Home water birth on first floor?! Please help!

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I have made a very last minute decision to get a pool for my home birth and need advice! Funds are a little tight but I've managed to find someone local who never used theres or any of the kit and will sell for a much cheaper price.

However their pool is the regular sized birth pool in a box (not the mini which I thought originally would be most suitable). We live on the first floor and I think pregnancy hormones have a lot to answer for here but I keep reading about how you need to make sure your floor is strong enough, they can't guarantee your home will be appropriate etc, also talk about a survey of the joists etc. I had actually got an engineer friend to look at the dimensions and weight given for the mini version and they reckoned that up to 5+ x the capacity would still be within safe working limits for the floor!

I've also heard even the larger pools filled are still only the equivalent of the weight of 10-13 adults in that space.

Someone please please reassure me that I can have a beautiful water birth and not melt my brain with anxiety beforehand!!! X

"I had actually got an engineer friend to look at the dimensions and weight given for the mini version and they reckoned that up to 5+ x the capacity would still be within safe working limits for the floor!"

What makes you think the average mumsnetter will know better than a friend with an engineering qualification who has actually seen your floor?!

If you want more reassurance you could ask the midwife/midwives who would be attending the home birth.

Why don't you enquire with a hire company about an equivalent pool and see if they think your home sounds OK? The FAQ section of their website might even be enough.

It sounds fine to me but you do need to put your mind at ease - a collapsing ceiling isn't something you want to be fretting about during labour!

You’re not the poster whose landlord said no, I hope?

@AnotherEmma Sorry for any offence, I'm asking for people who may have personal experience of having water births at home and can share them.

From our experience also midwives aren't able to comment on the suitability of the birthing space to accommodate a pool, probably for fear of litigation x

Large bodies of water on floors not specifically designed with them in mind is not a good idea. I had to get some structural work when I wanted to change my bath from parallel to the widow, to perpendicular. As well as being a heavy concentration of weight in a small footprint, the dynamics of fluid sloshing about as you get in etc could cause further strain.

Also, it’s not just weight. The damage done by something heavy falling through a floor is bad enough; the damage done if that something isn’t water is way way worse.

Check with an engineer who is willing to sign a certification, then check with your home insurance and anybody else relevant (landlord, mortgage company, block management company?) and even then, I’d still not risk it myself.

Are you renting OP? If so you should check with your landlord as it may not be covered on buildings insurance.

I'm not offended

PP's suggestion to ask a pool hire company is a good one

Why not opt for a water birth at your local hospital instead?

And unfortunately no one can reassure that you can have a beautiful water birth, not even the midwives. Have an open mind.

My other worry would be emptying it.....

I have a hot tub and that takes about 40 minutes with a pump into a field and it's a lot of water. How would you do that?

Our midwives said no. They said it was too much risk so either pool on the ground floor or no pool.

We had a no pool homebirth. It was lovely.

Good luck!

In my two attempts to get a water birth at hospital my success rate was 0%.

This will be totally fine op. It's just back covering on the minute chance that damage is caused so they don't have to pay for it.

You will have a wonderful birth. How do I know? I just do.

Something else to consider is that should an emergency arise and you can get out of the pool yourself, the midwives would literally step on the side of the pool to get you out, what/who is underneath that would also experience water damage?! You would def need to check with landlord/insurers etc

I do hope that you can have the water birth that you have set your heart on .
But please be prepared that it may not be possible either at home with your particular living space or indeed the course of your labour.
Our daughter had a water birth lined up at her local excellent maternity unit but sadly was disappointed .
Would hate that to happen to you - but it won't hurt to explore all options open to you.

I had a home waterbirth in my bedroom (3 bed post war semi). The pool was full and I weighed around 19st. Obviously that's anecdotal and not necessarily helpful but we didn't have any problems.

What type of floors do you have? Might also play a part. In our old maisonette they were concrete which would have been fine