Anyone heard of a fishy pool poping?

[maciascl]

I was planning to use a fishy pool for waterbirth but my mw freaked me out by pointing out how much thinner they are & how it is easier for them to pop or leak. She isn't opposed to them by any means she was just pointing out that it was something to concider. We just moved into an apartment & I am already freaked out about giving birth in an apartment so the idea of all that water flooding my apartment is just sending me over the edge. I am curious if anyone has ever heard of this happening? What are other good smaller & cheap tub alternatives?

[kittywitty]

Well, we had one with #4 and even with kids climbing around on it, 4 cats, a dog, and a tiny (under 800 sq ft) apartment, it never got popped.

[mamakaikai]

Well, I havn't heard of any poping, but I havn't heard of too many people's first hand experiences. What I do know, is that most fishy pools have 3 rings to inflate. SO chances are that if it poped, it would only be 1 ring so it wouldn't likely just burst apart with a big flood.

I'm trying to use an inflatable kiddy pool too. My plan is to put it on top of a shower curtain and a duvet or two. This way any water mishaps should be at least somewhat managed. I will also have a patch for the pool if it was to actually have a pop so that someone can quickly patch it if needed.

Otherwise, I've heard of people using rubbermaid trophes. If you have a farm supply store within driving distance, you could try that option.

Good luck!

[paquerette]

Ours held up to the test. I remember reading about someone in NYC having their pool pop while they were transferred to the hospital and doing a lot of damage to an apartment below, but I dunno if it was a fishy pool or some other kind.

[Breathless Wonder]

paquerette- It was Altair, and it was a La Bassine:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1065113

If you search for "birth pools leak" here on MDC, you get tons of hits.

Personally, my IRL friend had a slow leak in hers, but they were able to drain it when they were done, with no big problems.

[Jazzmin]

I used a fishy pool with no problem. I even had it out of the box and blown up a few weeks prior to the birth so it could air out (it is a stinky pool out of the box).

While the fishy pool is a very economical alternative to an "official" birth pool, it was not nearly deep enough. I am only 5"7' and I had a hard time being on my hands and knees because my entire back was out of the water. This time around I am springing for a bigger and deeper pool, though after reading that other post, a La Bassine is out of the question.

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder

paquerette- It was Altair, and it was a La Bassine:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1065113

If you search for "birth pools leak" here on MDC, you get tons of hits.

Personally, my IRL friend had a slow leak in hers, but they were able to drain it when they were done, with no big problems.

Crud!! The La Bassine was the next one I was looking at. I guess there is a risk with any pool though. Hmm....

[HeatherB]

My friends and I all used fishy pools for our first (or one was on 2nd) home births. None of us had problems during labor, but one put it out for the kids to play in afterwards. The kids did pop it, then.

I own a BPIAB now and we've all birthed in it - it's had 5 babies born in it now! One of them was because my MW's *new* BPIAB had a defective seam. Since the friend who was planning to use that pool already had the BPIAB liner, I lent her my pool. When they used it, they did find a tiny, pin-sized leak in the OUTER wall - so just air coming out. It caused minor problems in labor, but no major spills or anything. (My MW says it was really not an issue, though the mama remembers people bailing water.) They patched it and it had another birth in it with no problem.

All in all, I would absolutely go with the BPIAB if the choice is there - it was SO much better to birth in than the fishy pool. I wouldn't expect either one to burst, but with anything inflatable, I suppose there's always a risk.

[MaHBACmama]

The bottom/inside of mine popped!

It didnt open to the outside, but i felt bubbling the entire time i was in the pool. It was a slow "leak" and no water came out, but if it can easily pop in the inside its not a far cry from popping to the outside.

[aloneinid]

My fishy pool did not "pop", but it leaked A LOT. I gave birth at 7pm, had filled it around 4pm and it sat overnight in our dining room (I never used it, but my 3 year old swam in it for about 10 minutes that evening). When we got up in the morning it had leaked and our floor was completely soaked. Luckily I had put down a tarp and some sheets over that and they soaked up much of the water, but it was a huge mess, to the point where my husband is nearly forbidding me to have a pool this time. Lucky for him, the water he had to clean up was clean!

That said, I just ordered another one for my impending birth. For the cost and the chance that I won't use it again I figured it was worth it. I will definitely be putting the tarp/sheets under it again and hopefully emptying it right after giving birth this time.

[thenaturefreak]

I used the fishy pool with my last birth and had no problem.

My sister used a different inflatable kiddie pool and found out she had a leak so she just bought another one and it was fine.

I would highly recommend blowing up and filling your pool in advance to test how long it will take and if there are any leaks. Hopefully that would make it much less likely to have an unhappy surprise when you need the pool for labor and birth.

[SwanMom]

My fishy pool held up well during the labor & is still inflated after 3 summers of 2 kids climbing in and out of it. I wouldn't worry about it popping. Do be sure to let it air out for a week or two, though.

[chrissy]

My first birth was in the hospital.

Second was a fishy pool at home, no problems at all.

Third was La Bassine at home, no problems at all.

Fourth was a fishy pool at home... our kitten put her front paws on the top edge to see what was going on, midwife pushed her away, kitten's claws popped the upper edge! I told dh to go downstairs to find some duct tape to patch the hole. Once he had left, I realized I was pushing. By the time he got back upstairs (without duct tape- couldn't find any) the baby was born! He said, "When I went downstairs, there were 2 people up here, now there are 3!!!"

I would definitely use the fishy pool again. I would just keep the kitties away!

[Nina Rinkes]

The BPIAB - is that the Pool in a Box?? (I'll never get all these abbreviations!) I really really like them. Have attended quite a few women's waterbirths in these and none of them ever popped. Only once did I attend a waterbirth with a defective pool and it definitely was not a Pool in a Box - can't remember for sure what make it was, though. It had air coming out and it was too low anyway.

What I like about the Pool in a Box is that they are very sturdy. The birthing woman can comfortably lean on the wall when kneeling or on hands and knees and the partner can lean on the wall and I can also lean on the wall and even another midwife or doula or grandmother can lean on the wall - and it's still safe and sturdy. (Hey, sounds like I'm really advertising them - no, I don't get any money from them!)

Also, it's deep which is great, especially when on hands and knees. Shallow pools are a nuisance in labour!

I once got into a pool in a box myself, cause a friend had one in her sauna and it was great!

When I birthed my daughter, though, I thought my normal bath tub would do and did not get a birth pool. I spent the most part of my labour in the bath tub as water was the best pain relief for me, although it really was too shallow and narrow in there, but still better than outside in the air. Apart from not having a proper pool it was a perfect VBAC homebirth, though. Yet, I swore to myself that should I have any other babies I won't try to economize on the wrong things and get myself the deepest and best and most comfortable birth pool I can find!

[aromamama]

the first time we blew ours up (fishy pool) it had two seam tears in it. It was problems from the start.... I could not touch, much less lean on the sides for any support. It sucked to say the least. I would not buy one again. spend a little more money on something else.

[dannic]

I had a fishy pool with my last hb and loved it! Am planning to use one again this time around. My MW has never had a problem...we aired ours up ahead of time to let it air out as well...