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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

…to have building work done while 7 months pregnant and self isolating?

20 replies

peggyjean · 19/03/2020 08:05

Baby due in May, we moved in on Friday, have busted a gut to get builder lined up to complete some work on the house before the baby comes. 1) A new shower / loo on 1st floor, currently only have a downstairs bathroom with a bath no shower, so at 3 am every night I am waddling to a chamber pot! and 2) converting the other half of our loft so my husband has quiet space to work once the baby comes.

Both feel quite necessary, and before corona became so serious we were desperate to get them done in time. But our baby has been a long time coming and I have been taking the government advice very seriously and self isolating since last week, and it has suddenly hit us that having a lots of builders in the house is not self isolating.

Should we cancel completely? Bearing in mind:

a) we are very rural in one of the least affected parts of the country, 3 cases in our county so far.

b) this could go on for 6 months and building work will be even worse with a new baby in the house

c) the bathroom would mean 1-2 workmen and we think we could move out for 10 days while they complete it.

the loft is a longer job, 5 weeks, but the builder has told me they can do the whole thing not coming through the house, by entering via scaffold and the window at the side of the house. We could provide a portaloo and we have a barn where they can make tea and coffee / eat lunch etc. My husband is dubious, but I think if they really could do the whole thing like this, it would mean no-one coming through our living space at all.

On the one hand NHS advice is don’t have visitors to your house. On the other, the consensus seems to be it is spread person to person and the two scenarios above would allow me (and DH) to keep 2 metres of anyone working. I am also anxious about taking work from the builders at a difficult economic time (though we haven’t signed any contracts and he seems fairly laid back).

I know it is such a trivial problem in the grand scheme of things, but what would you do?

TIA x

OP posts:

CarolinaPink · 19/03/2020 08:07

Hi. It's a bit of a nightmare but I think you should cancel. I think that in 10 days from now we're likely to be in the middle of the rush of cases, and it may be that you or your builder are not well. Best of luck whatever you decide.

SamSeabornforPresident · 19/03/2020 08:11

I'm halfway through building work and am terrified we're going to go into lockdown half way through and be left with no kitchen. I don't know how we'll do months with no kitchen. We have no sink and only a microwave to cook with. So I'd probably advise postponing for now.

FoxEars · 19/03/2020 08:12

Of course you should cancel.

100 percent

EnglishRain · 19/03/2020 08:14

I've got an electrician here for two days next week, a plasterer two days the week after and a floor sander three days the week after that. Mine have all been lined up to work in the order they have for obvious reasons. Baby not due until July but also now thinking I should cancel...

Equally, if everyone is cancelling their work, they might be buggered mightn't they..?

Robs20 · 19/03/2020 08:15

I’m in the same position as @SamSeabornforPresident. We have half a kitchen atm - microwave but disconnected cooker. Kitchen needs plastering, electrics and plumbing before units arrive on 7th. I’m having a c section in 4 weeks so things were tight anyway and pretty sure once lockdown is confirmed the tradespeople will have to cancel/ the delivery won’t happen.
I think we will have to move in with my parents...not ideal but can’t cope with no kitchen!
So I would hold off starting the work until the lockdown situation is confirmed...

crispysausagerolls · 19/03/2020 08:19

Baby due July halfway through critical works eg half a kitchen and can’t just stop it

4amWitchingHour · 19/03/2020 08:22

Personally I'd carry on with it - sounds like you can keep your distance from the builders, especially the loft conversion, and it's not like you'll be left without anything essential in your house if the work has to stop (except perhaps part of a roof... that bit might be worth thinking about!). We're planning on having our kitchen redone in May as I'm due in July - at the moment my husband and I haven't even discussed putting it off and doubt we will. Both wfh and taking other precautions, but having builders in is I think way safer than heading to the supermarket at this time!

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 19/03/2020 08:26

Having strangers in your home (who will be mixing with their families) is not self-isolating. If you are pregnant and are therefore in a vulnerable group, you are advised to socially distance yourself from others.

The building work is not essential. You would definitely come into contact with your builders. This isn't all about you. What if you are a carrier with no symptoms? You could infect your builder. Don't be selfish.

LangSpartacusCleg · 19/03/2020 08:26

If you get the builders in, by definition you are no longer self isolating!

SpiltMilk100 · 19/03/2020 08:40

I think from what you've said the risk is minimal and if it were me I'd go ahead. Will be a million times more stressful when the baby is here.

We are due DC2 in May and we're meant to be getting the upstairs bedrooms and hall/stairs/landing plastered in the Easter holidays, not really sure if we should cancel. The guy is self employed and would feel awful him missing out on £1200 in times like this! Also thinking it's the perfect time for DH to get all the painting/wallpapering done.

DontTellThemYourNamePike · 19/03/2020 08:42

We were due to get a loft conversion and a kitchen wall moved this month after months of delays. A week ago, I was saying I wanted to go ahead and my partner thought I was mad. A couple of days later I was in complete agreement with him because of how quickly everything changed. What if he started the work and we got sick? What if he got sick? We were worried the builder would want go ahead anyway (who could blame him, it's his livelihood?) but he phoned yesterday to put things on hold.

I'm just relieved we aren't sitting here with a big hole in the roof and half a kitchen. We're all tripping over all the stuff we bought to get the work done, but that's a minor inconvenience in the circumstances.

GoodStuffAnnie · 19/03/2020 08:43

Cancel.

All non essential.

Original poster

peggyjean · 19/03/2020 08:55

Thanks so much all for your thoughtful responses, really helpful, and you all make excellent points. I'm so sorry for those of you who are stuck in the middle with much more urgent works than ours, what a nightmare...wishing you all the best with your babies and kitchens etc...

At the risk of getting my head bitten off, to one of the PPs, I understand what self-isolating is, I have been doing it stringently for a week longer than most pregnant ladies out there, and I wouldn't even be thinking about it if I wasn't confident we could keep out of their way and they ours, we would have as much contact as people in the same block of flats. This is a difficult time for everyone and it would be great to be able to ask for advice without being called selfish. I know it's not all about me.

That said, I suspect we are going to cancel and I am just going to have to work out how to make a chamber pot and a c-section recovery compatible in 2 months time.

OP posts:

onanothertrain · 19/03/2020 10:59

If you have builders in your house you can't be self isolating. I think the current guidance is for vulnerable groups to practice strict social distancing only. So no need for isolation at the moment.

Stereomum · 19/03/2020 11:02

My lovely builder Fil announced this morning that whilst he has been working on peoples homes this week, he has had a sore throat! And isnt sure whether to go to his caravan for the weekend! Just bear that in mind.

acquiescence · 19/03/2020 12:09

We have builders in halfway through a big project. I am pregnant and working from home. We are doing sufficient social distancing, where they work is pretty separate from me. I am sanitising door handles etc regularly. The government advice is social distancing with pregnancy and not self isolating currently. This may well change. I am taking this very seriously, I don’t feel that I need to add to other’s economic problems unnecessarily.

If you do not feel you can maintain the social distancing then you would be right to cancel.

aupresdemonarbre · 19/03/2020 12:11

I wouldn’t if I were you. Risk of fever to a baby is terrible and you will never forgive yourself if something happens. The works aren’t essential - you have a functioning bathroom.

lynzpynz · 19/03/2020 12:23

In a similar boat OP, wanting building work for new 4th bedroom and new downstairs bathroom (and bigger kitchen space but that's just added bonus!) before our baby arrives end of July. My disabled dad can't come here without it being done as our only bathroom is upstairs.

If our builder will take the work we will go ahead barring any government mandated lock down taking precautions with separate portaloo, wash Station, tea/coffee area for them in garage etc. Also may amend the works to ensure maximum distance between everyone wherever possible will be discussing with them what's possible.

I suspect builders will need to keep working to keep business afloat unless gov support hugely increased. Not to mention if my dads carers are cancelled or severely limited (already rumbles of issues with staffing levels) etc. we need somewhere to keep him safe, he's v high risk.

All very worrying and feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, lots of risk factors whatever we decide to do.

Camouflags · 19/03/2020 12:45

@peggyjean
We live in a block of flats and in order to take the rubbish out we have to pass 6 doors, not includong our own front door, and go in a lift.
Most likely running into people the whole time.
People spit and wee in our communal areas- including the lift.
You'll be fine with builders entering your home via scafolding.

They most likely are bricking it hahahahah thinking you will cancel. If you can keep them on and move out/ not come within 2 meters then you will be fine.
Youre allowed to go to the shop to buy food while self isolating at the moment. And youre also allowed to go out for excersise.

If you are sure ypu can stay out of their waythey yours I would keep them on.

Ask them to wash hands as fhey come in.
People are going on about keeping paying their cleaners and childminders but not builders- who would have just been coming out of a slow winter anyway. Building work (especially big jobs) are spring and summer work.

If you want to you could ring up and ask them if they are comfortable coming into your home and i they are worried about cv?
So many people are losing their jobs.
If you can afford it go for it.

probablysue · 19/03/2020 13:05

I think if you’ve got a plan where they don’t need to come into the house then it sounds fine to me. Carry out any conversations by text or walkie talkies. You’ll be more than 2m away from them. I can’t see any risk of infection at all. They’ll be wearing dust face masks while building anyway and you won’t even see them. I’d go ahead in this scenario

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