Disinfecting a Birth Pool

[FrolicingMama]

We have a La Bassine birth pool that we used when our first daughter was born. I am 37 weeks pregnant with our second daughter and we are getting ready to use the pool again. We can't find the paperwork and instructions that came with the pool. My husband swears the pool came with very specific instructions about how to disinfect it but the website just says something brief about wiping it down with disinfectant wipes. Does anyone know the best way to disinfect an inflatable birth pool?

Thanks!

[Talula Fairie]

I just got my pool out last night, so this is fresh in my mind. La Bassine just says to use mild soap and water.

Yourwaterbirth.com sent me an info packet that said:

Wash pool if you wish. You can use warm soapy water or antibacterial soap. Rinse well. You can also rinse pool with a bleach solution, 1 tsp chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of cold water. Rise, drain, and let air dry. It's best done outside (it says) where it is easy to empty pool and rinse several times.

Those are the directions for when you first get your pool. After the birth they say to just use warm soapy water, but I think either choice is probably fine.

[FrolicingMama]

Thank you! Those sound like the instructions my husband was referring to.

[aiyasmama]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant with my second daughter too!

We are also using the La Bassine, and we're renting it from our MW, so we're planning to use the bleach solution to disinfect it. We bought bleach for this purpose because it's not something we would usually keep in the house.

[averlee]

not sure if is the same pool, but my midwives used an iodine soultion, let it sit, rinsed it off.

[Bromache]

I've been thinking about this too! I've decided to wipe mine down thoroughly with antibacterial wipes (which I also don't normally use and bought just for this purpose), and then rinse just before doing the trial run. That way I don't have to set it somewhere kid-and-cat-friendly twice to dry out. I'll be using a liner for the real thing anyway, so I figure this should be sufficient.

[Adasmommy]

I'm reviving this thread because I'm planning to buy a used La Bassine and use it without a liner. I figured I could just disinfect it.

Someone today was telling me that there's no way to actually disinfect it because it is plastic and the only options would be an autoclave, which would melt it, or filling the entire pool with rubbing alcohol to let it soak.

I am not uber-germ concerned. Short of the previous birther being diseased, how big a concern is this? Do I need to get a liner? Or is there a good way to disinfect it sufficiently?

I'd love to just wash it with hydrogen peroxide . . .

[Talula Fairie]

You don't need autoclave sterilization, the birth pool doesn't need to be completely sterile. Seriously, soap and water and a dose of sunlight are going to get it clean enough. If you're really REALLY concerned, you can use a little bit of bleach as I posted above.

[celestialdreamer]

I am borrowing a La Bassine from a friend and my midwife said the same about trying to disinfect it. Another friend of ours used it as well and I wasn't worried about it until I talked to my midwife. She said it is a better idea to just buy a disposable liner so it is just your germs only. I figure it is easier to just get the liner (which cost me $24) than to try to bleach it or whatever anyway. I got a liner from someone that rents out birth tubs.

[jeninejessica]

I was about to post a new thread, but it looks like my question might fit here...

I'm not even pregnant yet, just an uber planner. We have a hot tub in our back yard, that I keep telling DH I want to use for the birth. I'm not set on having a water *birth*, but I do want to labor in the tub. I figure we can turn the temp setting down so it's no different than my tub inside, just more spacious.

I know not to turn the jets on with 'birth goo' in the tub, but aside from that, we keep coming back to the issue of cleaning it. DH Is concerned that there would be no way to remove all the chemicals from the tub itself, since it's plastic, and the day to day chemicals we use will be IN the plastic, and will leach out into the clean water which we woudl use. Any thoughts? I'm reassured seeing the mentions of bleach solution, but obviously it's different it being in there for 10 minutes or so, and it being in there for a few months.

I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter as long as the baby isn't born into the water...