Best pool for home birth?

[Pannacotta]

I am planning a home birth for my second baby, due in 6 weeks and need to sort out a pool.
I bought one last time from Birth in a Box but didn't like it that much, felt rather exposed in it (it had see through sides) and was also hard to get in and out of. I ended up only using if for an hour or so during the labour.
This time I would like to try and give birth in the pool and was hoping for some recommendations.
Don't want to spend huge amounts of money but do need something comfortable and ideally which feels more private - the previous one looked and felt a bit like a deep childs paddling pool.
Any suggestions?
TIA...

Pannacotta, I had a pool that was an inflatable last time, which I thought was fine. It was round and made out of blue plastic so it wasn't see-through, but in order to get in and out I still had to lift a leg up and climb over. It sounds like the birth pool in a box is pretty similar.
I know you can get hard-edged ones but then they are not so comfortable to lean arms and head against.
Was the main issue the privacy? I put a liner in the bottom of mine, could you get a blue liner to stop the visibility to the outside world? I'm not sure what to do about the getting in/out, unless you could find some way of getting some sort of heavy step that would not float in the water or be too dangerous for you.

Sorry not to be much more help, but thought I would try and bump this up at least.

la bassine,

i had one of these, it was great.

not very helpful but i had a BPIAB which didn't have see-through sides and liked it very much! Would they do a trade in?!

Another vote for La Bassine. Although make sure it gets really well inflated: I think I got into mine when it was a little soft. It didn't spill but didn't feel entirely solid, IYKWIM.

Still, very nice and womb like, if wombs can be blue...

I have hired this luxury heated job and it's amazing. Yes it costs loads, but I have a delicious hot tub in my sitting room to relax in any time I like. Also there's no way we've got enough hot water in our tank to fill a standard birth pool.

we had one from here- which was fab

It was a heated hot-tub job too and we got a months worth of use out of it before and after the birth.

really fab for relaxation and we all got good use out of it. (really lovely for the new baby to have huge family baths (obv after we changed the water) we went in every day for another week or so)

I can't imagine having the stress of filling it up during labour and keeping the heat up.

The Birth Pool In A Box ones aren't see through anymore. At least you can opt for a "plain" one which doesnt have the fish and see through bits. Had the larger one last year and it was fab. I didn't have any problems getting in or out of it.

I did the inflating/filling when in early labour which took my mind off it and then put the cover on and topped it up with hot water as necessary.

I hired a heated, rectangular pool from Birthworks and it was fantastic - we filled it 2 weeks before due date and kept it at the right temperature until it was needed (even had a float in it a few times, which was lovely!). It was expensive, but definitely worth it - I really couldn't face the thought of having to top it up with warm water every so often during labour.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
The heated pools do look lovely.
Will have a look through the links and mull it over.
Is it safe to have one of these heated pools sitting around for ages filled up with a very inquisitive 2 year old running around the place? Have visions of DS climbing in and out at random!!!

Think I will get la Bassine for mine in August.

actually pc, I have that very dilema this time round.
my ds is 18 months and a climber, it is amasing the places he wrenches and climbs his chubby little body into and onto!

I'm due in 7 weeks ish and am sadly realising that this time it wont be safe for us to have a pool up for a month.

He would be in it like a shot even though they come with covers I'm not sure they are ds2proof.

Unless maybe you have one of those room devider thingys? or even a spare room to have it in where you toddler can't access?

I was in mine for about 90 minutes, 2 hours max. Keeping it warm wasn't a problem with a hose connected the whole time to the hot tap. One of those heated ones would have been a complete waste of money.

How long would a BPIAB or la Bassine take to fill with an old style boiler and hot water tank? Anyone know?

Ceolas, with my first birth it took a couple of hours to fill the BPIAB, same boiler/tank system as you. You can get the foil type cover things to keep the heat in.
Think will have to use one of these pools or a bassine as the heated pool doesn't sound ideal for a curious and slightly uncooperative toddler....

It will be end of August anyway, so hopefully quite warm

Another vote for la bassine. Had my second child in one of these and found it much better than the one I hired for the first child.

I left the silver cover on top of the pool, folded in half, whilst I laboured in it. MW removed it when she judged it was time for DD to arrive and needed full access

That's a great idea soupdragon, part of the reason I didn't like the pool in a box first time round was that it was v see through and I felt like i was in a goldfish bowl and a bit vulnerable. Was also hard to keep the water warm while I was in there, didn't occur to me or the MW to keep the cover on.
Will try that this time!
Does anyone know where you can buy these covers? I lent mine to someone and she can't find it... Thanks