| The
procedure
Giving birth in a pool of water is far better
for mother and baby than traditional deliveries on a hospital
bed, research shows today.
Women who spent at least part of their labour in water had
less pain, and were less likely to need an epidural and require
induction to speed up their contractions than those cared
for in the conventional way.
Lying in warm water gives a sense of relaxation,
but whether it actually reduces pain is less certain. A perception
of relaxation, pain relief, ease of movements and more holistic
experience made labour in water a popular choice during the
1980s. This concept has been extended to include actual birth
under water following widely quoted experience from France.
It is important to separate the evidence on
benefits and risks of immersion in water during the active
phase of labour from those of actual birth in water.There
are considerable perceived benefits of using immersion in
water during labour, including less painful contractions and
less need for pharmacological analgesia, shorter labour, less
need for augmentation, with no known adverse effects for the
woman herself.
However, there may be rare but clinically
significant risks for the baby born under water. These include
respiratory problems (including the possibility of fresh water
drowning), cord rupture with haemorrhage, and waterborne infections.
If you stay in the pool, follow your instincts
and choose the position that seems to help you push most effectively.
You might find you cannot bear to be touched at this stage
and that, if your birth companion is in the pool with you,
you now want him or her to get out immediately.
You might want to scream and shout or hear
screaming and shouting in the room that doesn't
seem to be coming from you! Do whatever makes you feel better.
Having a baby is a huge experience, and making a lot of noise
can be part of it.
Once your baby's head has been born, relax until the next
contraction brings with it the birth of your baby's
body a few moments later. Your baby will sink in the pool
after he is born. He will not breathe until he feels air on
his skin and experiences a change in temperature. Remember
that he is still receiving oxygen via the umbilical cord,
which is still attached to the placenta inside you. Your midwife
will lift him gently to the surface of the pool, and hand
him to you. Or you can lift him up yourself. Keep his head
above the water, and his body submerged. If you want to put
him to your breast, do so.
Your baby may not cry vigorously, as you perhaps expect him
to do, when he is brought to the surface of the water. Many
women who give birth underwater comment on how calm and peaceful
their babies are. Accept that your baby is content. His colour
will tell your midwife whether or not he is breathing properly.
Enjoy these wonderful first moments of your baby's life as
he starts to look around him.
How
does a birthing pool gives pain relief?
| Complete
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for labour and birth|
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