Landlord against birthing pool at homebirth

[Suzwana]

Hi everyone!

I am planning a homebirth and as per midwives instructions I have informed my letting agency/landlord that there will be gas cylinders (entonox and oxygen) at the property near my due date. My midwife said just to do this so they can update any insurance policies in regards to fire safety.

So they replied and said they hoped I was not renting a birthing pool. I told them I was - and they sent me a massive email stating that the floors on the ground floor in the kitchen/dining room (where I am planning the waterbirth) would not likely bare the weight.

The pool when full is approx 430kg and I have been told this is the same as approx 8-10 adults standing in the kitchen.

They are sure that the wooden floorboards under the tiled flooring will likely flex and cause the tiles to crack.

I am worrying as I want to go ahead as my partner and others feel this is ridiculous - but I don't want to be worrying about this during labour if I go ahead with the pool hire.

Any thoughts and advice would help! Are they just being fussy or are their concerns legitimate?

Thank you.

You are borrowing someone else's property. They've said no. You have to deal with it.

I desperately wanted a birthing pool. Right up until I was in labour. You just don't know how you will feel at the time.

But you know how your landlord feels.

Reply to them saying you have been informed that it is equivalent in weight to 8 to 10 people being in your kitchen. Ask them to confirm if the floor is too weak to allow you have that many people in the kitchen at once as you are concerned about the health and safety implications.
But be realistic. Don't do this if letting are hard to get where you live and this will mean that you will be given notice to leave. Only you can judge the realistic possibility of that

Ohio she is not borrowing someone's property. She is paying rent. Borrowing is a favour. Renting is a business transaction.

I am not a landlord, but Gas cylinders are very dangerous if not stored/transported etc correctly.
If you need a birthing pool use one at the hospital

It’s not just the probability that the floor can support 8-10 people. The weight will be concentrated over a ~4 foot diameter circle rather than spread out over the entire room like a group of people would be.

It might be really unlikely, but I’m a worrier and if I was expressly told not to do something because of a safety issue, I’d be very anxious if I decided to go ahead. Given that can inhibit labour, it would really negate the point of the pool for me!

Well she is paying to borrow it. It is not hers. I know its not a nice answer but it's the truth. And if you have to inform them because of the insurance implications then it is reasonable that the person who owns the property has a say.

Use the hospital one.

The issue is that the weight is based on a small floor area, and there will be the additional weight of yourself, partner, and a couple of midwives. Again in a small area. Would you be prepared to accept responsibility for any damage the pool may cause?

Soon

That's a fair point.

Is there a chance that the landlord doesn't see why they should pay more for insurance for glass cylinders etc in their property or they are concerned about damage to their property that might cost more than the deposit?

A quick Google also suggests that some insurers won't cover damage caused by water birth pools due. If that's the case then putting a birthing pool in the house could leave the landlord with a heavy repair bill and no insurance should something happen.

The landlord knows their insurance policy better than any of us can advise.

Why on earth did they put tiles over a wooden floor! I think in the circumstances yes the tiles will crack due to the flexing on the floor x

We owned our flat in London when we were investigating having a home birth with a pool, but discounted it on precisely these grounds — OP, the chances of damage are high, and your landlord isn’t unreasonable to refuse the prospect of damaging his property.

OP you might need to get some proper legal advice (try shelter) but one option may be to write to the landlord stating that you will take all personal/financial liability for any damage caused by the pool.

It's not just the weight, a large pool of water inside a house could do a lot of damage to flooring, electrics, carpets etc if something went wrong (although its unlikely the pool would be tipped over inside, there is always a small risk it might drain somehow). Plus it's not just the weight of the pool, the floor has to stand the weight of the people in the pool, the midwives supporting, their equipment and all the stuff the floor normally holds as well. I can understand why your landlord would have reservations. It's also not just the cost of repairing the floor. If the floor were to give under the weight, you could be injured while trying to give birth, and that is not something I would want on my conscience as a landlord. If I wasn't confident my floor would hold up to the weight, I would have said exactly the same thing.

Thanks for your replies.

They haven't told me not to proceed at all - they are just advising me and have asked me to consider what they've said and to let me know any damages I would have to pay for which is fair.

They cannot tell me I cannot have a home birth anyway legally - as an ex midwife myself I'm aware of this.

I contacted the birthing hire company and they thought it sounded OTT. I honestly don't know if the floorboards bending are likely or they're just against the idea a homebirth.

But at the end of the day I may not want to birth in the pool - but all homebirths with pools that I have attended have been lovely and never heard of issues with floorboards myself.

Hey ho!

the concerns are legit. on both the weight and as above gas concerns. not yet mentioned water damage from a potential leak or large amount of water on the floor.

Go into hospital and use the birthing pool there. Much less fuss.

If the property belonged to you, would you go ahead on the probability damage will be caused and you will not be insured for this damage . . .?

Personally I'm totally against birthing in hospital unless I absolutely need to.

Not having a pool isn't a dealbreaker for me I'm having birthing at home regardless.

I just never heard or anything like this before is all!

I 100% accept that I would have pay for any damages that isn't covered by tenancy insurance.

I just wondered why they assume the ground floor wooden hold on the weight when I have a wardrobe that weighs about the same upstairs!

I honestly don't know if the floorboards bending are likely or they're just against the idea a homebirth.

But logically what issues would they have with you having a homebirth outside of the potential for damage to their property?

You’re not unreasonable for wanting to hire a pool, but the agent isn’t unreasonable either for trying to limit the potential risk.

Do you have appliances such as fridge freezers sitting on top of the tiles? And if yes has that damaged the tiles? Because a full fridge freezer is very heavy.

Terriblecustomer the reason may be unrealistic worry. What the op needs to know is whether the agent is just being OTT or if their concerns have some basis.

I had a home birth and refused to hire the pool because I was worried about it bursting all over the flat. And it's my flat, not rented. The thought of having to deal with severe flooding and damage to property while in labour or straight after was just not something I was prepared to risk.

I spent most of my labour in the bath anyway but don't regret not getting the pool. The faff of emptying and folding the fucking thing when I laboured for three days wasn't appealing to me at all.

I had two home births, in two different rented properties. No one told me I had to inform the landlord about having entonox. I didn't have a water birth with either though. I'd get advice on this legally as you are paying rent to use the house as your home. Home births are lovely so I hope you get yours! Good luck!

Surely the joists will stop the floorboards from flexing? And the weight will be spread over several joists so it shouldn’t be a problem. Something like a fish tank would sit over a much smaller footprint Approx 5ft by 2ft for a 450litre tank which would weigh well over 450kg when filled. The advice for those is to run them across the joists rather than with to spread the weightbut that won’t even be a problem with a pool because the footprint is much larger.

www.babycentre.co.uk/a542007/planning-a-water-birth
this is quite interesting - But I do understand the landlords concerns - there are also issues about filling & drainage of water & the flooring whether the joists can support the weight -

SIL has only had home births, but didn’t use a pool precisely for the reason that structurally the floor wouldn’t be guaranteed to take the weight (it was her own flat). I don’t think they are being unreasonable to raise it.