Home/water birth question (probably silly)

[sprite25]

Ok so Im only 32 weeks but am due to pay for a birthing pool in a couple of weeks for hire as i want a home/water birth. the only thing is we are due to move to a 1st floor flat in a couple of weeks and am scared of asking our possible new landlords if a birthing pool will be allowed in the flat or if the floor will support the weight of a birthing pool? The site which im hiring it from says the pool hold 450 litres of water which is about 2 to 3 baths (this is the smallest one they do) i know its a silly thing to worry about but I dont wanna say anything to the landlord and it puts them off letting us have the flat but at the same time I dont wanna do any damage to the floor if its not suitable?

Never mind damaging the floor - you could end up giving birth in the ground floor flat. You need to know what the load bearing of the floor is, and I very much doubt you flat with have enough strength. It isn't just the weight of the pool, it is all the humans, equipment and furniture too.

I'd look around and hire a smaller birthing pool. You can get really compact ones for use in smaller flats.

What do you want most? A home water birth, or the flat? The two might not be compatible, but only one is long term.
Suggest you find out if you can have both, before you find out that you can't IYSWIM.

Wow didn't realise rainy Sundays really put people in that bad a mood

Home waterbirths are lovely, so I can see why you'd want one! Could the hiring company give an indication of whether they have loaned pools to similar properties before? Might give you an idea? Or you can ask the landlord about loadbearing, no need to say why!

It would never even occur to me to question whether the floor would support the weight of the pool. At the equivalent of 3 baths full I would have just assumed that the floor could definitely support that ... shows what I know hey

Tbh I would just use the bath ( if you have one)

I had a water birth at home. Our lounge has wooden floorboards and we had to check the load it would take with a full birthing pool. We also had to check house / contents were covered under our insurance policy in case of accidents and damage caused by the pool.

If you plan to use the bath, check with your midwife first. Some can be very cautious about maintaining water temperature and the space in a bath.

Good luck, hope it all goes to plan!

Thanks for the helpful comments I think I will just have to be brave and ask the landlord about the strength of the floors as really did have my heart set on a water birth, i know things in labour cant be guaranteed but ive thought about having a home birth without a pool and for some reason feel like i wouldnt be as relaxed etc.

Who did you think was in a bad mood? Have re-read the posts and can't work it out

The guidance I was given was if you could have 12 adults standing on a floor, it'd take the weight of a birth pool.

Pretend your thinking about getting a large fish tank that way LL won't know

Bad moods? Where?

What Sprite said. I didn't understand the comment.

i would definitely ask him. it's not worth the risk! i would imagine it'll prob be fine.

No, I know. Neither did I!