Birth Pool Question

[azjen43]

For those of you who have a birth pool for your clients to use, how do you disinfect it between clients? Any great tips? (My most recent client labored in hers for an hour or so and they asked me if I wanted it since they were planning on throwing it away. It is one of the oval fishy pools, not actually a birthing tub, if that makes a difference.) Would you feel OK using it for subsequent clients? Thanks in advance!

[~Kristina~]

I plan on buying a birth pool eventually for clients, but will be sticking with a pool with a liner. Then once the liner is removed, you wipe it down with rubbing alcohol.

[DoulaVallere]

The mw's around here have the clients buy a disposable liner with their birth kit that can just be thrown away. That way, none of the mom's "fluids" actually come into contact with the tub.

In your instance, I would probably rinse it out with either alcohol or better yet, 1:9 chlorox and then from here on out use a disposable liner in it.

[MidwifeErika]

I have a pool that takes a disposable liner and then wipe it all down with bleach water and clorox wipes after to be sure all of it is clean and disinfected.

[homebirthing]

The pool I have also comes with a liner that is changed with each laboring mom. I wipe it down with Sani-Wipes, which are the hospital grade wipes that kill everything. My question is what do people use to clean out the pumps that pump the used water out? Bleach water? Do you make a big bucket and have the pump, pump it out? Do you have a specific hose for this?

[MidwifeErika]

Originally Posted by homebirthing

The pool I have also comes with a liner that is changed with each laboring mom. I wipe it down with Sani-Wipes, which are the hospital grade wipes that kill everything. My question is what do people use to clean out the pumps that pump the used water out? Bleach water? Do you make a big bucket and have the pump, pump it out? Do you have a specific hose for this?

Yep, I carry I home depot bucket with me and fill that with strong bleach water and place the pump in it to pump it out. I require the families to supply a new hose that we use for both filling and then emptying their pool (and bleach water). Also as an added protection, I would never use the pump in water that a woman may get back into. Once the pump touches the water then I consider the water and liner to be contaminated.

[azjen43]

Sorry haven't been on line in a while. So, where are the pool liners available? Do they come in different sizes?