Ash, sooo go the water birth!! It is a good idea to have it there just in case - give it a try and hop back out if it isn't your thing. Do you have a spare room or something? A space in your bedroom? We had ours assembled for a couple of weeks prior and just had to fill it when it was time so no stress.

My last two births have been water births (was desperate to be in water with DS but had insulin controlled diabetes so they wouldn't let me). I haven't torn for either of them, and my last baby was a 10 pounder.

Thinking back, the hose we used was a clear tubing, not the normal garden hose.