Pool for birth?

[sattygirl99]

I'm due in September and I'm starting to get an idea of what i will need for my hba2c... But darn are birth pools expensive!

Can i just use one of those snap set plastic pools? or an inflatable 'family' sized pool? Will those be able to handle warm water?

I just have trouble justifying $150 on a pool (even buying one) knowing this is my last baby... I'm a penny pincher... DH is our sole income and works 2 jobs. Please don't take that to mean we're broke but if we could spend $20 on an inflatable pool that we can use next summer (heck, i think I have one outside that my grandma gave me for DS!) instead of $150 on a birth pool, I'd rather do that...

Thanks for any insight!!

ETA: This is what I'm thinking of... http://www.a2zsellskidspools.com/swi...mily_pool.html

I actually really do think I have one of these outside that my grandmother gave me for my kids... We never inflated or filled it this past summer so it's still sitting in a folded up ball out back...

[gabeyho]

I know a lot of moms use the kiddie pools, specifically the fishy one. I think you are good with just about any inflatable pool, just be sure watch how many gallons it requires to fill. I think anything over 100-120 gallons will be more than your water-heater can handle, and you won't want to be laboring in cold water. Also, make sure you can get it deep enough for comfort.

I received a La Bassine from a mom on here and will likely be ready to ship it off to someone else next month when I am done with it. If you are interested, just pm me. I will have been the only one to use it.

[SwanMom]

I used the fishy one. It was around $20 plus some aquarium supplies. Really worth it!

Have you seen this thread (from the sticky "Homebirth Resources")
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=589333

[Gray's Mommy]

Just make sure that the pool is at least 22" deep. You will want your belly to be covered to get the full benefits of the water. We chose a Sevylor Electra pool (around $50), but they don't make it anymore.

[Dese]

I used the fish one too. It worked fine for me, and the cost is and was a big concern so I'm using the exact same pool again this time around!

[*MamaJen*]

Ditto to what other people have said about making sure whichever pool you get is deep enough to cover you belly ... you need to buoyancy for it to really be effective. Otherwise it's not much different than a bathtub.

[Peony]

I've birthed in an AquaDoula and a fishy pool. The fishy pool wins hands down! Not even for price, the comfort was far superior then the AquaDoula. The bottom was nice and padded, it didn't hurt my knees to kneel in the pool, the sides were sturdy enough to lean over.