Midwifery Today Community

Can you all chime in on which birth tubs you like the best, & least & why? Thanks.

My favorite is a big built in tub in a bathroom.  Anytime we have a hot water faucet and a drain is preferable to me!!  Barring that I have a La Basseine inflatable tub which my parents have to buy a liner for, that works well and papa can get in tub with mama.  I do not like the universal cheap pool liner, too wieldly and crinkly, the fitted liner is way better. The liner cost 35 bucks plus shipping so for that money they can buy a kiddie pool and keep it themselves and no one has given birth in it before. As long as it's not too big (needing more than say, 150 gallons of water) and it's at least 22" deep, they work just as well.  I also have a rubbermaid fiberglass stock tank, mine is the 100 gallon size fitted with a hose bib on the drain.  It has worked well for 15 years, it's deep, it's sturdy, I can transport it easily, draining is a snap, cleaning is pretty easy.  The drawbacks are papa can't get in tub with mama and astecically, it's pretty homely. The aqua doula tub gets pricey, it's nice, but not sure if it's worth the extra expense.

I like the La Bassine best. I gave up fooling with liners! I now just tel my couples to buy a 25 ft roll of plastic. That  is enough to put under the tub to protect the floor, line the tub & still have enough left to cover the tub, all for a fraction of the cost of the liners, which never fit right or lie flat anyway. I agree that if they want to spend the $35, might as well spend it on a kiddie pool as a liner!
Any of the inflated tubs work better than the trough or the aquadoula kind because thesoft sides are more comfortable to lean against, which all involved tend to do.
I agree though that if the couple has a jacuzzi, that is the best. but few clients do!

Thanks Marlene, gonna try the roll of plastic next time, (smacking forehead) why didn't I think of that before?!!!