What did you do with your birth pool?

[BellyBelly]

Sadly I never got to birth in my birth pool, but I am wondering what everyone did with their pools after their homebirths? Keep, chuck, sell, give away?

[PumpkinZulu]

Cassius leant me hers I believe she's borrowing and loaning it out to people now, which I think is a mad idea

[BellyBelly]

I noticed on the pool it said not to be hired or sold to someone else etc so was curious what they expected us to do with it!!! Dont want to throw it out

[PumpkinZulu]

Really? That's weird! Her kids swim in it too.

*I sound like a creepy Cassius stalker*


*I guess I might be a bit*

[Mum2twoBoys]

I'm interested in a water birth. But have no idea on costs?

[HotI]

My midwife had 2 pools that she lent out (no cost), so i just borrowed one and it went back.

Particularly if you used a liner, they could be reused by yourself or somebody else.

[feeb]

Hospitals use them, and homebirth programs lend them out. People do need to use a liner though.

[TeniBear]

Where do you get the liners from? The company that sold the pool?

[BellyBelly]

Yep or anyone else selling them.

[Eenee]

Hired pool from MW and she also had liners we could buy of her so we could use it. I've used the same liner for both births now (well laboured as never birthed in it!) and before used it second time I was like how do I clean this liner. Well I can tell you the washing machine did a good job lol

[PumpkinZulu]

We threw our liner out. Didn't occur to me to keep it! I guess if there is a #3, they're years and years off so it doesn't really matter.

[Gigi]

Kelly, i got to labour for 29 hours in my birthpool, and boy did i feel like a prune! on my knees most of that time, so i can well adn truely say, the padding at the base of the pool, is very good. But i didn't get to deliver in the pool, as was planned. Was transferred via ambo at 29hours, then emerg c at the 37 hour mark, (after a day of Cascade of Intervention - everything i didn't want to happen, virtually).

The midwife arranged the birth pool for me, i just bought a brand new garden hose. Few days after, she came and collected the birthing pool. end of. i was relieved i didn't have to see the birthing pool, when i was allowed home, six days later, i could not have handled, seeing the birthing pool then.

[RhiChiChi]

Given you didn't use it, id try to sell it unless you are going to have more children etc...

[Jennifer13]

I borrowed the one we used. The reason it's not recommended to use it more than once is that they can spring a leak (I've heard a few hilarious stories of mw's dealing with leaking pools, but I'd rather that didn't happen to me!). But you can test it beforehand obviously, and they're pretty well made if you get one of the expensive ones. I chucked the liner. Storing it didn't seem worth it. Gave the pool back. Maybe I'll need to ask for it again one day...

[BellyBelly]

I bought the Pool In A Box, so yeah not a cheapie

[Eenee]

Lol am I the only one that kept my liner geez how cheap am I!!

[turtlejane]

Most of the "birth pools" have two versions - the personal ones are guaranteed only for one birth, the professional ones are for 10 or 20 uses with a new liner each time. Their plastic is thicker so more resistant to leaks and more durable but otherwise they're the same dimensions etc. They're less than double the price so if you had a friend also planning a water birth they could be useful to share and spilt the price or to sell on!

The professional ones are most likely what midwives who supply them for clients would be using.