We have 3 birth pools for hire at the centre

Pool Co-ordinator: Izi Coonagh

Tel: 0131 553 6532

Information about our pools

Our main aim over many years has been to provide affordable pools, locally. Our first pool was bought in 1989 to commemorate the closure of a well-liked small maternity unit in Edinburgh, the Elsie Inglis Maternity Hospital. Parents, health practitioners and many others ran a campaign to keep it open, and when it finally closed, the campaign committee agreed with the local AIMS group, that buying a birth pool would carry forward what the hospital stood for. It had opened a birth room prior to closure, and encouraged women to have as normal births as possible. AIMS raised money to add to the campaign funds and organised for the pool to be bought, set up and maintained by its members on a voluntary basis. This was the very first pool to be available in Scotland.

More recently, Edinburgh AIMS and the BRC/PPC  have acquired two more pools and for the last few years, the PPC has looked after these pools. All money from the hire of these pools goes directly to supporting the work of the PPC, and to AIMS, to maintain the pools, and support other ventures that it believes are beneficial for women, locally.

We continue to promote accessible, affordable pools for use at home or in hospital, but if you are unable to afford our prices, please contact our pool co-ordinator on the telephone number above. We are sometimes able to offer our pools for a reduced price and we would like women to be able to use them whatever their income.

Pool Dimensions

Oval pool

length – 66″ / 168 cm

width – 48″ / 122 cm

height – 26″ / 66 cm

capacity – 175 gallons / 800 litres

weight when filled – 1760 lbs / 800 kg plus weight of mother

(this is roughly equivalent to the weight of about 14 people including the mother)

Octagonal pool
width – 59″ / 150 cm flat side to flat side
height – 23.5″ / 60 cm

capacity – 178.2 gallons / 810 litres

weight when filled 1782 lbs / 810 kg plus weight of mother

(this is roughly equivalent to the weight of about 14 people including the mother)

Hiring our pools

The standard cost of hiring one of our pools is £ 150.00

This fee includes:

• Pool
• Sealed, disposable liner
• Length of non-returnable pipe
• Pump and circuit breaker plug
• Floor pads and heat retention cover
• Other small items of equipment such as tap adaptors
• Chemisan disinfectant for cleaning the pool
• Our insurance (you are responsible for taking out your own insurance)
• A contribution towards the upkeep and eventual replacement cost of the pool

Our pools are hired out for four weeks, usually two weeks either side of the time you expect your baby to be born. However, if you need a pool for longer, this can be arranged at a charge of £30 per week providing someone else has not already booked it.

There is a charge of £10 per day for late return of a pool without prior arrangement.

When booking a pool, a deposit of £30.00 is required to confirm the booking please send a cheque payable to the Birth Resource Centre to the pool co-ordinator Izi Coonagh at 4/7 Couperfield Leith Edinburgh Edinburgh EH6 6HG

The full payment of £150.00 is due a fortnight before you collect a pool.

Your £30.00 will be refunded when the pool is returned and has been checked over. We may retain all or part of the deposit if the pool or its accessories are missing, damaged (beyond normal wear and tear), or require extra cleaning. In the case of excessive damage or losses we reserve the right to make an additional charge.

Please make all cheques payable to BIRTH RESOURCE CENTRE

Collecting and returning our pools

To keep costs to a minimum, we ask you to collect and return your pool.  All the pools will fit into an average size car (the back seats may need to be folded down), but they can be awkward and heavy. We therefore recommend that you ensure that whoever is picking up the pool is prepared for this, either by being able to carry it themselves or enlisting the help of someone else, as we are unable to help with this. The pools must be returned within the specified dates.

Unless otherwise arranged all pools can be collected from and returned to the Pregnancy and Parents Centre.

Please telephone pool co-ordinator Izi on 553 6532 at least one week before the pool is due to be picked up to arrange a mutually convenient time.

Looking after our pools

As the Pregnancy and Parents Centre is not a commercial hire company and relies on volunteers, it is essential that the pool is returned in a clean and dry condition ready for the next person to use. Full cleaning instructions are provided with the pool.  As the hirer, you are responsible for cleaning, disinfecting (disinfectant is provided) and drying the pool and its accessories according to these instructions prior to returning it to us. Please read and follow these instructions carefully.

Before the birth

We recommend that you try out the pool before your labour and birth, so that you have a good idea about how long it takes to set up and fill. It is also a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the feeling of weightlessness, which can be a great feeling in later pregnancy. You can use your sealed, disposable liner, and then make sure that it is wiped with Chemisan, rinsed, dried and ready for when you are in labour.

The disinfectant we provide “Chemisan” has been specifically recommended for this use, and is used in hospitals

Or if you prefer you can buy a second, sealed, disposable liner from us at an extra cost of £30. If this second liner has not been used and is returned unopened, we will refund you the £30.

A disposable liner must be used on top of the permanent liner at all times. Please never use the permanent liner on its own, as this introduces the risk of infection and reduces the life of the permanent liners.

Cancellations

Your deposit/full fee will be refunded provided we are able to rehire the pool to someone else for the same period.

Insurance

Although the Pregnancy and Parents Centre has insured its pools, it is your responsibility to ensure that your own insurance will cover the unlikely possibility of the pool being stolen, becoming damaged, or of any other property being damaged while the pool is in use. This is particularly important if the pool is going to be stored/used in hospital. We recommend that only pool panels be stored in the hospital prior to your labour, and that the pump and its circuit breaker plug, hoses, liners, heat retention cover and any other accessories be brought in when the pool is going to be used.

Location of the pool

We have been assured by pool manufacturers and engineers that the pools can be safely used in the majority of houses and flats. If you are in doubt about your own home, it is advisable to get a structural engineer to advise you (they can be found in the telephone directory) or, if possible, contact the builders of the property as they should be able to help. It is not necessary for the pool to be on the ground floor but it must be on the same level or below the water supply. The pump will not be able to empty the pool if it has to raise the water by over 5 metres (16 feet).

When deciding where to have your pool, choose the strongest part of the floor, such as a corner or bay window or over a load-bearing wall on the floor below.

Essential and useful equipment

• A bath thermometer is essential to check the temperature of the pool (it is recommended the temperature should not reach above 40 degrees during the labour and 37.5 is the recommended temperature for the actual birth)
• An efficient portable room heater, which can heat up the birth room rapidly
• A large strainer or sieve and bucket for removing debris from the pool if necessary
• A large plastic sheet and/or bath mats to place beside the pool – a large non-slip bath mat is ideal and can be used later when bathing your baby
• Plenty of towels and one extra kept warm for the baby
• A towelling bathrobe
• A low stool or two assist you getting in and out of the pool and for birth partners/midwives to sit on. The plastic variety can be used both in and out of the pool
• A space on the floor for use if you prefer to leave the pool.
• A comfortable chair and a beanbag or pile of cushions
• Protective gloves for using with the disinfectant

Other information

Both the Pregnancy and Parents Centre and AIMS offer positive support to women and their families during pregnancy, and both have published women’s stories about water labour and birth in their Journals, Birth and Beyond and the AIMS Quarterly Journal. AIMS provides a range of booklets on many aspects of pregnancy and birth, including waterbirth and there is a free library at the PPC, from which a wide range of books can be borrowed. See our leaflets and have a look at our websites at www.pregnancyandparents.org.uk and www.aims.org.uk. We wish you a wonderful birth experience, please do not hesitate to contact us direct for any further information, as we are always happy to help and offer support wherever possible.

Please contact us for further details