Filling and emptying your birth pool.

• Filling your birth pool.

When you hire a pool from Aquabub you will receive a kit which includes 2 different tap adapters; a bung adapter that goes over your tap, and a screw on adapter that can be screwed onto your tap.  These tap adapters can be altered so they can be used with one tap (a mixer), or two taps (a hot tap and a cold tap). 

Usually, these adapters are all that is needed, but if the supplied tap adapters don't fit your taps, please contact Aquabub because there are several other options. 

You can also purchase a complete filling kit if you are purchasing your own pool.

• Emptying your birth pool.

Before emptying your birth pool, you will need to use a Pool Sieve to remove anything that may block your drainage hose or emptying kit, for example: faeces, blood clots, meconium, amniotic membranes.

Once any ‘solids’ have been removed from your birth pool, the water from your pool will flow freely through the emptying hose.

There are a few different ways to empty your birth pool after use. Here they are:

1 – Emptying kit. 
The quickest, easiest, and most hygienic way to empty your birth pool after use is to use a submersible emptying kit from Aquabub.  There is no electricity needed and no need to siphon.  If you are using an emptying kit, it is safer to drain the pool onto your garden or into your bath drain.  The emptying kit works quickly, and your shower tray may not keep up with the volume of water without overflowing.


2 - Siphoning with submersion.
To siphon with submersion, you will need to put the entire length of your siphon hose into the birth pool.  When the hose is full of water, block one end of the hose with your thumb and keep the other end of the hose under water.  Keeping your thumb over one end of the hose (and the other end under water) take the blocked end of the hose to where your pool water will be drained (for example: your bath or shower drain). Take your thumb off your end of the hose and water will flow.  Keep the other end submerged.  Repeat this process if the flow of water stops.

3 - Siphon.
Take one end of your hose to where your pool water will be drained (for example: your bath or shower drain), and keep the other end submerged in the birth pool.  Suck your end of the hose until the hose is filled with water.  Quickly take the end of the hose away from your mouth and let the water flow into the bath / shower drain.  Repeat this process if the flow of water stops.  Note: you can make a fist around your end of the hose and create suction at your hand if you would like to avoid putting the end of the hose in your mouth.

Notes:

• If you are draining your birth pool water into your garden, please make sure there is no chance that the water will run onto your neighbour's property.
• Using buckets to empty your pool is very time consuming, labour intensive, and messy. 
• Do not use the hose in your birth pool kit to empty your birth pool. When you hire a pool from Aquabub you will need to supply your own length of hose for emptying your pool after use.  For hygiene reasons the hose that is supplied in your birth pool kit must only be used for filling the pool with clean water, not emptying the pool (because there is no effective way to thoroughly clean the inside of a hose). Your garden hose is suitable for emptying the pool, or you can purchase a length of hose or emptying kit from Aquabub. 

Planning in advance how to fill and empty your birth pool will help put your mind at ease about the logistics, helping your day run more smoothly for yourself and your support people.