Over the past 25 years we have supplied birth pools to hundreds of hospitals throughout the UK and abroad.

In fact, our pools are installed in over 87% of UK hospitals.

Tens of thousands of mothers and babies have had a better experience of birth. The benefits of water birth are now clear and have been substantiated by many studies. We have worked closely with parents, midwifes, obstetricians, architects, engineers and microbiologists to develop our unparalleled range of water birth pools.

Active Birth Pools have been instrumental in pioneering the use of water for labour and birth in mainstream medical institutions in the United Kingdom and worldwide. Today, we offer the most advanced and comprehensive range of water birth pools in the world.

Since we introduced water birth pools to hospitals over 25 years ago, we have established a reputation for the highest quality products and principles of design to a point where they can truly be regarded as the benchmark standard.

Our clients include the NHS, private UK healthcare organisations as well as hospitals and birth centres around the world.Our products are purpose-designed medical grade equipment; hospitals can expect our pools to last for decades, unlike non-specialised baths or cheap alternatives.

Our pools are offered with an industry leading 7 year guarantee and are in the long term the most cost effective way for hospitals to make water birth available to women. Active Birth Pools are produced by hand to order in the United Kingdom.

Active Birth Pools Ltd is ISO 9000 compliant. Good practice and efficient operating systems in both design & manufacture, result in products of the highest quality. Active Birth Pool products carry the CE Mark and comply with all appropriate EC Directives.

Design Ethos

Freedom of movement lies at the heart of natural, active birth. Every Active Birth Pool is designed so that women using them can move freely in labour and can find and be supported in the positions most beneficial to a natural, physiological labour.

This coupled with a conducive and inviting environment help to make the birthing process as relaxed and pain free as possible. Active Birth Pools dynamically assist women to adopt these positions.Our newest pools feature seats and supports angled forward to optimise the position of the pelvis as well as handles situated to support upright postures.

Our pools differ in shape and size to accommodate the needs of hospitals with varying budgets, space and requirements.What they share in common is a core design philosophy using only the highest quality materials.

The experience of midwives as well as mothers is a key consideration in our design process. All our pools have been developed in consultation and collaboration with midwives and this is clearly evident in the finished product.

Our skirting panels, for example slope inwards, allowing midwives to kneel under the rim of the pool enabling them to be closer to mothers without leaning over for extended periods. This simple consideration avoids lower back pain, one of the most common complaints among midwives attending water births.

Our mission is to constantly strive for newer and better ways to meet the needs of everyone who will be working with our pools.As a result of feedback and consultation, we have now produced an exclusive range of soft furnishings that furthers our mission to provide the most complete set of products for natural and active birth.

Company History

Following the pioneering of the first water births in Russia in the 1960's, Michel Odent introduced the use of water during labour at the state hospital in Pithiviers, France in the late 1970's. After delivering a hundred babies in water he published an article in the Lancet* and was visited by journalists and birth professionals from all over the world. At this point, there were no purpose-designed water birth pools; women gave birth in inflatable children's pools or large bath tubs.

In 1987 we designed the first portable water birth pool enabling women in the United Kingdom to use a birth pool in the environment of their choice.In 1988 the obstetrician, Dr Yehudi Gordon, asked us to design a pool for the Birth Unit at the Garden Hospital in London.

Working with midwives and Dr Gordon, we developed the design for the first installed birthing pool in the world - the original Deluxe Water Birth Pool today available updated, as The Original birth pool. We have been delighted to hear from literally thousands of women who have benefitted from our products helping them to give birth naturally and more easily and of the appreciation of midwives who have attended their births.

Support

Our Commitment

It is part of our philosophy that attention to detail be applied from the moment an order is taken, through the manufacture of our product, to the final despatch.We encourage input from design, production, sales staff and most importantly our customers to continually review and improve the way we manufacture our range and respond to our clients.

After Sales

Equipment produced by Active Birth Pools Ltd is noted for its effectiveness, build quality and ease of use. These characteristics are the result of a long process, including research & development, ergonomic design, and advanced manufacturing processes.

Post-sales contact with our clients is an important part of our quality control procedures as it helps ensure continual product improvement.We don't just sell products then forget about them; instead we welcome your feedback and involvement.

* Odent, M. (1983). Birth under water. Lancet, 1476-77.