Water birth happens when you give birth in a pool filled with warm water; at least some of your labor and delivery may also occur there. It might happen at home, a hospital, or a birthing facility. A doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife assist you.
Midwives have the type of birth to be proud of offering: waterbirths. Very few hospitals offer this service because of a lack of training and fear of liability coverage issues. Community-based midwifery does a large percentage of their birthing options in the water.
Some hospitals and birthing facilities in the United States allow water births. Birthing facilities provide a more comfortable environment than a hospital and more realistic possibilities for expectant mothers. In the early stages of labor, using a birthing pool could:
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- reduce discomfort
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- preventing the need for anesthesia
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- Streamline your work
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which establishes standards for prenatal and postpartum care in the U.S., states that while having your baby delivered underwater should be regarded as an experimental procedure with risks, it may have some advantages during the first stage of labor. Contractions begin during the first stage, which lasts until your cervix is fully dilated.
According to studies, stage one water birth does not improve the medical outcome for you or your kid.
You might find that a warm bath helps you unwind and feel more in control. You can also move around more easily in water than in bed.
Benefits of Water Birth
As a result of the muscles and tissue relaxing, some of the alleged advantages of water birth include reduced discomfort and problems during delivery.
According to ACOG, submerging yourself in water during the early stage of labor may aid in hastening the process. Working in the water may also lessen your need for spinal injections or other forms of pain management.
Over the past few decades, water births have grown in popularity. Although the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists acknowledges some advantages, they do not suggest laboring in water after the cervix has begun to dilate fully. Additionally, they advise against delivery in the water.
A moderate to weak level of evidence suggests that water immersion during the first stage of childbirth reduces labor pain. A 2018 Cochrane Review discovered that immersion at this stage reduces the use of epidural analgesia; however, there is no clear evidence of the benefits of immersion for the second stage of labor, namely delivery (sometimes referred to as full water birth)
There is no substantial evidence that a water birth reduces tearing or perineal trauma. Water birth may provide perineal support for the birthing mother, which some belief may reduce the risk of tearing and the need for episiotomy.
A look back at 2014. Water immersion during the first stage of labor has been reported to reduce the length of that stage, labor pain, and the use of epidural or spinal analgesia. It is also linked to a lower cesarean delivery rate and stress urinary incontinence symptoms 42 days after delivery. According to the review, immersion during labor did not appear to increase the rate of infections for either the mother or the baby, and the newborn infant’s APGAR scores were comparable to those of conventional births.
There are many childbirth methods accessible nowadays. Depending on your preferences and your unborn child’s health, you can give birth at a hospital, birthing center, or home. Beyond just choosing a particular area, more and more women are opting to give birth in the sea.
Reference
WebMD. (n.d.). Water birth information: Benefits and risks of Water Birth. WebMD. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/baby/water-birth