Once presented with the true benefits and safety
of giving birth in water, you may find that your caregiver is more than willing to «go for it».
Essentially, water birth involved sitting in a warm tub during at least a portion of the labor process; in some cases, it is possible to
actually give birth in the water.
So before you decide on
giving birth in water in a hospital ask your midwife or a doctor about the guidelines of water birth for a specific hospital.
The researchers found that babies born in water were no more likely to require transfer or admission to a hospital, nor were the mothers
who gave birth in water.
If you
do give birth in water, be sure to have lots of towels on hand for both you and your new baby to keep you both warm.
Here is a full article
about Giving birth in water where you can find the research about water births, benefits and risks, supplies needed if you have water birth at home, safety tips and common questions.
One other possible disadvantage is the degree of pain relief; for some, the idea of
giving birth in the water means a tranquil, relaxing environment and a lack of pain, however the reality is that labour is a painful experience and although water may soothe pain, contractions will still be very painful and some women may be disappointed with the degree of pain relief offered by water.
Here is a full article about
Giving birth in water where you can find the research about water births, benefits and risks, supplies needed if you have water birth at home, safety tips and common questions.
The United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence states that women should be informed that there is insufficient high - quality evidence to either support or
discourage giving birth in water (7).
Many people who are in favour of water births say that
giving birth in water helps to support the woman and enables them to change position easily in order to find the most comfortable position to give birth.
Beat in mind that mothers who plan to
give birth in water often feel like stepping out of the birthing pool at the last minute to give birth, so one can never predict the outcome.
If you are inclined to think water birth is dangerous, confirmation bias will lead you to think of one or two times when
someone gave birth in water and it didn't work out well.
Because giving birth in water requires that you not experience a reason to be removed from the water — so not funny fetal heart tones, no meconium, whatever the criteria were that would make a woman leave the water.
«If you can
give birth in water then you can colonise the oceans of the planet» (Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, vol 268, p 2397).
You may need to do some preplanning if you want to labor in or
give birth in water at a hospital, but you'll find that the benefits of water birth are worth it.
Another advantage
of giving birth in the water is that it involves natural pain relief, rather than relying on medication; this is particularly beneficial for women who have particular religious beliefs and those who favour the natural approach to pain relief, rather than taking medication.
But
giving birth in water means that you can make your baby's introduction to air gentler, which many believe is less traumatic for the baby.
I'll probably think too much about how I love to
give birth in water, how baptism and water pull me into relief like nothing else.
To me, the tragedy started when the woman in the story had care providers who failed to follow her illness and compounded it with letting
her give birth in the water.
It is important to ask about the availability of the water birth at the hospital you are planning to go to and to ask any questions about
giving birth in water; you may find it useful to find out how many women choose to have water births at the hospital, how many staff are trained to deal with water births and find out about the potential risks of giving birth in the water.
There are a few disadvantages of
giving birth in the water, but on the whole it is regarded as a safe procedure and the risks are very similar to those associated with normal birth.
Soaking is available for almost any woman, but actually
giving birth in water is only for those women without any probable complications.
In North America, attitudes are not quite so forward thinking, but an increasing number of hospitals are recognizing the growing demand by women to
give birth in water.
Moreover, many people feel that
giving birth in water is more pleasant for the baby.
Giving birth in water might seem like a strange idea to some women.
Giving birth in water is a safe, healthy choice for women who want to minimize their pain during labor and maximize their experience of birth.
Giving birth in the water: Experience after 1,825 water deliveries.
Especially if your are
giving birth in water at the hospital or at the birthing center make sure to talk with your midwife about all the process as there are some rules and regulations they have to follow during water births.
Will
you give birth in water or right outside the pool.
Giving birth in water is not a new fashion trend.
Everybody's needs and births are unique, the things you might need when you are
giving birth in water might be very different, but here are some essential things:
So if your goal of
giving birth in water is to be as natural as possible, to have less (or none) medical intervention you might want to consider giving birth in water at home.
Our midwives are all highly experienced and skilled in supporting women who wish to labor and / or
give birth in the water.