Choice of material is fundamental to the success of a water birth pool.
Active Birth Pools are fabricated in Ficore® composite, a proprietary material of extra-ordinary properties that was developed to minimise problems associated with other materials.
A cross section of FICORE® composite
If you compare Ficore with Acrylic or Fibreglass you’ll notice the difference.
Ficore is a composite of eight different elements chemically fused during manufacturing, then heat cured at high temperature to create a material that is light in weight but ‘heavy’ in performance.
Ficore® composite has many advantages:
- Superior heat retention
- Much higher degree of strength and durability
- Less slippery
- More tactile
- Warm to the touch
- Easily repaired if damaged
- More resistant to bacteria
Warm to the touch
You’ll notice a significant difference in temperature between Ficore and the other materials.
Ficore is warmer due to the fact that it is composite resin that is much denser than acrylic and fibreglass.
Due to Ficore’s high insulation factor and double-wall construction Active Birth Pools maintain water temperature up to 7 x longer.
Structural and engineering advantages
If you hold two equivalent size samples of commonly used material in your hands and compared them you’d notice that the sample of Ficore is heavier, harder and much more rigid.
The surface of Ficore is isophthalic neo-pentyl-glycol that is 50% harder (stronger) than the materials other birth pools are made from.
Active Birth Pools fabricated in Ficore have an extremely high degree of structural integrity and will not flex, buckle, bow, or change shape under pressure.
Ficore’s unique qualities allow us to manufacture intricately shaped pools that fully serve the needs of mothers and midwives.
Extremely smooth and tactile
The finish of our pools is highly polished, ultra-smooth, tactile and very pleasant to touch.
This makes them more appealing physically and approachable psychologically which helps mothers relax and feel more at ease.
Incredibly high adhesion factor
When we talk about adhesion factor we are referring to slip resistance.
Run your fingers across the surface of an Active Birth Pool and you’ll immediately be impressed with how ‘sticky’ it is.
Compared to other materials Ficore® has a significantly higher adhesion factor.
Given the circumstances and environment this gives our water birth pools a crucial advantage.
Durability
Ficore is more impervious to damage than other bath materials.
However, if it is damaged, it can be completely repaired as new – unlike many alternative materials.
Ficore is able to withstand both continuous heat or hot water and thermal shock of alternating hot and cold water.
An Active Birth Pool manufactured in Ficore meets or exceeds all relevant regulations and will withstand the rigours of heavy hospital use and disinfection with caustic chemicals.
