Workout Trends

Workout Trends helps you DESIGN an action plan for your life, a program you can follow despite the demands of a BUSY lifestyle, the one that can get you RESULTS. Learn what WORKS and what DOESN'T for your fitness goals.

Read More

A Lesser Known Way For A Less Painful Delivery

Fitness

A Lesser Known Way For A Less Painful Delivery

773

“The wisdom and compassion a woman can intuitively experience in childbirth can make her a source of healing and understanding for other women.”

~Stephen Gaskin

Baby swimming

Pregnancy is a beautiful stage in a woman’s life. She eagerly waits for that wonderful day when she can hold her baby in her arms. That’s the greatest emotion which any woman can feel at any stage of her life- the birth of her baby.

Though the moment of holding her baby is beautiful, a mother also has to go through the extreme pain and effort to bring her child into the world. That moment of labor, crosses every threshold of pain and we wish there was a less painful way to do this.

Being a woman who would be going through the same phase one day, I pondered over the question and looked up books, videos, and articles on this subject.

I found so many diferent ways that a woman can choose to give birth, however, what I personally favored as well as many other women down the ages did, was ‘Water birth.’ You must have heard of it too, I’m sure, and many of you reading this must have even done it.

For those of you who are newbie moms, you must have a number of questions running through your mind like, “Will my baby drown during water birth?,” “Will it be safe for me and my baby?,” “What if complications occur?”

Well you are right to have those questions running inside your head, after all it is about bringing your baby into this world healthily. So I am going to answer your questions about the benefits of water birth- the new relaxation for mothers under labor and a healthy procedure for healthy newborns.

A Lesser Known Way For A Less Painful Delivery

Contents

Answers to your questions

If you are wondering about how long the water birth technique has been around, then you should know that the first recorded water birth took place in the 1800s, in France, to ease the long and difficult labor of a woman. She was immersed in a warm tub of water where she finally gave birth in less pain.

Water births were not legal until the 1980s and since then the number of women opting for the procedure are increasing every year. Certified Nurse Midwife, Pat Dodge describes her experience of water birth as such-

“I attended my first waterbirth in 1998. The hospital had never had tubs, hydrotherapy or waterbirth but I had a very determined client. She negotiated with the hospital to allow her to bring a kiddie pool and all of the equipment that would be necessary. When she came into the hospital in labor her husband and I set up the tub and filled it with warm water and that determined little mama got in the tub and had a baby a few hours later. I have enjoyed many water births since that day. I love the quiet it promotes…mother relaxes and things tend to move right along without a lot of fuss.”

Will my baby drown during water birth?

To answer your first question of whether your baby will drown if he/she is born in water then I would like to bring to your realization that your baby has been developing inside your womb which is surrounded by fluid for the 9 nine months that he/ she has been in there.

Hence, when your baby is born in water, he/ she is travelling through a similar environment until they emerge out of the water into a different surrounding and that is when their lungs open up and the process of life taking its first breath starts.

The only way that your baby can drown during water birth is when he/ she is kept immersed under water for a long time. Once the baby is out we need to gently pull him/ her out of the water into the open for the first gasp of air. [1]

How do I determine if I can undergo water birth?

It’s very simple. All you need to do is double check with your medical practitioner whether your baby is doing fine and if you can get a go ahead for water birth. This go ahead is very important especially for multiple births, signs that you might have a breech or an infection.

Most hospitals and birth centers have the provisions for water births so you can always make arrangements with your healthcare provider or midwife if you want to undergo water birth.

If you are worried that you might have crossed the age for giving birth in water, then you need to know that as long as you and the baby are doing fine, and there are no complications, water birth is an open option. [2]

Is water birth really less painful?

Yes, giving birth in water reduces your pain levels to almost half. There have been cases during water birth when women do not feel the pain at all, they only feel the pressure while giving birth.

The warmth of the water relaxes the muscles and enables the mother to be at ease. However, it must be remembered that the warmth of the water should match the body temperature other overheating might cause fetal distress and risk to the baby.  Less warmer water than the mother’s body temperature is still alright to use.

An added benefit other than less pain is that water birth also decreases the risk of infections to the baby and mother. This is so because water, during delivery, dilutes any bacteria present to the point of minimal concentration wherein no harm can be done to either baby or mother. [3]

With the third query I would like to end my article here for now. I hope to have answered most of the important questions regarding water birth for all you moms- to- be and I wish you well, as you step ahead into a new dimension of life with your baby.

Do comment below and let me know if there is anything else I can answer for you. Do give me your feedback on this article. Hope to hear from you soon.

Babies are natural swimmers right from mommy’s womb. If you want to see more of this video of babies swimming, you can visit this link here. Enjoy yourselves Mommies.

babies swimming underwater natural swimmers

 

References 

[1] Johnson, P. (1996). Birth under water-to breathe or not to breathe BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 103 (3), 202-208 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1996.tb09706.x. ^Back to Top^

[2] CHURCH, L. (1989). Water birth: One birthing center's observations Journal of Nurse-Midwifery, 34 (4), 165-170 DOI: 10.1016/0091-2182(89)90076-1. ^Back to Top^

[3] SCHORN, M., MCALLISTER, J., & BLANCO, J. (1993). Water immersion and the effect on labor Journal of Nurse-Midwifery, 38 (6), 336-342 DOI: 10.1016/0091-2182(93)90014-8. ^Back to Top^

Comments are off this post!