birth pool

[dancey]

Hi,
Does anyone know where I can hire a birth pool at a cheaper price less than £100.
Thanks

You can buy a \link{https://www.birthpoolinabox.co.uk/birth-pool-regular.html?PHPSESSID=dce5028501075abcc7501f31fde15dd0\Birth Pool In A Box} for just under £60. I used one recently and was very pleased with it (although I would recommend buying an electric pump from somewhere to inflate it!)

hi Dancey,

You won't find a birth pool to hire at less than £100. I think the best price on the market for a rigid pool is Splashdown (waterbirth.co.uk) or the best option is the heated pool from aquabirth.co.uk but these are pricey. Or you have the option of the inflatables, check madeinwater.co.uk they offer a 20% discount at the moment (it might be over by now, i don't know, check!?!)for their pool and a full kit which is a bargain.

Thanks for the tips!

Dancey

I don't think you can, I found the cheapest was splashdown (www.waterbirth.co.uk) or you could buy one of the awful glorified kid's paddling pools for about £50, but I would really scrimp and scrape and try to get a "proper" pool if I were you.

birthfriendly - why do you say that? I know several women who had great births in those? what a derigatory comment
It is true that if it is for a 1st baby I would say a hardpool is probably a safer bet as you are quite likley to spend more time in it. However if it isn't your 1st... these pools will do absolutely fine and you can re-use them in the summer too!

My NHS trust until recently rented pools for £120.

Because they are way to small to labour in, also the sides are not strong enough to brace yourself against in second stage, finally I personally know somebody who had one puncture on her mid labour, she had to birth with just the midwife, on dry land (NOT what she wanted) whilst her husband was left to deal with their rapidly flooding living room.

Have a look at these pictures (they are roughly the same dimensions as BPIAB and MIW):

www.waterbirth.org/spa/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=107

Michel Odent and Janet Balaskas are both VERY against the use of the cheap inflatable pools

If you are going to quote Odent then you should know that he would disgaree with that statement too (from the website you just posted):

Our pools are equipped with heaters which maintain the temperature of the water for as long as you need it. If your labor lasts 12 hours, your pool will stay warm the entire time. Your support people will spend this time attending to you, not trying desperately to keep the water warm enough for you to stay comfortable.

He challenges that a labour in water that has not progressed after 90 minutes shoud be moved out of water.

Whoah there tiger!!!! bad day?

I directed you to the pictures, haven't a foggiest what the rest says!

You don't own BPIAB or MIW by some chance do you?

BPIAB or MIW??? What are those?
I am a doula (and see water births all the time) and find your comments quite negative... Soupdragon had just posted that she had used an inflatable pool with success.... thought it belittled her choice.

wow, it surprises me that you rate them then! as you must have seen both in action?

why would my personal opinion belittle somebody's choice? the most important things for a great labour is to be at one with your body and confident in your decisions, if you are - well, then that's all that matters!

Hi birthfriendly,

Tell me something, is this your website www.birthfriendly.co.uk.

Obviously if you are an agent for Splashdown I understand why you are so against those inflatables

By the way you should know that Michel Odent has used inflatable pool for 12 years in his Hospital in France. I think you have seriously misquoted him by saying that is very against inflatable pool. The only thing he said is that the paddling pool he used at the time was not deep enough and this result in water loss, however women were very happy to labour in it.

Paddling pools are too shallow because they are for kids, however the inflatable pool as MIW or BPIB are made for water birth, you cannot find them in toy shop. Well it is true that BPIB used to sell paddling pool but I think they have move on now.

Anyway I think your comments are very biased and a lot of women on this forum have happily used inflatable pool. I personally used the Made in Water and it was great. And it has a much nicer color than the horrid yellow inflatable pool from Splashdown. But this is only a matter of taste.

Great post Gisou... and well spotted.
I know Michel Odent well and I know he hasn't got problems with inflatable pools either but didn't want to get in that debate !
I think inflatable are absolutely fine for women who have already had a baby as they won't labour long enough for it to get cold ! I would possibly recommend a hard pool for a 1st time mum though. I had water births myself BTW.