Worried about birthpool

[xsadiex]

My midwife said before my waterbirth/homebirth I must make sure the floor will hold the weight of the pool by asking my estate agent

Is this really necessary? It's a new-build block of flats, surely the floor is strong enough!!!
I find the thought of asking awkward seeing as I'm not really supposed to have a baby here anyway as it's mainly student flats.
Is there another way of finding out?
Or something else I could ask my estate agent that does not include 'birth' haha.

'I have a large inflatable pool, would the floor hold this?'

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Fish tank! I have a 5 foot fish tank which holds about the same amount of water as my birth pool did.. So ask him about that!

I'd be weary in a flat tbh, they are seriously heavy when filled!

 

[xsadiex]

Haha fishtank is a great idea...BUT they say no pets allowed. Hmmm.

Maybe I should just use my bath. But I really want a birthpool in the living room, why is everything so complicated.


This thread makes me feel more positive, but I don't want to risk anything awful happening!
https://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a5060665/water_birth_-_partner_worried_about_floor_strength

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Yeah, from the sounds of that thread you should be ok!

 

[xsadiex]

Any one have any advice??x

 

[TVG]

Hhmm. Could say you've got one of those Lay Z Spa's and were wanting to know because of that? They might think you're abit odd having one inside lol but it will stop you having to say it's a birth pool x

 

[navywife86]

Ask if your floor will support a waterbed thats heavy

 

[xsadiex]

Water bed sounds like a good idea, thanks for that! They'd think I was a bit weird having a spa!

 

[navywife86]

Water bed sounds like a good idea, thanks for that! They'd think I was a bit weird having a spa!

your welcome!

 

[Rebaby]

Hmm that is a tricky one

One of my best friends lives in a rented town house, where the living room is on the first floor above a garage, and she was planning a home water birth but didn't want to ask the landlord about the birth pool so they asked a friend of theirs who works in some kind of engineering line of work or something like that and he came round and had a look and said no, the floor wouldn't support the pool so he built them this supporting beam/joist thingy to put underneath it on the day!

I appreciate not everyone has someone who can do that though, i know we don't!

Perhaps you don't need to be specific at all, regarding water, just tell them it's going to be something really heavy in one place in the room and you want to make sure there won't be a problem

We've got the birth pool in a box mini and it says that when filled it holds over 3 bathtubs full of water, which is actually quite a lot in one place- especially when you consider that's the mini-pool not the fullsize one!

 

[londonbump2]

They can't ask you to leave for having a baby! Is there something saying no children in your contract? (she says having not told her landlord either )

Anyho... I'd be wary. I have a friend who sells spas and hot tubs, he does have people who try and get them in flats and likes to tell me how stupid they are for even attempting it :-/

 

[sam#3]

i have a new build 3 storey town house and have my pool in the lounge on the middle floor.... this house was built by barrats so its shite but it doesnt creak under the weight of the pool. When filled it weighs the equivalent of about 8 people standing together i think which if you imagine having a party and that many people standing in one place it seems pretty unlikely that the floor would give in IYKWIM!

 

[xsadiex]

i have a new build 3 storey town house and have my pool in the lounge on the middle floor.... this house was built by barrats so its shite but it doesnt creak under the weight of the pool. When filled it weighs the equivalent of about 8 people standing together i think which if you imagine having a party and that many people standing in one place it seems pretty unlikely that the floor would give in IYKWIM!

Yeah, I can't imagine the floor would give in. I'm going to make sure I get a small pool and don't go crazy and fill it to the top. I bloody hope the floor doesn't fall in...hope we're not being too confident lol.

 

[Jtiki]

Since you are calling it a "flat," I know you are not in the United States. I'm not sure about construction in Europe, but here many flats will not be able to take the weight without special reinforcement. Here they usually do that reinforcement around the laundry area where the washer and dryer are located, but they wouldn't bother in a living room.

I think asking about a waterbed would be your best bet. I have seen many leases in the United States specificially prohibit a water bed because of the weight issue.