Also available in 10 and 15 metre lengths.

 - Food grade hose for water birth/home birth/birthing pools.
 - Braided for strength. 
 - anti kink properties. 
 - Phthalates, Lead and Cadmium free. 
 - fits all standard size tap adaptors and submersible emptying pumps.
 - Hose has 1/2" 12mm bore and is suitable for use with most standard fittings inc click lock.
 - Conforms to the following standards ISO5774, BS 6066:1981 and BS EN ISO 6224:1997.
 - Manufactured in the UK.

We recommend that you use a new hose to fill your birth pool with water to avoid potential contamination.

This is the hose recommended for use with water birth and in used by a number of NHS units, birth centres and independent midwives. 

Beware of cheaper hoses, they may not be of a Food Grade standard or made in the UK. Cheaper hoses may result in contamination of your birthing water.

Why Phthalates Free?

"Pregnant women should avoid additives called phthalates found in common household products, according to US researchers, who found evidence that the substances may reduce childrens IQ.

Children whose mothers had the highest levels of phthalates had IQs on average seven points below those whose mothers had the lowest. The 328 women from inner-city New York who took part in the study had levels of phthalates in urine measured in the last weeks of pregnancy. IQs of the children were tested at seven years old.

While the study was purely observational and cannot prove that phthalates caused the childrens lower IQs, the research team said pregnant women might still want to avoid the additives as a precaution.

People, and especially pregnant women, should try to reduce their exposure to phthalates, and we as investigators follow the same advice that we give, said Pam Factor-Litvak, an epidemiologist at Columbia University in New York.

We advise them to avoid microwaving food in plastic. We ask them to avoid scented products, including cleaning products, air fresheners, and scented personal care products, because phthalates hold scent. And we ask them to avoid the use of plastics that are labelled 3, 6, or 7, because of the chemicals they contain.

We also advise them to store food in glass containers rather than plastic ones, she said. Although we didnt measure phthalate levels earlier in pregnancy, I think its prudent to take this advice throughout the entire pregnancy.

Phthalates interfere with hormones, but the study is the first to suggest they might affect IQs."

(The Guardian 2014). Read the full article here.

Is Lead Harmful?

"The government advises that people should minimise their exposure to lead from all sources"

(www.unitedutilities.com)

"Lead poisons people. It is especially bad for children.
If lead gets into a child's body, it could cause:
a lower IQ
behavior problems
growth problems
anemia
kidney damage
hearing loss"

(Occupational Knowledge International)

Read the Public Health England information here.

Can Lead Cause Cancer?

The International Agency for the Research on Cancer classified lead and its compounds as probably carcinogenic to humans, as lung, bladder and kidney cancer was seen in workers occupationally exposed to lead. 

Does Lead Affect Children or Damage the Unborn Child?

Children who are exposed to lead in the womb or during the first years of life may have a
lower IQ, behavioural problems, nerve damage or delayed growth. The underlying
assumption is that no exposure to lead is completely harmless. Being exposed to lead for a
long time can also affect both male and female reproduction, leading to miscarriage, stillbirths or premature births. 

Is Cadmium Harmful?

Cadmium is used in several industries. For example, it is used in the production of
plastics. It is used in photography, in welding and soldering, and is
used to make nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. 

Can Cadmium Cause Cancer?

The International Agency for the Research on Cancer classified cadmium and its compounds
as being carcinogenic in humans. 
Breathing cadmium in the air may cause lung cancer, but ingestion of cadmium in food or
water is not thought to cause cancer.
The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the
Environment (COC) concluded that men exposed to cadmium at work, hence being exposed
to higher amounts of cadmium than the general public, do not have a higher risk of getting
prostate cancer.

Does Cadmium Affect Children or Damage the Unborn Child?

If children breathe or ingest cadmium they will have similar effects as in adults i.e. kidney, lung and stomach damage. Cadmium is not known to damage the unborn child as it does not easily go from the mother to the child. Mothers exposed to cadmium may have babies with low birth weights. 

Read the Public Health England information in full here.