in your tool bag. For me, I see it really work well to get that babe around the pubic bone and on the pernium. Then mama can get off it if she wants to go somewhere else.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Brlnbabies — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:29:23 GMT

Actually, this doc was pretty flexible and checked mom in all kinds of positions, including lying on the floor while mom was on the stool. She never asked mom to get off the stool, just made the comments about it afterwards. I'm wondering if it's the stainless steel stool itself because at home with the wooden stools which are much lower to the floor, I've never seen swelling. However, I've had students come back to class after hospital births or after a prenatal with their (hospital-based) CNM and say, "So-and-So says not to get on the stool because it makes you swell really bad," or "Mary said not to stay on the stool for too long because I'll swell up down there" and I think, "Huh. I've hever seen that before." The stool that's used in our hospital is the one that's in "Giving Birth--Choices and Challenges," Suzanne Arms' movie. The homebirth midwife that I so love to be at births with, has a stool that's copied from a toilet seat as far as shape but sits much lower to the ground and is angled. Those hospital stools are basically the same angle as a toilet--straight down.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

claudiaToms — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 05:21:27 GMT

I also have a hand made stool.[April has a beautiful one her dh made for her] I really like it for support of mom in squat position. My stool is made from a plank bottom chair and is about 12 in. tall. Thighs go on outside of chair almost like a toilet seat,allowing the coccyx to move back and the pubis to move out.. I sit on the floor and I can see bottom and baby. I put my stuff in reach and mess goes in a plastic bag on cross bars of chair. Some moms use it till baby is born and some just stay on it a few contractions. I have never seen swelling with a stool. I have seen the type of stool you are talking about and am not sure how well that will work. Personally,I think Docs. feel intimidated by not being in charge and having to sit on the floor with wet pants when the waters break!![I am always a mess when I am done with a birth,when I paint too!!] Same reason they don't want to do with water births. The dead cockroch position is most handy and neat for the hosp. staff.

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Doula Mary — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:20:34 GMT

That's awesome!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Brlnbabies — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:10:18 GMT

That kid latched on and was a champ from day one. In fact, we unwrapped her in recovery and laid her on her belly and she was just a little above the nipple and before anyone could adjust her, she wriggled on down to the nipple and latched right on!

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

midwifea — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:11:54 GMT

Susan,

When I get a mama who spontaneously pushes and is an effective pusher and then I get caput ( or I can't decide if it's true head or caput) and baby is in a good position, to me, that gives a signal that the pubic bone is the problem. It's a frustrating thing to make it so far but baby just won't come any further. Really frustrating, but things can change, babies can slide through, so you have to try. I have been there a few times though. It's just disappointing, Sounds like your mama tried everything. How's nursing going?

Re: Birth Stools and Swelling

Brlnbabies — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:11:26 GMT

Yes, mama did work very hard to get baby out. I have never seen such swelling and was wondering if it's more related to the wonkiness of the labor and pelvis than the actual stool. However, the stool does have a bad rep (at least in my area) by MDs and some of the medwives for "causing swelling" but I've never seen it myself ... until this labor and have been questioning if there was something else I could've suggested rather than the stool. Mama kept going back to the stool because she said, "It feels better there".