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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

has anyone used the NCT pool in a box?

17 replies

bigkidsdidit · 29/03/2013 13:59

Or any other pool they would like to recommend to me? If you hired a pool could you answer some questions for me?

I'm sure I want a water birth now and just looking into hiring / buying a pool before I decide for good whether to book in at home or the MLU (I am 30 weeks so have 4 weeks to decide).

Are there any houses which wouldn't have strong enough floors to have a pool upstairs?

Is the cleaning and emptying afterwards a really massive faff?

Are the extras you need to buy with them necessary or just money making?

thanks :)

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emsyj · 29/03/2013 16:37

My local midwifery service will lend you a birth pool for a home birth for free - does yours offer anything like that? I guess it's not universal since you're asking the question!

My midwife said the weight of the pool filled with water is equivalent to 12 people standing in one spot - so she recommended having it downstairs. I was given a disposable liner (essential) and told I would need to buy a new hosepipe to fill it (just a cheapo one) for hygeine, plus some shower curtains to put underneath it, old towels etc.

I didn't use mine in the end as I didn't fancy it so I don't know if it's a faff to empty, I think you have to bail it out?? Then you throw away the liner, which should be the only messy bit I think.

Kopparbergkate · 29/03/2013 17:31

I've hired one from barefoot births. It has a heater and a filter so it's set up now and I'm using it every day for relaxation. They provide a pump and hoses etc etc so I'm hoping it'll be pretty easy to empty. It's not as cheap an option as one of the inflatable pools but I had a sit in one of the pool in a box ones (with no water in) and I couldn't fit sitting with my legs stretched out - I'm only 5'7" (though long legs).

emsyj · 29/03/2013 17:36

They look amazing Kopparbergkate - go for one of those OP, looks much less faff than the one I had!

Original poster

bigkidsdidit · 29/03/2013 20:21

no sadly I can't get one from the mw!

Yes I'm just not sure about that cost Kate - when I can have a water birth in the MLU for free! I am seeing costs of £300 ish which is a lot. I'm 5'7" too.

OP posts:

Kopparbergkate · 29/03/2013 21:28

That's true bigkid - but my MLU is currently being refurbed and the only pool available (there's only 1) is a standard sized birth pool in a box. Which I don't fit in and would probably be in use cus it's v popular.

For me the extra cost is worth the whole family being able to use the pool everyday for 3-4 weeks (DD absolutely LOVES it) and, associated with that, the fact that its all set up in advance so I/Dh don't have to worry about building and filling the pool to the right temperature when I'm in labour.

I think you can get a larger size of birth pool in a box (or it might be a different brand of inflatable). Having sat in a standard one, I think you'd need it.

CrackleMauve · 29/03/2013 21:38

I have a birthpool in a box set up downstairs waiting for me to need it. The regular size one is designed to fit two people in, they do a smaller one. I am 5ft 5 and have room to spare, definitely more than 2 inches. I wonder if the one you tried was actually not the regular size but the small Koppar? I am going to I and measure it, maybe I am just misremembering?

It was a doddle to inflate, took 10 mins, and we had a go at filling it, also straightforward but took an hour at least, so if you think you might labour fast one you can leave up with its own heater might be an idea. We have a pump for emptying as well, that took quite a while. Longer than it took to fill.

Ours also has a cover, which means you can fill it and keep the water warm for longer. I think that is useful as then you can fill it early and not worry about when to start doing it and risk leaving too late.

Hopefully within the next week I can report back on it more fully! Come on baby.

Celia1978 · 29/03/2013 21:39

I hired an inflatable birth pool from here: waterbabybirthingpoolhire.co.uk

It's under £100 for 5 weeks (ie 37-42 weeks pregnant) and it was very good. You get all the extras you need - hoses, liner, pumps etc - with it so all taken care of. The pumps for inflating and emptying the pool were very efficient: it's not too much of a faff. I didn't actually give birth in the pool so cleaning up mess wasn't an issue but I think the liner would make it pretty simple: just sieve out anything, um, floating in the pool, pump out the water, then bin the liner.

I'm also 5'7'' (short legs though!) and found I had plenty of room in it. (Had the largest size pool.) Plus my midwife pointed out that because it was inflatable it was comfier for kneeling in etc than the hospital ones which are hard plastic.

We had ours in our first floor flat and it was fine: I did ask the midwives about the weight thing but they just laughed. I don't think floors collapsing under the weight of birth pools is a major issue, unless you live in a really rickety old house!

Only thing I'd say is check your water heater. I knew our heater would run out of hot water fairly quickly. What I didn't realise is that it would then take HOURS to heat up the next tank! My husband spent most of my (long) labour boiling huge pots of water!

Good luck with your birth!

CrackleMauve · 29/03/2013 21:42

Right, I have measured mine and the bottom is 57 inches, if that is any help at all.

LoganMummy · 29/03/2013 21:55

I'd forgotten you could hire pools!

Original poster

bigkidsdidit · 29/03/2013 22:13

thanks everyone, really helpful. I'll have a look at that link celia (Celia is my top gril's name currently :) ) - £100 is much more reasonable.

Deep down I am resigned to being induced again (DS was born at 42+1 having not even been engaged at 40+12) but it would be nice for playing in for a few weeks

if you didn't give birth in the pool what did you give birth on top of?

OP posts:

Celia1978 · 29/03/2013 22:25

No problem, hope it helps!

I gave birth on the floor in the end. Pushing stage of labour was quite slow because DD was in a slightly weird position (though we only knew that when she came out) and midwives wanted me moving around and then where they could have a good view in case there was something wrong. (There wasn't, she was just being obstinate!)

But pool was great for contraction stage - would definitely recommend.

Fingers crossed for a lovely spontaneous labour for you!

lalalonglegs · 29/03/2013 22:49

I'm 5'9" and used a standard-sized inflatable - it was fine. You will probably find that you are squatting/curled up in it rather than stretching your toes out . I bought from these people who are very good.

I also used it in my bedroom which is upstairs but in a loft conversion so I placed the pool over the spot I knew had a big steel running under it. The cleaning afterwards is instantaneous with a pump and then you just throw away the liner. I even resold the pool on ebay (with a new liner) a couple of weeks later...

Celia1978 · 29/03/2013 22:49

Sorry, just realised you asked what I gave birth on top of. I was on a yoga mat (! not intentional - was just lying around from when I'd been doing my pre-natal yoga DVD and the midwife grabbed it) with lots of inco pads that the MW brought. Yoga mat was showered off, floor wiped clean (no carpets, just laminate stuff), no problem. I also had big towels and a shower curtain from Primark around the place. Were useful for having stitches done on the sofa!

Kopparbergkate · 30/03/2013 07:52

You're right, may have been a small one I tried - I know I was told that a bigger one is available to hire so it could be I tried a small but there's a standard out there IYSWIM.

Not all hire pools can be used in the weeks before without emptying and refilling - from the research I did, check it has a filter. I'm not looking in case I could've saved ££££

wouldyoupleasemove · 30/03/2013 08:33

Gave birth at home in a standard Eco pool in a box. Am 6ft. It was fine though marginally less comfy that the permanent one that I used at the MLU for DC1. DH just emptied it and threw the liner. Mine was borrowed with a new liner - lots of people v happy for theirs to be reused so maybe worth investigating local home birth groups.

Test the boiler though prior to labour - ours conked out half full. There was a fair amount of 1950s 'call the midwife' style pan boiling til it started working again. There was a good thread a few weeks back where lots of people posted that might give you more ideas. Good luck for birth

Original poster

bigkidsdidit · 30/03/2013 08:34

thanks everyone. Feeling quite hopeful now!

OP posts:

GoingtobeRuth · 30/03/2013 08:44

I cannot find the company my mw hired a pool for us from, I guess she made a bit on it (independent mw) but I know it cost less than £200 with a filter/heater
It would def be worth looking around at hire options, I loved my pool and used it quite a bit in the last week as I had good braxton hicks which got me all excited we had it set up for 2 weeks and changed the water at midpoint using a siphon hose thingy that came with it.

Get big blue tarpaulins, cheap shower curtains and charity shop towels for the floor, don't forget to completely cover the sofa too as we/I wrecked ours when hoicked out for a check and after dd was born

Above all. Good luck and I hope you have a fab, relaxed and sneeze like labour splashing around with a duck or too (essential)

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