birth pool in a box- replacement liners

[PreggoEggo]

OK so i've been up since 4 thinking about blowing up my BPIAB this weekend to try out (on loan from a friend) and she said yest to make sure I get another liner as they used the one that came with it. So now Im a bit disappointed as i dont have a liner and probably wont be able to get one til the end of next week if ordered online. Does anyone know if there is a shop/stockist where I could go later today and get one? I have looked at the usual online sites for mothercare, john lewis but cant think of anywhere else and the website just says order online. Im 38 weeks so really wanted to give it a go this weekend and have a trial run!

I think it's order only online from NCT Shop or BPIAB. We did a dry (wet?) run without the liner but you have to be very careful about drying the pool out (lots of kitchen towel - one sheet is not plenty ) to stop it going mouldy when you pack it away. If you're doing a wet run without the liner, just be more vigilant about (unlikely) leaks which the liner provides extra protection for so you can empty out super fast. Having a liner when you're doing it for real reduces the amount of cleaning after the pool has been emptied. I helped at a friends birth before liners were common place and OMG, afterwards it looked like Jaws had been in the pool! Yeuck. (not like that for everyone though). If it is that yucky, then maybe a piece of gauze/muslin over the inlet of the emptying hose to stop any debris the sieve didn't get clogging up the pump. I hear that's a bugger to clean.

My midwife recommends putting an old duvet under the pool to make the floor softer on your knees. We liked having a proper bath mat as the one in the kit was useless. One outside the pool too is good if you have floors that are slippery when wet (eg dashing to loo) Veruca socks also good for providing traction. Wet-suit shoes better but less disposable.

Good luck!

thanks shipsladyg! I ordered a liner and was going to do a trial run filling it up without the liner but will now hang back and wait for it to arrive (though will i be contaminating it doing this as it wont be sterile anymore??). Great idea about the mats, i hadnt even considered that!!