Recommendations for birthing pool hire needed and can I take it to hospital if I can't have a homebirth??

[cupcakesgalore]

I want to have a waterbirth at home for no. 4 and I'm trying to establish a good company to hire from. The Active Birth Centre don't run this service any more. I live in Nottinghamshire. I've read that its best not to use inflatable pools and ones with a heating and filter system. Does anyone have a personal recommendation. I also wondered if, for any reason, I can't have a homebirth, do you think the hospital wil allow us to take it in. I loved labouring in water with the last one and delivered in the pool too.

Does your hospital not have waterbirth facilities? I would be very surprised if they let you bring a birthing pool from home - space would be an issue - also it may not conform to their regulations.

I had a home waterbirth for dd2. Hope you get yours.

yes I can recommend the La Bassine pool

inflatable, cheap and totally fab. no heating and filter - why do you need these? dh kept it topped up with hot water from the sink (we had a hose running from the sink to the pool)

huge ones are unnecessary IMO

I delivered in it and laboured in it for a couple of hours

twas fab

also if you dont get to labour in it it is only £55!

No, the point is thatI don't want heating or a filter but I keep seeing lots of pools that have these. With the inflatable one did you deliver in it? When I had my last baby it was a solid thing in the hospital and I used it as a bit of leverage when I was pushing her out - it was fab. Wonder if the inflatable one feels solid or more like a giant paddling pool. Was it big enough to lie in fully and move about comfortably??

Birth Pool In A Box is great too (inflatable). IIRC my midwife said that Mayday hospital actually use these as extra pools. Heater and filter not necessary unless you plan on leaving it up for days - I inflated mine and filled it whilst in early labour, put the cover on it and then when I wanted it it was perfect. Like Enid I kept it topped up with the hose.

I delivered in mine. When properly inflated the walls can support someone sitting on them They're not like a thin flimsy paddling pool.

Okay - just saw you did deliver in it Enid. Did you find you had enough hot water? Sounds daft but we don't have a combi. boiler we have a tank and I can get a deep searingly hot bath from it.

it felt very solid and had two handles on the inside to grab, I was leaning on the side the whole time really

the midwives loved the la bassine as it is a nice oval shape - quite snug which makes you feel all comforted

they both sound like a much cheaper option than hiring the solid frame ones.

cupcakes we also have a tank

dh was very together and switched it on the minute I went into labour

it was fine, I was labouring in it for about 2.5 hours all told and they kept it nice and toasty

You'll need several tanks of hot water to fill it. We have a combi boiler but I filled mine in early labour about 1/2 full really hot and then put the cover on it. Adjusted the temp and amount of water when I needed it. I guess it depends how long your tank takes to refil with hot water.

BPIAB is oval too. With handles. Like Enid I leant over the side all the time too. With an inflatable it's firm but comfortable! Not like a hard bath.

ABC doesn't hire out any more?
they were the first ones in the market,i'mamazed! Used them and would havehighly recommended.Persoanlly, would neverconsider inflatable.

one tankful filled ours

as i say its not a huge pool which was lovely- I am 5 8 and it was big enough for me to sit leaning on the side and stretch my legs out

we could use it as a paddling pool in the sumnmer too

I think the La Bassine one is slightly smaller than the BPIAB one. Other than that I think they're pretty much the same TBH.

oh its a myth that inflatables are rubbish

it was absolutely fine and the midwives here recommend tehm

yes it is

cheaper too IIRC (I got the cheapest possible option as had no real confidence I would get to deliver in it as had had previuos fast labours)

Make sure you get a disposable liner for it. It makes the clearing up afterwards much easier!

From my vague memory, I don't think the price difference was huge.

I didnt bother

I bought no accessories

dh even used the garden hose to fill it

the basic pool is 59.95

if you get the kit too it costs 99.99

we didnt bother with the kit

I rang the Active B.C. amd they have decided to put their energies into other areas. They have an article on their website saying that they didn't recommend inflatables, but the woman I spoke to said they have changed their minds. Apparently their concern was that soe would buy one for one birth , then they are trickier to clean and dry effectively would stick it in the loft and then re-use it for a subsequent birth - at which pt. it wouldn't be hygienic. Personally i don't think people are that stupid and most pools now seem to have disp. liners. Out of interest Ran to the Hills, why wouldn't you consider an inflatable??

well tbh I dont see whats wrong with reusing it! If you reinflate it and scrub it thoroughly, fill it iwh hot water and disinfectant...

"they are trickier to clean" Absolute b*llocks if you buy the disposable liner. The pool itself doesn't get touched!

Enid, the liner was (I''m told) invaluable because the last bit of water and gunk could just be bundled up and all shoved in a binliner. I woudn't know TBH, I was tucked up in bed with BabyDragon.

Did buy a new hose though - the garden one had been left outside in the garden all winter

LOL at "they didn't recommend inflatables". Would that have anything to so with the fact that they don't sell/rent them?