Home water birth - rearranging the furniture while in labour?!

[MrsBP]

I'm expecting my second child in May and am planning a home birth. I'm desperate to have a birth pool available and also to do the whole thing in my new loft conversion (so i have access to a loo and my DD can be at home without seeing anything to traumatising!).

The problem i have is that although a structural engineer has said the floor is strong enough to take the pool weight he has stipulated it must be over the steel beam. This beam is in the centre of the room and if currently where our bed is. I've worked out that we can move the bed and accommodate the pool but it would mean putting the bed under the eaves - so we would not want to move it well in advance.

What are my chances of realising I'm in labour at a point when i can help hubby move the bed? It's not a one person job and I'm not sure we know our neighbours well enough to ask them either! I had a pretty quick first labour - into hospital at 8am and baby out by midday but I knew i was in labour at 9pm the night before - this time I'd identify the trapped wind sensation at lot earlier i hope.

Op I think you already know the answer to this one :) You might not have time or the will to move it when you are in labour so my pennies worth is that you move it a few weeks before you are due. Do you have a bath that you could use instead ?

Oh gosh. I was about to say that we did. But ours was moving a sofa and a table (very small house, couldn't move it beforehand and have the table be useable and be able to get out the front door). DH did it by himself.

Not sure I could have moved anything. I think you need to do it in advance.