The pool that I have for hire is an inflatable pool made by the UK company Splashdown which is a UK pool hire company. The inflatable pool has many attractive features for the water birth mother and is also extremely practical. It was designed by Jayn Lee-Miller and a leading midwife in 1991 and has been used extensively ever since. The pool is made of life raft material and when inflated can be leant against by the whole body. 

The pool was specifically designed for those who had had quick labours previously. It can be inflated in five minutes and filled quicker than a more conventional rigid-sided pool. The dimensions of the pool also mean that if space is limited in your home for either storage and/or pool usage the inflatable pool is ideal. Its inflated dimensions are 1.3m (4ft 3 ins) outer diameter, 1.1m (3ft 9ins) inner diameter, 0.7m (28 ins) deep with a capacity of 600 litres (138 gallons) weighing 0.6 metric tonnes when full. The pool has been tested by structural engineers who confirm that there is no problem with the weight. The load is 100lb per sq. ft. evenly distributed, that is equivalent to the weight of eight people.