Additional Supplies

Here’s the picture: your birth pool sits on tarp in a room (bedroom, kitchen, wherever) that is private and cozy. One hose runs from your hot water faucet via the faucet adapter into the pool (assess length requirement). The other hose attaches to the submersible pump in your pool and run out a door, window, or into the tub–this enables us to drain and refill tub with hot water as needed to maintain or adjust the temperature. It is also easy to empty the pool after birth.

 

Pool (approximately 60″ x 22″)

·        approximately $45-$200

Tarp to put under pool

·        $5 at Home Depot

Air Compressor or device to blow up pool 

2 clean Heavy-Duty garden Hoses (preferably one that is for drinking water)

·        $15 at Walmart or Home Depot

1 Faucet adapter

·        from your hot water faucet (kitchen, bathroom, washing machine hook-up, tub, etc) to garden hose size–beware that each faucet has a slightly differing size, so do a trial run before the birth!!!  Do NOT run hose from the hot water tank due to contamination issues even in really clean tanks.

(optional) 1 Batteryoperated submersible Pump (electric pump can be substituted but can’t be used while mom is in pool)

·        if battery then mom can safely use while in the tub

·        little and quiet

·        around $45 online or at Lowe’s or Home Depot

o  recommended: Attwood WaterBuster Battery-Powered Pump or other similar such product

o  requires 3 D batteries not included (get a spare set!)

 

1 Fishy-net (2″-4″ square)

·        cheap at any discount store or fish supply

·        used to catch “floaties” in the pool during the labor/birth

Cost Saving Options:

·        Use a garden tub (uncomfortable over the long-term) or jacuzzi

·        Only get 1 hose (+ adapter) no pump: use hose to fill, and then reuse hose to empty pool by gravity-flow/siphon.

·        Buy a waterbed adapter (Walmart) that uses your faucet to create a vacuum to “pump” water out of tub to empty it [instead of a submersible pump]

·        Use buckets to supplement the above options [Note: this pool is large, and it is not feasible to only use buckets!! You won’t have a water labor or birth that way!!]

·        Place the pool near window.  The hose can be run out the window to empty pool.