Amidst some pretty ghastly portrayals of birth there is one that shows what it can be like.  And the pool just happens to be the one we made for Leeds General Infirmary.

https://lifebegins.channel4.com/explore/birth/types-of-birth/natural-birth/water-birth/video/halinka-has-contractions-in-the-pool

Made in Yorkshire.

Designed by Bradford based firm Aquabirths, built in Pudsey: a brand new birthing bath has been installed today at the LGI so that Yorkshire mothers can birth their babies in water.

 We are so excited because it is a brand new design, a fabulous capacious stand alone bath made to the highest quality by one of world’s best bath makers  here in West Yorkshire. We built it in record time so that the unit could have the pool ready for use on their debut TV appearance in One Born Every Minute.  And because it was funded entirely by donations, as the midwives at the LGI had raised the money themselves so they could offer this service to the women they served, Aquabirths designed and made the bath on a not for profit basis.

We are proud to be a Yorkshire based company, proud to be based in Bradford, and really proud to be bringing the latest in bath design to a Yorkshire hospital.

The other innovation is that the bath is made in two pieces (though it arrives on site as a finished, one-piece bath) so it can be made in two colours.  A hospital could have the bath with a porcelain coloured inside and whatever colour they want on the outside.

As with all our baths, we think of the plumber too.  The plumbing is hidden behind a removable cowl, so the plumber has full access when installing and the cowl can then be screwed into place.  The cowl has a door in it so that midwives can access the valve to let the water out. 

It’s Leeds’ turn for a bespoke birth bath.  We were asked for designs by the midwives and the two leads Coral and Debs took them and pulled them about in all ways to produce their ideal waterbirthing environment.  Once the plans were agreed, the next stage was to make a mock-up which is then used to make the mould but also gives an opportunity for the midwives to come and see a 3D model and to make changes. 

This bath is almost two baths in one and is designed in the light of criticisms of ‘another supplier’s lobed bath’ which left women with nowhere to put their feet and not enough space to sit and brace their feet.  This Leeds bath is heart-shaped in plan and enables women of a range of heights and sizes to use the bath in many different positions and move freely.  The pool has our usual internal step / seat but in response to the midwives wishes it also has a high level seat, two grab handles and two LED lights.  Tucked under the step seat and hidden by a hatchway, the plumbing is our fast-emptying type (which we’re flattered to note has been copied and  given a fancy sounding name!)  The midwives in Leeds chose a quarter turn ball valve over a push-pull sluice valve because, as they said, ”we’re harder in Leeds!!”  (They do last longer – the ball valves, not Leeds midwives.)  Next – making the mould!

Also http://www.aquabirths.co.uk/Heart-shaped%20bath.pdf

We tend to call what midwives often call a birthing pool a birthing bath. This is simply because they are just large baths to us.  We also make much larger pools such as theraputic pools for physio and to have pools and birthing pools would just too confusing!  So, please bear with us.  Just because we call it a birthing bath doesn’t mean it is smaller or not as good as a birthing pool.

 

 This is a very compact bath that is large enough for a labouring woman to move about in freely but will fit into small birth room.  It is even possible to use them as a bath for labouring and for post-partum bathing.  It is even more possible because five of these baths would cost £10,000.

The Dunoon can have all the features of a much larger bath such as internal and external step/seats because we have designed ‘lift-off’ steps and seats, as seen in the pictures below.

As with many things in midwifery, you have to start with the plumbing.  Is there a bath in the room already?  Or at least a sink?  If the plumbing is in place to begin with, it makes life a lot easier and the job a lot cheaper.  One critical thing is the height of the existing waste water pipe.  Ideally, the waste water will leave the room either at, or very close to, floor level. 

The reason is simply that pipe-work from plughole to waste drain has to be at a steep enough gradient to enable the water to empty quickly.  A valve and a trap need to be fitted in under the bath and it’s a case of getting them in before you run out of height.  If the waste pipe is a few inches up the wall, then the bath will probably need to be raised.

Space.  We have a birthing pool to fit in small rooms, the question is what else you want in the room too.  Certain shapes of bath work better in certain room lay-outs.  Other room uses may impinge on the bath – for example, plug sockets for CD-players need to be 3m from the bath.

Colours and features.  The bath can be any colour you want.  The range of taps is a bit limited because of the various regulations that apply to hospitals but a good list can be found on the Links page of www.aquabirths.co.uk  LED lights can be added to the bath, indeed, there are number of modifications we can make right up to a full custom build! 

Involve the Estates Department as early as is possible / helpful to you.  They may be able to help with much of the above and undertake some of the works to make your budget go as far as possible.  Maternity services’ budgets are often stretched and it is certainly possible for the hospital’s own Estates Department to fit the bath – which comes with instructions and we also provide telephone support.