While the importance of designing water birth pools for mothers is evident, the importance of designing for midwives is paramount.
Mothers may use the pools a few times but midwives use them continually.
Midwives tell us that our water birth pools are the most comfortable and easy-to-use.
They appreciate the fact that they are safeguarded from risk of injury and benefit from the unparalleled level of comfort and support they receive.
Midwives report better results, and say that our pools are fabulous and a pleasure to use.
And that is why given a choice, midwives prefer Active Birth Pools.
Active II Water Birth Pool – Royal Stoke and County Hospital
Sophie Moss, a midwife of six years at the hospital who helped oversee the new installation, said:
“The new pool has been specially designed to be easily accessible, with improved seating and design so women can sit on the side or lean over and adapt different positions during labour. It also features LED lights which adds to the ambiance of the birthing room, helping to create a more relaxed and comfortable environment.”
The photos above show how midwives sit close to the mother fully supported in complete comfort.
The concave skirting panel is contoured to the shape of the pool which gives midwives plenty of room under rim for their legs.
She sits with her arms resting on the extra-wide bull-nosed shape rim just like you would at a desk or table.
The rim is not obstructed with taps and fittings which enables midwives to easily move around the pool.
In 1995 we worked with Health Service Ergonomist Sue Hignett and the midwives at Nottingham City Hospital to look at ways in which the design of our water birth pools could be improved.
We discovered that our pools could be made dramatically safer, more comfortable and user-friendly.
The results appear in this article, “Improving Birthing Pool Design” published in the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
