Manual for use at home birth

We aim to make the use of water for labour and birth accessible for all women. We hope you can enjoy the benefits as many women have done with Birth Pool in a Box.

Preparation is a key success factor. Take time to read this manual and avoid disappointment.

Best wishes for your birth!

Warnings & important information
12 Steps to Success with Birth Pool in a Box
Things to do before labour begins
Setup the Birth Pool
Filling the Birth Pool
Emptying the Birth Pool
Cleaning and Packing Away
Troubleshooting
Warranty Support

Warnings & important information

DO NOT LEAVE THE BIRTH POOL UNATTENDED WHEN FILLED, ESPECIALLY IF CHILDREN ARE PRESENT

Our birth pools are Personal products – for use by one woman only – unless they are marked as a Professional model. Do not accept a Personal pool as a loan or hire pool. This is marked on the pool labels on the bag and next to the top large white valve on the pool.

Store at above 5° C indoors.

Read and follow all instructions before opening the pool and setting up.

Remove pool from all packaging and warm up to room temperature for 72 hours before unfolding and handling.

Do a practice set-up of the pool at 37-38 weeks to familiarise yourself with it and check it.

Do not use the pool outdoors before using it for birth.

Do not inflate Mini pools to a height of more than 72 cm and Regular pools to more than 77 cm.

Always ensure the pool and liner are at room temperature before unfolding, inflating or folding. This takes 72 hours.

Do not use an industrial compressor to inflate the pool or air pump rated higher than 0.9 Psi.

Ensure all plugged-in portable mains electrical devices are not able to reach the pool with water in it to avoid risk of accidental electric shock.

Ensure this pool is placed on a surface strong enough to support its filled weight including occupants
and supporters.

Ensure the pool is placed on a flat surface free of sharp objects and prepare the surface thoroughly before setting up and filling the pool.

Do not fill the pool with water above 45 °C.

Inflatable products naturally lose a small amount of pressure over time – top up before use and secure valves tightly.

Inflatable products are affected by changes in temperature – if the pool appears to have lost pressure overnight, top up with air, check all valves are securely closed and check after 4 hours at constant temperature.

Check any applicable local laws regarding child safety fencing if using pool outside as a leisure pool.

Do not allow children to handle or use the tap connectors or hosepipe.

Always consult a qualified midwife or doctor before using this pool for birth.

Always supervise children playing in or near the pool.

12 Steps to Success with Birth Pool in a Box

These are distilled from our experience supporting thousands of births. Get most or all of these sorted and you’ve given yourself the best chance possible.

Note: these assume that you have discussed using water for labour or birth with your midwife and have decided to go ahead.

1. Plan for Success

Assume that you will have your home water birth and plan accordingly. To do otherwise undermines your chances of success. Labor is often unpredictable but if events take a different course you can know that you did everything you could to achieve the birth you wanted.

2. Involve your partner

Get your partner involved! Have him/her review the instructions and technical specifications and take ownership of the set-up, filling, temperature management and emptying.

3. Check the floor strength – your pool filled with water will weigh up to 657 kg

If not using pool on ground floor, ask a wood preservation company to check the integrity of your home’s floor boards and joists. They will usually do a free quote for any work required.

4. Review instructions

Takes 10 minutes. Do it at 36-38 weeks, then follow them!

5. Check tap connectors and hose

Check that you have a faucet/tap connector that fits a suitable tap in your home. If not, either buy an alternative at a hardware store or try a different tap. Then check that your hose will reach from tap to pool.

6. Check hot water capacity

Turn up the temperature on your boiler. If you don’t have an on-demand boiler, test how long it takes to fill the bath 4 times (for Regular pool, 2.5 times for Mini). If it take more than 1.5 hours, consider how to create hot water in other ways, eg kettle, urn, large pans on stove. Be careful where you pour hot water!

7. Prepare the floor

Sweep or vacuum the floor before putting the pool down. If your floor is stone or ceramic, cover it with a blanket first to reduce heat loss through floor.

8. Warm up the pool

Make sure the pool and accessories are at room temperature before unfolding and handling. PVC is brittle below 10 °C and it takes 72 hours for the innermost material to warm up when the pool is folded and out of its packaging.

9. Practice set up

Practice setting up the pool between 36 and 38 weeks. A full practice including filling with water is even better and soaking in a pool can help with late pregnancy back pains and SPD. Remember to use a new liner for birth.

10. Reduce ventilation

When you start to fill the pool with water, close the windows, vents and doors to reduce ventilation. Once the room reaches equilibrium humidity, the rate of heat loss will fall significantly. Covering the pool before getting in also helps.

11. Start filling the pool early

If your labor is progressing fast, fill the pool at 37 °C. If it is early days but you want to get started, fill half full at 40 °C and take stock before continuing. Do not get into a pool with water above 37.5 °C – you will be hot in labor and overheating can be dangerous for your baby.

12. Mix the water

Mix up water before taking a temperature reading. This is especially true if you are adding hot water at the bottom of the pool.

Things to do before labor begins

Check that the Faucet/Tap-Hose Connectors you
have will fit a set of taps in your home. While we have provided options that will work with most taps, we cannot guarantee that any supplied by us will fit your taps. You can get alternatives at good hardware stores.

Read the instructions – they have been created from many experiences with the pool!

Estimate how long it will take to fill the pool with your hot water system: the Regular Pool is approx 4 bathtubs full of water and the Mini Pool is 2.5-3 bathtubs. Practice setting up the pool to familiarise yourself with it before labour begins. Warm the pool up to room temperature before unfolding. Remove jewellery or other sharp items from your body and clothing.

Setting up your Birth Pool in a Box – 15 to 30 minutes

Ensure Pool and single-use Liner are both at room temperature before unfolding and inflating.

Remove from all packaging and leave to stand for 72 hours if they have been exposed to temperature below 10 °C. – the material becomes brittle at low temperatures.

IF THEY ARE COLD TO THE TOUCH, DO NOT UNFOLD OR INFLATE.

Prepare floor area

Remove sharp objects
Sweep/vacuum
Place Floor Cover on floor

If your floor is concrete, stone or tile, place a rug or blanket flat underneath to reduce heat loss into floor. The pool width increases when filled with water – leave10 cm space to the nearest wall.

Tip

The midwife will want room to assist from at least 3 sides of the pool. A floor covering is recommended.

Inflate floor and seat

Lift floor valve 5 cm above floor, place nozzle in valve and Inflate the floor until creases have largely disappeared, then close the valve firmly. Repeat with the seat – inflate and close valve firmly. Twist the pump nozzle in the valve if pumping is difficult – the outlet may be blocked by material.

Tip

One side of base of the valve can be pushed open by the nozzle. Try different angles! Insert until you get a soft click. Over-inflation is a cause of floor seam failure.

Inflate 3 side chambers

Screw the round flange tightly into three large white valves and ensure the cap is removed (see picture). Inflate 3 side chambers, the lowest first. Leave the top chamber about half inflated – sagging – to enable the Liner to be fitted.

Tip

Twist the nozzle as you insert. Over-inflation is a cause of failure.

DO NOT USE COMPRESSOR

Placing liner

Place Liner on pool with holes fitting over handles and valve to secure liner. Complete inflation of top chamber.

Tip

Liner can stretch. Always use a new Liner for birth.

Reduce pool height

Discuss with your midwife whether the pool height is appropriate. To reduce total height, open the valve on middle chamber for a few seconds. Then add air to the top and bottom chambers to increase firmness.

Tip

The middle chamber must be at least 20 cm to retain stability.

Top-up wall chambers

Top up the wall chambers and put away the Electric Air Pump and any other portable mains electrical devices before filling pool with water.

Filling the Birth Pool 30 minutes to 2.5 hours

Filling time depends on your hot water system. A powerful on-demand combi boiler will fill the pool in about 40 minutes.

Always use a Liner even for practice runs – it is a backup container for the water in case of an accident or problem. The warranty is voided if you do not use a Liner each time and a new Liner for the birth.

Step 1

Attach the faucet/tap-hose connector to the faucet/tap and secure the hose onto connector.

Tip

Never reuse a hose that has been used to empty a pool after birth.

Step 2

Run warm water through a hose into a sink or drain for 2 minutes. Then turn taps off.

Step 3

Push the open end of the hose through the slot on the Liner with the label “Insert Hose here” and leave the open end high above the pool floor.

Step 4

Begin filling pool with water at approx 37 °C. The water temperature will fall approx 2 °C while filling without a ClearFit Heat Cover and less than 1 °C with one.
DO NOT BEGIN FILLING WITH ONLY HOT WATER – this may damage the Filling Hose, Liner and Pool.

Tip

Go 1-2 °C higher if you plan to enter the pool a few hours later, or more if you do not have a ClearFit Cover. Do not use water above 45 °C.

Step 5

Once the water covers the floor of the pool, flatten and smooth out folds and kinks in the Liner around the floor and seat (if applicable), removing any air pockets. Place ClearFit Heat Cover over the pool, with holes fitting over handles. Turn off the water and remove the hose to do this, and then push the hose through a top handle and the hole in the ClearFit Heat Cover until the end of the hose rests on the floor of the pool.

Tip

Do this before the water is 5 cm deep or the liner will be hard to move. Air is expelled through holes around top handles, or grommets.

Step 6

Mix up water and monitor water temperature every 15 minutes and adjust as required.

Step 7

Fill with water to top of middle chamber – the level of the MINIMUM water mark on the liner.

Tip

You can add more water later if needed.

Step 8

Remove any ClearFit Cover, Thermometers and Filling Hose from pool before entering.

Step 9

Secure MyAnchor (black strap – if applicable) to the outer handles of the pool away from the top handles and adjust strap length as required. An additional turn back through the buckle prevents slipping.

Filling Time

Filling time depends on your water supply and can range from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours. Should you need to speed up filling and are short of hot water, heat water on stove and add this water to the pool, taking care that the woman is out of the pool and POUR THE HOT WATER AWAY FROM THE SIDES OF THE POOL. Then agitate the water to diffuse the hot water around the whole pool. The time to start filling the pool is in early labor. It’s better to be a little early than too late!

Maintaining the Temperature

This can be the responsibility of the woman’s partner. With the ClearFit Cover on, the water will only lose approximately 0.5 °C per hour, depending on the temperature, humidity and airflow where the pool is located. To adjust the temperature to body temperature, simply remove some water with a clean bucket and add hot water either through the hose or from a pan/kettle as required – WOMAN MUST GET OUT FIRST. POUR HOT WATER AWAY FROM THE SIDES OF THE POOL.

Water Freshness

The water remains “fresh” for approximately 24 hours. After that, we advise that you empty the water and refill the pool. If your Submersible Water Pump has been used before, remove the Liner and put a new one in place before re-filling the pool – trapped water in the pump may have harmful bacteria inside.

Practice runs

You may wish to have a practice run, setting up and filling the pool. To do this, we strongly recommend you buy an extra Liner to ensure that the liner you use for the birth is clean. Never fill the pool with water without a Liner.