Overview

Renting a birthpool is simpler than most people expect. You choose, we deliver, you birth, we collect. Here’s what each step actually looks like.

Choose your pool and kit

Go to the order page and pick your pool size (Mini or Regular — same price) and kit tier (Standard, Premium, or Signature). Add an extra hose if your tap is far from the room. That’s the whole decision — no hidden fees, no surprise add-ons.

We deliver before your due date

Your pool ships about four weeks before your due date via tracked Hermes delivery. It arrives in 2–3 working days with everything you need: pool, hygiene kit, air pump, tap connectors, and clear instructions. Need to adjust the date? Just email us.

Do a practice run

When it arrives, inflate it straight away to check everything fits and works — tap adapter, hose length, no transit damage. Ten minutes now saves troubleshooting during labour. The pool holds air well, so you can leave it inflated for weeks.

Fill and birth

When contractions are regular and progressing, connect the hose and fill to belly depth. Keep the water at 36–37°C. Your midwife will guide you on when to get in. The pool is the centre of your birth space — deep water, handles for grip, warm water for pain relief, and freedom to move.

Drain and pack

After the birth, there’s no rush. When you’re ready: remove the liner, drain with the pump provided, wipe down the pool, and repack everything into the box. We include a prepaid return label.

Return it

Drop the packed box at any Hermes PaketShop, or email us to arrange a courier pickup. That’s it — pool in, baby out, pool back. We handle the professional cleaning and preparation for the next family.

Questions?

If anything comes up — before, during, or after — email us at trust@geburts-pool.de. You’ll hear back from a real person.

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Step-by-Step Guide
From Arrival to Return

Everything below is the complete hands-on guide to using your birthpool — from the moment it arrives to the moment it goes back. We send this as a PDF with every delivery, but you can always find it here.

What’s in the box

Your pool arrives in a large box via courier. Inside you’ll find:

The pool — in a carrying bag with straps and a folding instruction sheet.

A disposable kit box — contents depend on your kit tier:

All kits (Standard, Premium, Signature) include: a disposable liner (single-use — goes inside the pool), a hose (10m standard; 20m if you ordered the extra hose), and a submersible drain pump for emptying the pool after birth.

Premium and Signature kits also include: a floating thermometer, a sieve/net for keeping the water clean during labour, gynaecological gloves, a waterproof floor sheet, and a non-slip floor mat.

Signature kits also include: a warm cover for the pool (helps maintain water temperature), My Anchor support straps (attach to pool handles for extra grip), and a birth mirror.

A reusable kit containing an electric air pump and adapter, three tap adapters and a tap fittings set (4 parts), a puncture repair kit, an instruction book, and a prepaid return label.

What to do immediately: Open the box and check everything is present. Put the return label somewhere safe — you’ll need it later. Keep the box and packaging — you’ll repack everything for return.

The practice run

Do this within a few days of receiving the pool. It confirms everything works before labour starts and gives you maximum time to resolve any problems.

1. Inflate the pool fully. Leave inflated for several hours to check for punctures. A slow leak becomes obvious if you check firmness after 3–4 hours.
2. Test the tap adapter on your tap. If it doesn’t fit (common with mixer taps and modern designs), get an alternative fitting from a plumber’s merchant.
3. Check the hose reaches from your tap to where the pool will be.
4. Check the drain hose reaches from the pool to your drain point (toilet, bathroom, or garden). Make sure the route doesn’t go uphill.
5. Check your hot water supply. Run the tap and time how long until it runs cold.
6. Practise deflating the pool. You’ll appreciate the familiarity afterwards.

Do NOT fill the pool during the practice run. Filling without a liner risks damaging the surface, and using the liner wastes it. The filling process is straightforward — what matters is confirming connections and hot water capacity.

Inflation sequence

Inflate in this order using the electric air pump provided:

1. Lay floor protection first (waterproof sheet or tarpaulin, old towels around the edges)
2. Position the pool where you want to use it — once filled with water, it cannot be moved
3. Inflate the bottom wall chamber first
4. While you can still lean in, inflate the floor
5. Inflate the seat (inside the pool)
6. Inflate the middle wall chamber
7. Inflate the top wall chamber partway — just enough to hold its shape
8. Place the disposable liner inside the pool. Drape it over the walls evenly
9. Continue inflating the top wall chamber fully — this grips and holds the liner in place
10. Don’t worry about the liner fitting snugly — the weight of the water forces it into position

Setting up during labour

The pool is set up when labour begins — not days in advance. Your birth partner handles the setup while you focus on labour.

The trigger: When contractions become regular and established, or when your waters break.

Timeline: Inflation takes 10–15 minutes. Filling takes 30–75 minutes depending on pool size and water pressure.

Filling the pool: Connect the hose to your tap using the adapter. Fill with water at approximately 37°C. If hot water runs out, fill to available level and top up once the boiler recovers. Run taps for 1–2 minutes before filling to flush standing water from pipes. Fill to a depth that covers your abdomen — approximately 58cm.

Water temperature

During labour: Maintain water at 36–37.5°C. Use the floating thermometer and check regularly.

During the pushing stage: Keep at or just below 37°C. Higher than this risks raising the baby’s core temperature.

The water will cool over time. Top up with hot water periodically. When topping up, you’re also adding volume — keep a bucket nearby to bail out some water first if the pool is getting full. Never add boiling water directly.

Keep the room warm (22–24°C ideally). Use the pool cover when you’re not in the pool.

During labour and birth

Use the sieve to remove any debris from the water as needed — this is normal. Your birth partner or midwife handles it.

Use the pool handles for support getting in and out. Have a non-slip mat on the floor beside the pool.

You may get out at any point — for the toilet, to change position, because you want to, or because your midwife recommends it.

After the birth

There is 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 to drain:

1. Use the sieve to remove debris from the water (protects the pump)
2. Connect the drain pump to the drain hose
3. Run the drain hose to your drain point (toilet, bathroom, or garden)
4. Place the pump in the pool and switch on. Draining takes ~20–30 minutes
5. If draining to a toilet, secure the hose so it doesn’t slip out
6. Remove the tap adapter from the hose. The tap adapters are reusable and must be returned — the hose is not. Detach them now before you forget
7. Once drained, remove the disposable liner. You can place the drain pump and hose inside it to bundle the disposable items together, then dispose of all three in your household waste
8. Wipe the pool interior with a damp cloth — no special products needed

Deflating and packing up

Once the pool is drained, wiped, and dry:

1. Open all side chamber valves
2. Gently press down on the side chambers to expel air
3. Deflate the floor
4. Deflate the seat — check behind the seat is dry; if wet, dry with a towel
5. Deflate side chambers from top to bottom
6. Fold following the instruction sheet (attached to the bag strap)
7. Fasten with strap, place in carrying bag, fasten all bag straps

Repacking for return

These items go back in the box: Pool in its carrying bag, air pump, air pump adapter, tap adapters (3) — make sure you’ve removed them from the hose, tap fittings set, puncture repair kit, and instruction book.

These items do NOT go back — dispose of them: Used disposable liner, hose (after removing tap adapters), drain pump, and any other disposable items that were used (gloves, sieve, etc.).

Exception: If any disposable kit items are unused and still in their packaging, you can return them.

Attach the prepaid return label to the outside of the box. Remove or cover any old labels. Tape shut securely.

Returning the pool

Option 1: Courier collection (we arrange it) — Email us to arrange a courier collection. We need at least one day’s notice. Collections can happen any day from Monday to Saturday, but the time of pickup cannot be specified — the courier may come at any time during the day. Have the packed box ready and accessible, ideally near your front door.

Option 2: Drop off at a Hermes PaketShop — If you prefer, take the packed box to your nearest Hermes PaketShop and hand it in there. The prepaid return label works at any Hermes PaketShop. Find your nearest one at hermes-paketshop.de.

Troubleshooting

Tap adapter doesn’t fit? Try a different tap. If none work, visit a plumber’s merchant with a photo of your tap. Resolve this during the practice run, not during labour.

Pool seems to be losing air? Small firmness loss over hours is normal (air contracts in cooler rooms). Top up with the pump. If a chamber deflates significantly within an hour, there may be a puncture. Inflate the chamber, apply soapy water to find bubbles, dry the area, apply the repair patch with superglue, hold for 2 minutes, wait 15 minutes, reinflate and check.

Hot water runs out during filling? This is common with the larger Regular pool. Fill to the available level, wait 20–30 minutes for the boiler to recover, then top up. Fill slightly warmer than 37°C to compensate for cooling.

Drain pump not working? Check the power connection. Ensure the pump is fully submerged. If it still doesn’t work, drain with a bucket — slower but effective. Contact us for help.