Birth Pools - Weight

[Tizzy]

As soon as DS2 was born, I was positive I wanted to at least have a birth tub to labor in if not attempt a water birth.
However, a few things are holding me back.
One, the temperature of our house. I'd have to set the pool up in the living room (where the wood stove is), and while there is available space, it's currently carpeted. And as much as I would LOVE to rip up the flooring and expose the lovely hardwood underneath, it is definitely not going to happen before I go into labor

So we could lay down plastic, no problem.
However, how do you manage with the weight of a birth pool!?
DH calculated it, using a fishy pool, and we're positive our house couldn't handle the weight without us putting in extra posts in the basement. Seems like a lot of fuss for an over sized bathtub that I may or may not need...
Do you just ignore the weight factor and hope for the best?

[emnic77]

We thought about this, and dh was slightly worried for about 5 seconds before we realized that if anything was going to go through the floor, it would be my 650+ lb piano, and that's been just fine. Is your house structurally sound, rotting floor boards or something? If not, it really shouldn't be a problem.

[Belle]

It really wouldn't be any different than having 3 or 4 adults over and sitting around a dining room table. If your floor can handle that it should be able to handle a birth pool filled with water and you in it.

[nashvillemidwife]

If I was positive my floor couldn't handle it, there would be no ignoring anything and hoping for the best.

[Sihaya]

If I didn't think my floor could handle the weight of a birth pool, I would be looking for a new house or getting the floor reinforced pronto. Similar to what Belle said, it's the same as a few adults standing in a circle having a conversation. It's really not that heavy.

[gillibean]

When I was researching the La Bassine pool I saw some information stating that the weight was about equal to 12 people standing together in a room. A kiddie pool would be lighter than that.

[Carson]

Water weighs 7 lbs per gallon - do the math with how many gallons your tub holds. Add you, your DH, MW and doula's weight and that's the weight that is concentrated over a relatively small area.

I live in an old house and have given it some thought - we are very lucky to have a finished basement with heat and I feel much more comfortable with the setup on concrete than I would be upstairs.

[nashvillemidwife]

A gallon of water weights 8.35 pounds. Don't forget to add the weight of the people in and around the pool.

[strawberryfields08]

My DH and I have gone round and round about this. He is a carpenter and he over does everything he builds for safety. In this house I am going to give birth upstairs where my bedroom is. I have never had a birth tub but really want one this time. DH was against it said it wouldn't be safe, but now he has decided to investigate and is looking at the floor and the different placement of the walls underneath. He says if it is on an outside wall with other walls under it it should be fine. But he is going to calculate the weight still and make sure.
He also said it is very unlikely that it would just fall through, unless a house is really poorly constructed. More likely it would cause cracking and bowing of walls that could be permanently damaged in the long run.

[Tizzy]

La Bassine pool holds 100 gallons. Water weighs 8.35lbs/gallon so that is 835lbs right there. PLUS me (150lbs pregnant) plus attendants in the direct vicinity (another 100-150lbs each)...that's a lot of weight concentrated in one spot.

However, to answer my own question and get very technical...

La Bassine pool is approximately 6.5ft x 4.5 ft. So me, DH and one other attendant, plus the weight of the water is around 1255 lbs. Divided by 29.25 sq. ft ends up to be around 43lbs per sq. foot.
Typical joists are engineered to hold 100lbs per sq. foot including flooring materials.
I guess technically it isn't a worry with that particular birth pool

[nashvillemidwife]

Tizzy,
Are you using a La Bassine or a fishy pool? Your original post asked about a fishy pool, which may be considerably less than 100 gallons.

[Vespertina]

This is what I have been concerned about. My apartment is on the second floor. The complex may be 10-15 years old. I don't want the birth tub falling through the floor, lol.

My midwife has aquadoulas. She's not concerned. She said she's set up the tub in trailers and never had any problems. She said if the complex is structurally sound, which she says newer ones typically are, then there shouldn't be a problem.

I plan to set it up in the dining room.

[nashvillemidwife]

Does your lease say anything about water beds? If water beds are forbidden in your apartment I would be very hesitant about a birth pool, especially the 175 gallon aquadoula. That thing weighs 3/4 of a ton.

[Sihaya]

Our apartment was on the second floor. The complex was 25-35 years old. It didn't fall through the floor. It didn't leak. We had no issues. We also set it up in our dining room.

There was a no waterbeds or aquariums rule in our lease. A birth pool is not a waterbed, it is not an aquarium, and it should not be filled with water for an extended period of time or ever left unattended while filled. Weight is NOT the reason waterbeds are restricted in leases. Also, since a birth pool was not specifically banned by our lease, our insurance agent assured us that any damage caused by it would be covered by our renter's policy.

[nashvillemidwife]

I didn't say it wouldn't be okay. I said I would be leery, and that's the truth.

[Sihaya]

I didn't say you were wrong to be hesitant, I shared my own personal experience. When I'm making a decision, I find others' experiences more helpful than speculation. JMO.

[strawberryfields08]

Originally Posted by Semper Gumby

This is what I have been concerned about. My apartment is on the second floor. The complex may be 10-15 years old. I don't want the birth tub falling through the floor, lol.

My midwife has aquadoulas. She's not concerned. She said she's set up the tub in trailers and never had any problems. She said if the complex is structurally sound, which she says newer ones typically are, then there shouldn't be a problem.

I plan to set it up in the dining room.

Unless the apartment complex is really poorly built I don't think there is a possibility of it falling through, it would have to break all of the joists that are under it in half, which is highly unlikely.
But if you are hesitant I would still look into it more to make sure that if it caused other damage, like to the ceiling below you, you aren't held liable.