Birth Pool in a Box - friend given me hers, got some questions.....................

[looneytune]

A lovely friend of mine has given me her Birth Pool in a Box to use for my planned Home Birth (obviously if all goes as we hope). I'm 37 weeks tomorrow so today we were going to practice pumping it up and filling it etc. When I opened it all up, there were no instructions so I've been online to look them up.

There are a couple of things I'm not sure of. She's given me:

Pool
Some lilac plastic sheet (not sure what for?)
Manual Air Pump
Electric Pump
Step
Seive
A silver padded sheet (bit like bubble wrap on one side)

So, we obviously need to buy something to get it filled with water? Presuming tap connectors and a hose? Do we need anything else? Is a pump of some sort necessary?

I've read about disposable liners - are these definitely needed? (she was in the pool for labour but gave birth in hospital and she bought it new, although I do need to check whether it's been used as a paddling pool after) Is the lilac sheet she gave possibly the liner she had?

What's the silver thing? Is this the heat cover or something?

I need to clean it before I use it. What do you suggest is the safest thing I use?

I think that's it. Would be very grateful for some advice on this.

TIA

Sorry I dont know just bumping for you. Good luck!

Thanks

Tap connectors and a new hose, yes. Make sure you get one that will fit the shape of your tap. No pump is necessary to fill the pool.The electric pump is an air pump to blow up the pool or a water pump to empty it.

Yes, you do need the liner IMO - this makes it oh so easy to clean the last bit of water/goo out of the pool. Bundle it all up in the liner and bin it. the liner is shaped like the pool. If it's flat, the lilac sheet might be for underneath the pool as a protection for your floor.

the silver bubble wrap is the heat cover. I filled my pool 2/3 full with hot water early in labout, put on the cover and then topped up with cold when I wanted to get in. I left the cover folded in half over the bit of the pool I wasn't in to help keepit warm - MW removed this when she needed to see me properly.

If you're using a liner, you'll just need to rinse the pool (not even that if it hasn't been used as the liner covers the whole lot)

you can order new liners from bpiab. I would definitely get one. Mine was transparent, shaped to fit the pool.

If you do decide to clean it, you can use Milton, but as SD said, you shouldn't need to as the liner covers it completely.

Oh, that's a great help, thanks to both of you I suppose I best get ordering a cover pronto then!!!

I did think the lilac sheet looked like a ground sheet actually, just this wasn't mentioned in the instructions so wasn't sure. At least I don't need to worry about plastic sheeting for that then

So....my to do list should include:

Disposable Cover Online
Tap Connectors & Hose from somewhere like B&Q?

Sounds like that's it then?

Can I just ask how you got the pool emptied after? Did you just get whoever to empty using a bucket? If so, where did they dispose of it?

Dh emptied it into the toilet using an electric pump.

You want the disposable liner - the cover is the silvery thing.

Mu DH emptied it into the drain using the electric pump. A word of warning though (sorry if tmi)...we went to bed for a couple of hours before emptying it and the various yucky bits that had come out with DS were festering in the warm water- DH said he nearly threw up at the smell!

Thanks, especially for that tip spiritofstlouis!!

My pool was left siphoning out down the drain using the hose. The room could be shut off so leaving it to empty itself wasn't a problem. It was no effort at all (literally no effort in my case since I was snuggled up with BabyDragon whilst it was happening ). it didn't need anyone to keep an eye on it since when the pool was empty it just stopped siphoning out.

Oooh, it's also good to get a mirror (a hand held one) as the MW can use it to see what's going on without disturbing you too much. My MW took mine with her as it was so useful.

The lilac liner is definitely to put on the floor underneath the pool. You do need a new liner as the others have said.

I think the sieve is for baking a celebrationary cake afterwards

Have blown mine up (also borrowed) but not used it yet. Liner etc at the ready.

The only thing you might want to consider is putting a blanket / big fleece / something between the purple groundsheet and the pool if you're going to have it on a hard floor. Apparently this is a good way to retain heat in the pool too.

Sounds like you've got everything else covered.

Best of luck!

decide where you will have it whilst empty - tis hard to move when full
MWs will want lots of access and you will prob want somewhere for dh to be out of their way but still near you.

um, other tips...is this your first?
tea, biscuits, etc for MWs
energy sweets/drinks for you & dh.
towels
(if you want spare plastic sheeting, get cheap shower curtains from asda)
kettles/big pans ready to heat more water to top up if you are in a long time
fresh t-shirts (if you want to wear something) to cahnge into every few hours

can't think of anything else just now...good luck

Decide where you'll have it and inflate it there. It's very difficult to inflate it in the kitchen so you don't wake anyone with the electric pump and then steer it round the corner, get it wedged in the door to the destination room and have to climb over 2 sofas through a set of double doors in order to get it into the room (whilst 40 weeks pregnant and in labour). Or so I'm told.

Do you end up with hoses running through the house so that you can fill it??

SoupDragon - thanks for sharing that, dh has decided he's happy to do lots of bucket loads to empty it so I'll leave him with it I really don't care as I'll be upstairs resting (well, if all goes to plan of course) As for blowing it up, luckily ds is heavy sleeper so not worried about noise and it was amazing how quick it went up. And.....I will not be pumping up when in labour - dh will be doing that!!

MumtoBen - thanks for confirming

hairyspiders - at cake after - if only!!

pregnabrain - good idea, will sort a blanket. Just blown ours up for the first time tonight When are you due? Good luck!

justkeepswimming - lol about not being able to move it, can totally see that after blowing it up tonight We've got a place where MWs will get to me etc. so sorted but great other tips, didn't think of energy sweets!

Thankyouandgoodnight - I'm having mine in the lounge and it's very near the kitchen tap actually so imagine it's just hose from there to pool?

More Questions....

1. Do I need a bath thermometer thing to keep eye on temperature?

2. How the hell do I work out if this pool I have is a mini or regular size? I've texted my friend twice and no answer to confirm this and I really need to order a liner off the net ASAP!

Thanks everyone

Does the website have the dimensions?

My midwife had a thermometer with her. Ask what yours brings.

Well on the website the dimensions don't quite match so I'm confused. They talk about eco pools and this one doesn't say eco on but not sure if that makes any difference? We're going to write down the measurements, deflate it then tomorrow I'm going to try and make a decision about which one to order. Off to bed in a mo as knackered. Thanks, will ask midwife

The regular is oval shaped with a seat in it.

Thanks sorted now. It IS a regular but doesn't have a seat which is what didn't help (plus measurements not spot on but hey ho). Only the 'eco' has a seat. Anyway, liner ordered so fingers crossed it comes in time