Water Management — Filling, Temperature, Draining

Water management sounds technical, but it’s really just three questions: how do I fill it, how do I keep it warm, and how do I empty it afterwards? None of them are complicated — but knowing the details in advance means your birth partner can handle everything confidently while you focus on labour.

Filling the pool

The pool fills through a hose connected to your household tap — usually the kitchen or bathroom. The rental includes a universal tap adapter and a 10-metre hose. Before anything else: check that the adapter fits your tap during the practice run. Most standard taps work fine. Mixer taps, pull-out sprays, and some modern designs may not accept the adapter — if yours doesn’t fit, an alternative fitting from a plumber’s merchant solves it.

How long does it take? The Mini fills in roughly 30–45 minutes. The Regular takes 45–75 minutes. This depends on your water pressure and how much hot water your boiler can deliver in one go. If the hot water runs out partway through, fill to whatever level you’ve reached and top up once the boiler recovers. The water will cool slightly while waiting — that’s fine. Start a bit warmer than your target to compensate.

When to start filling: When contractions are regular and strong enough that the pool will be needed soon. Not at the first sign of labour — the water is most effective later, and filling too early means it cools before you get in. Your midwife will help judge the timing.

Temperature

This is the one number that really matters: 36–37.5°C during labour. That’s body temperature. Most women can feel intuitively whether the water is right — but keep a floating thermometer in the pool to be sure.

During the pushing stage, keep the temperature at or just below 37°C. Warmer than that risks raising your baby’s core temperature. This is the one moment where precision matters.

Water cools naturally over time — especially if the room is cool. Topping up with hot water is normal and expected. When you top up, remember you’re also adding volume. Keep a bucket nearby so you can bail out some water before adding more if the level is getting high — you don’t want the pool to overflow.

A few practical tips: keep the room warm (22–24°C helps the water hold its temperature longer). Use the fitted pool cover when you’re not in the water — it makes a noticeable difference. And never add boiling water directly to the pool — always mix it to the right temperature first, or add it away from the woman.

Find out about renting a birth pool for your home water birth

Draining

The good news about draining: there’s absolutely no rush. After the birth, the focus is on you and your baby — skin-to-skin, first feed, checks. The pool can sit for hours. Many families drain it the next day.

When you’re ready, draining is straightforward. First, use the sieve (included in Premium and Signature packages) to remove any debris from the water. Then connect the submersible drain pump (included in every rental) to a hose that runs to a drain, toilet, or out a door to the garden. Draining takes about 20–30 minutes.

Before the birth, check that your drain hose reaches from the pool to wherever the water is going. If you’re draining to a toilet, secure the hose so it doesn’t slip out. If draining to the garden, check that the route doesn’t involve going uphill — the pump pushes water along, but gravity helps.

After draining, remove the liner and dispose of it. Wipe down the pool, deflate it, and it’s ready for collection.

Before the due date: test your hot water

This is worth doing a week or two before your due date. Run the hot water tap at full flow and time how long it takes to go cold. This tells you roughly how much of the pool you can fill in one go. If your boiler recovers quickly, you’ll fill the Mini without interruption. If it’s slow, plan for a two-stage fill — and start a little earlier.