waterproof floor coverings etc for home birth with pool....OTT?

[fingers_cross]

is this a bit OTT? im planning to have a home birth at my sisters flat and its a new flat and the first one she has ever bought so im going to have to be very careful not to ruin anything ie wooden floors!!

shes already said she is going to move the couch and chair over to one side of the room so that my sis mum and midwife can sit there (slightly like a viewing gallery! but hopefully ill be too out of it to care!) so ive thought about doing this:

1.Put a single mattress on the floor (in the corner of the room)
2.Cover the floor (and mattress) with waterproof tarpaulin (its 25ft x 18ft!)
3.Over the tarpaulin put thick packing/moving blankets (so that im not walking on the tarpaulin, hate the crunch sound and think it would annoy me!)
4. Put the birthing pool with the waterproof underlay ontop of the other 2 layers.

is that totally over the top? this is my first baby and im not 100% sure how to make sure things dont get wet/dirty as my sister is a total cleaning snob lol (probably not the best place to have the baby since shes so crazy bout keeping things clean but have no other choice as she lives so close to the hospital) so im hoping if she feels i have completely covered everything, she can relax and enjoy my labour and not be worrying constantly!

thanks

 

[ace28]

I wouldn't put a big pool full of water on top of a mattress- I think it would be too unstable.

More importantly though, I think you really need to talk to your sister. I can tell by reading your post that you are incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of possibly ruining your sister's flooring and the ramifications that come with that... But you know what? Stuff happens and it is far more important that you are truly comfortable in your birthing environment. If you are constantly worrying about your sister and what she's thinking, you won't be able to relax completely and it could affect your labor.

Why not do it in your own home? You mentioned your sis is closer to the hospital- how far is your house from it? Is it truly not doable at all? It just seems like you would be more comfortable in your own environment!

 

[fingers_cross]

thanks for the reply. no i meant that the mattress would be at one side of the room and the pool at the other (the pool would just be on top of the waterproof layer and the blankets). The mattress will be there for me to lay on! lol. i also will have a birthing ball and a bean bag. I live around 30-45 mins from the hospital, depending on traffic and i just wouldnt want to take the chance with it being my first. ill be totally comfortable at my sisters, once i know everything is protected ill be fine. she says im worrying too much, so maybe its just me and not her, i dont know!!lol.

 

[booflebump]

Remember you will need to get up and down for the toilet etc, so if she is worried about her floors, then she will need to waterproof cover everything as there is no guarantee you won't 'drip' on your way there and back (especially if you need to sit on the loo to help deliver the placenta).

 

[bassdesire]

There was no mess at all for my home birth. Everything was in the tub. Our bed had a waterproof mattress cover shower curtain and disposable sheets. We put chux pads on it as well. Tarps are a great idea.