Home birth practicalities

[aliantha]

I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant with my first child and hoping/planning for a home birth. I have a couple of questions - I searched the archives but can't find anything relevant, so I registered so that I could ask. We're not planning on having a birth pool (cost + space) and we will have waterproof sheets and so on, so any mess should be contained.

• My midwife said we need to tell our home insurance company that we'll have an oxygen tank and a gas and air tank in the flat. Is it likely to be a problem when we tell them?

• We rent, so do we also need to tell the letting agency? I reluctantly think we should, so that the landlord can tell their insurance company about the gas tanks; DH says we shouldn't need to tell them as it's an unfurnished flat so our contents insurance should cover any damage to our furniture. This is one situation that I'd be perfectly happy if he's right and I'm wrong!

Thanks!

I had a home birth, I was never told about telling the insurance company!!

I am 39 weeks today and planning a homebirth no-one has mentioned that to me before.

Maybe that's why I couldn't find any previous threads about it.

Have planned 3 HBs (had 2) and never heard of this.

Good luck :)

also planning a homebirth and no intention of telling home insurance.

Never even herd of mentioning it either

I never told my landlord or insurance company.

Never heard of telling the insurance company!

I did tell my landlady for birth 1 because we lived above her salon and if I gave birth in the day I didn't want her worrying about the noises or MWs stomping up and down stairs (shared entrance). I think I told the landlady for he second one too but just in passing as we were chatting about birth and babies. I had a pool for that one.

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure DH will be delighted that the wisdom of Mumsnet thinks he's correct!

I had heard it mentioned so I asked my MW if she knew anything about it and I'm pretty sure she said it would be covered (can't remember exactly, sorry!), anyway we didn't need to do anything and our house didn't explode.

sounds like a load of old cobblers.

why would i tell my insurance? i have camping gas bottles here that i don't have to tell them about....

I wouldnt be asking permission or telling them if my friends Mum came to visit either (not that she is likely to as very poorly)

She is on oxygen 24/7 to breath, so her gas bottle travels with her whereever she goes.

Slight change of track - you can get birthing pools (the inflatable kind) on ebay very cheaply if cost is an issue. Many have not been used for a variety of reasons and those that have, you can just get a new liner.

I've had two home births - no mention of insurance issues here either.

Good luck, hope it all goes well.

My midwife came over yesterday and wouldn't leave the gas canisters until we call our insurance company.

I would let them know you don't want to be worrying about anything when you have a scrummy newborn to be munching.

PrincessJenga It must vary between midwives. I had the gas canisters at mine for 2 weeks before I gave birth and she never mentioned the insurance company.

Yes, I think it does vary. In fact, the midwife said that others from her team would have left it, but she won't. FWIW though, I literally just got off the phone to my insurers and all they've done is put a note on the policy (no extra fee or anything) so I feel much better knowing I'm covered.

I too am surprised by midwives actions

Since when did it become a medical persons job to check we were properly insured? Quite frankly its none of their buisness, and if you are not insured, surely properly its your risk, not theirs?
Will they expect to see car insurance documents before allowing baby to be driven home next?
Like the lady from a few weeks ago who had had breast surgary therefor could not make milk / breastfeed, yet some shop keeper refused to sell her an underwired bra because she was pregnant.

None of their buisness at all, and not up to them to police surely? Advise maybe, but police, no way! Its up to us as adults what risks we are happy to take, not doctors / midwives / shop keepers!

PrincessJenga - Thanks for that, it's reassuring to know your insurance company was fine with it. I do kind of think that since the midwife has mentioned it at this stage that she'll want to check we have spoken to our insurance.

We had known that there are other situations in which people would need oxygen tanks, but as neither of us have ever had to deal with it, we had no idea if insurance would have to be told about that too! It's the first time either of us have ever had our own contents insurance.

Thanks again for the replies and the good wishes for the home birth! I would never have thought of contacting our insurance company if she hadn't mentioned it, and when she did bring it up I just assumed it was standard protocol, so it's interesting to see that it's actually something that few people have even heard of.