Water Birth
Over the last few decades, the use of water during labour has gained steadily in popularity. Dr. Michel Odent was one of the first obstetricians in the West to offer labouring mothers the use of a shallow birth pool in which to relax when their contractions were at their height. At first, it was never intended that the baby would be born under water but sometimes, by chance the birth occurred while the mother was in the pool.
Birthing pools are a method of pain relief; the itself isn't necessarily under water, as many people have come to believe. There can be some danger to the baby if he or she is delivered under water and the head is not lifted out right away and water births must always be supervised by a qualified attendant.
If you choose to use a birthing pool during your labour, you may worry that your baby will drown if he is actually born under water.
As long as your baby is not kept under water for more than a few moments, he is safe while he is still receiving oxygen from the placenta. Most newborns make strong, vigorous movements of their own accord, and while these may bring them to the surface, you should immediately lift your baby so that his body is clear of the water, to stimulate him to gasp for breath, and give him a welcoming cuddle.
Using a birthing pool during labour can help to relax you and reduce the pain of contractions. You are much less likely to be subjected to interventionist procedures because of an imposed time limit. This in turn means that you will have the time needed for your tissues and muscles to open and stretch. Your partner can share in the intimacy of water birth, and your baby can be welcomed with a skin-to-skin cuddle from both of you immediately afterwards.
Whats Are The Risks?
Your doctor may tell you that a home birth is not safe, that it presents too many risks. But there is always some risk attached to giving birth, and statistics have proved that in some circumstances a hospital birth can actually be less safe than a planned home birth. However, unplanned out-of-hospital births can be extremely dangerous, whether it is a teenager trying to conceal an unwanted pregnancy, or a couple whose baby is born en route to the hospital.
Birthing pools are a method of pain relief; the itself isn't necessarily under water, as many people have come to believe. There can be some danger to the baby if he or she is delivered under water and the head is not lifted out right away and water births must always be supervised by a qualified attendant.
If you choose to use a birthing pool during your labour, you may worry that your baby will drown if he is actually born under water.
As long as your baby is not kept under water for more than a few moments, he is safe while he is still receiving oxygen from the placenta. Most newborns make strong, vigorous movements of their own accord, and while these may bring them to the surface, you should immediately lift your baby so that his body is clear of the water, to stimulate him to gasp for breath, and give him a welcoming cuddle.
Using a birthing pool during labour can help to relax you and reduce the pain of contractions. You are much less likely to be subjected to interventionist procedures because of an imposed time limit. This in turn means that you will have the time needed for your tissues and muscles to open and stretch. Your partner can share in the intimacy of water birth, and your baby can be welcomed with a skin-to-skin cuddle from both of you immediately afterwards.
Whats Are The Risks?
Your doctor may tell you that a home birth is not safe, that it presents too many risks. But there is always some risk attached to giving birth, and statistics have proved that in some circumstances a hospital birth can actually be less safe than a planned home birth. However, unplanned out-of-hospital births can be extremely dangerous, whether it is a teenager trying to conceal an unwanted pregnancy, or a couple whose baby is born en route to the hospital.
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