Homebirth and problems with home insurance

[NigellaLawless]

Hi. My SIL is planning a home birth with a birthing pool. She called her insurance company today just to check that any water damage to carpets (in the unlikely event that there was an emergency in the pool and the midwives puncture it to get her out) would be covered. She was told that this would be seen as forseeable and therefore not covered by the insurance company. She argued that it is no more forseeable than spilling paint on the carpet when decorating the living room (something that her policy will cover). But they will not budge.

Has anyone had this experience and been able to convince the insurers to cover them after all?

I confess that the thought hasn't even crossed my mind and I haven't bothered about the insurance at all.

I have just ordered my birthpool and hadn't considered that they might burst it to get me out...what would they do if I had a solid sided one? Also I would have other safety considerations with that amount of water suddenly sloshing about my livingroom floor, what about electrics and stuff? Is your SIL sure this is a standard procedure?

The midwives will not puncture it to get her out.

Many pools have more than one layer so even a puncture won't let water on the floor. Plus it take ages to empty the pool even using an electric pump, much quicker to pull person out of pool than to try and empty pool by puncturing it.

It would take them longer to puncture it than to empty it thimbleful by thimbleful! It's not an issue.

it never crossed my mind to inform insurance company when i planned a home birth

i dont think it would cross a midwifes mind to burst a pool either... they would get you out somehow, but im pretty certain the pool will remain in tact!!!!

there would have to be a pretty major fault if the pool leaked.... that would be unforseen, and would surely be covered?

If the midwives punctured the pool it would be a wilful act and not covered by insurance. If it was to 'spring a leak' it should be covered as long as they have accidental damage cover.

thanks for the replies.

I am confused though as I had planned a home birth with a pool (didn't happen in the end due to health complications) and my midwife told me that they would puncture the pool to get me out should there be an emergency e.g. loss of consciousness/unable to get out myself so I thought this must be standard practise, but from all the replies it seems not???

the thing is the pools are made which such tough material, (or even solid sides) I cant see how they could puncture the pool

it would take ages and ages, and i think even if you were trying it would be very very difficult..... they are designed not to puncture

What would they do in a hospital where the pools are actual baths? They cant just break those!

I've had four attempted home water births (first ended up with transfer and then hospital birth). I've never told the insurance company and no one has ever threatened to puncture the pool. I've never had an inflatable pool, but they MWs didn;t know that till they turned up, so could have told me before hand.

If they punctured it in such a way that the water would flood out destructively, I think they would be washed away too! It would be like the end of Titanic. They might deflate the top layer.

See now that I read this thread it sounds completely mad to think they would puncture the pool, I guess since mine HB ws called off I never really thought too much about it.

It does make me think that perhaps my MW was a bit bonkers though. She seemed perfectly lovely and knowledgable in so many ways... but she did say that she thought my husband looked like Chris Martin from Cold Play... I guess the signs of her madness were there all along

Thanks all, I have sent SIL a link to this thread

I think your sister may be on the Yahoo group, and someone on there has posted an answer to this today (they work in insurance)

The general consensus from her workplace was that any damage done during labour/birth would be covered - damage from waters breaking would be covered and there's no way of predicting where they will go.

Your SIL should contact her insurers and ask for the specific clause in her insurance terms which lays out the exclusion of cover for homebirth damage, and when this isn't forthcoming, she then needs to tell them she is getting in touch with the Financial Ombudsman as the insurers should be able to tell her exactly where the relevant clause is, and it should be laid out explicitly and in plain English that that is the case :)

Thanks Fliss. That is really helpful. Not sure if SIL is on the Yahoo group, I will check with her, if not i will tell her to check this thread again for your advice