# BLowing up and filling of birth pool... How long??



## Kota

HOw long does this take? 

Planning a HB and MW has suggested that once the pool is blown up, the cats won't be able to come into that room incase they put a hole in it... Problem is, cats are 100% indoor cats, and blocking from the room I intend to set the pool up in, means quite literally, blocking them out of 1/2 the house that they run around. :wacko:

She gave an impression that the pool pretty much needs to be blown up and ready to fill from 37wks? 
This seems really strange to me, surely it can just be blown up once labour starts?

Help please??


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## murmur

We were told the same and blew the pool up from 37 weeks I ended up going 6 days over and have decided that this time we will wait until labour starts as it only took 30-40 minutes to pump the pool and another 30/40 to fill. 

I also found that my cat stayed far away from me in the 2 days leading up to the birth - he just went and settled in an area away from what was happening and I didn't really see him again until a day after I had given birth.


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## YikesBaby

We had an electric pump and the pool filled with air really quickly. You should test it by blowing it up early to ensure there are no leaks... but I don't see why you can't deflate it if you have an air pump and have DH blow it up as soon as labour starts. Only caution is that the pump is really loud. (Not exactly relaxing to listen to...)

As for filling it up... it depends on your water pressure and the size of your hot water tank, but likely 30-40 as pp said. Best advice - as soon as you go into labour, turn up the temp of your hot water tank to max... to ensure you don't run out of hot water. :) I took two really long showers before they filled my pool and when they went to do so I'd used up all the hot water and needed to wait a bit. :dohh:


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## Bun87

Best thing to do is to have a test run beforehand. We pumped and filled ours a few weeks ago - 20 mins to inflate and 40 to fill. All depends on whether you have an electric pump for inflating and how fast your water is. We've been told to get the pool inflated at 37 weeks too, I think we probably will because we're too excited to wait! Haha x


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## flubdub

Actually blowing our pool up took around ten minutes with a cheap foot pump! I cant see why you would need to do this weeks in advance. 
It's the FILLING of the pool that took us ages x


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## Kota

we have an electric pump so thats not a problem, can't see it taking long at all, will do a test run on filling once the pool arrives and then let it all out again. Good to know it doesn't have to be set up ready to go for weeks, I'd feel horrible to my poor kitty cats!! :lol:


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## Sam Pearson

20 minutes to blow up by mouth (with rest breaks) and 10 minutes to empty it with a bucket.


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## readynwilling

gonna be a really dumb question... but how are you filling the pool?? do you run a hose from your tap?

NM - got my answer, watched a youtube clip :)


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## xsadiex

I blew mine up at 37 weeks, are you sure the cats would jump on it? They might be scared of it? My pool was made of tough material so it might be ok? I cant actually remember how long it took my OH to blow up but it wasnt more than 45 minutes.


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## NaturalMomma

I always blew the pool up when in labor. Blowing it up with an electric pump only takes a few minutes, filling it takes 1-2 hours depending on how fast your water flow is.


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## Kota

The cats would most certainly jump on it, they're not scared of anything. :lol: and anything new in any room gets climbed all over and checked out thoroughly by both of them. They are a bit insane. :lol:

Spoke to my MW today and she said it will be easy enough to blow up and put in a spare room empty (which we have) and then just roll it into the birthing room when we need it so thats a good thing,


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## ljo1984

We have electric pool n took 5 mins to blow up. I also have indoor cats and I was transferred in meaning my pool was left up until oh got home 10 hours later. Luckily it was fine but I was terrified they'd pop a pool I spent a fortune on n hadn't used lol.


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## Rebaby

Inflating the pool didn't take long at all- maybe 20 mins with a footpump. Filling it did take a while (with a hose from the kitchen tap) I don't know exactly but it was at least an hour, maybe closer to two...

Also- congratulations! :flower:


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## Kota

Thanks Rebaby. :) 

I'm not too concerned about having to transfer in and the pool being left up as the cats can be shut off to the front end of the house, and unable to get to the downstairs lounge that the pool will be in, which for 1 day/night won't be a problem in the slightest. it was just the idea of them being blocked off from that section of the house for potentially a couple of weeks I didn't like the idea of, they use it as a retreat/safe space if my 3yr old is getting to much for them or if other kids are around.


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