Preparing for a water birth

You prepare for a water birth in the same way that you prepare for a regular bath. However, there are some additional matters that you should take into consideration when preparing for a water birth.

The birth pool

Make sure to rent or buy a pool well in advance. Our birth pools are specifically designed for water births and ensure that you can birth safely. The following information discussed below is based on the birth pool you can rent or buy from us.

Placement of the pool

Decide, before filling the birth pool with water, where you want to place it. After filling the birth pool, you are unable to move it around. You can place the birth pool in your living room, kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom. Keep in mind the following:

Space

Can the midwife move around the pool on two, preferably three, sides? Please make sure you consider the size of your birth pool.

Distance to faucet

The provided water hose is 10 meters long. Make sure that the distance between the faucet and birth pool is below 10 meters. You could potentially connect an extra 10-meter hose so that you have a 20-meter hose.

Distance to drain

What applies to the faucet also applies to the drain. You could use the toilet as a drain as long as it is within 10 meters.

Carrying weight of the floor

A frequently asked question is what is the weight of the birth pool per m2. The weight of the filled birth pool for both sizes is almost identical:

The weight of the Regular birth pool is distributed across 1.6 m². The total

weight of the regular birth pool is 660 kg (birth pool + water + mother*) and the distributed weight load is 460 kg per m². This weight is evenly distributed, so there is no point load. A regular floor can handle the weight of a fully filled birth pool with ease. Although we are unable to guarantee this with any specific floor, our extensive experience shows that (even in older houses, such as the canal houses in Amsterdam) a filled birth pool has never caused any problems for the floor. When in doubt, please consult your floor plans and the carrying-weight.

Electrical outlets

To inflate the birth pool you use the electrical inflate/deflate air pump. The pump should be inserted into an electrical outlet. After inflating the pool, and before filling the birth pool with water, the pool can still be moved around.

To empty the birth pool of water, you will need the submersible water pump. This pump has a 5-meter-long electrical cord. Make sure that within 5 meters you have access to an electrical outlet. The birth pool needs to be 60 cm away from any electrical outlets.

Checking the Accessory Package

Each Accessory Package is assembled with the utmost care. However, it is important to check, with the help of the included checklist, that all items are included. You should check so as to prevent any negative surprises on the day of.

Adapters

In the Accessory Package, we include a variety of universal faucet adapters with which you can connect the water hose to the faucet. In 99 out of 100 cases, one of these adapters should fit your faucet. In advance of the big day, check to make sure that one of the adapters works on your faucet. If none work, you will have enough time to find a fitting adapter. We include the following adapters in the Accessory Package.

Checking the birth pool

We recommend that you inflate the pool for a practice run before the actual big day. This way you gain experience with setting up the birth pool while also checking to ensure that the air pump is working.

Towels and bathrobes

Make sure that you have enough towels and a bathrobe on hand. When you exit the pool, it is pleasant to be able to dry yourself off or be dried off.

Use our checklist to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything!

You’re almost there!

You are now broadly prepared for a water birth. We have also developed a useful checklist and an instructional video on how to set up, use, and clean and fold the birth pool.