Benefits And Risks of Water Birth
As the name suggests, water birth is childbirth that occurs in water. A water birth could take place in a hospital, a birthing center, or at home with a doctor, nurse, or midwife present to help you through the labor and delivery process. Below, we highlight the major Benefits And Risks of Water Birth.
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Benefits of Water Birth
Benefits for Mother:
- It relieves pain: Warm water is soothing, comforting, and relaxing, this will help ease the pain of contractions.
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It supports your weight: The buoyancy of the water makes you feel lighter and enables you to get into more comfortable positions and helps you move around more easily, it also gives you the advantage of working with gravity as your baby is born.
- Helps tighten uterine muscles: Buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the baby.
- It releases feel-good hormones The water seems to reduce stress-related hormones, allowing the mother’s body to produce pain-relieving endorphins.
- It reduces the risk of tearing: Water causes the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) to become more elastic and relaxed, making them more supple and able to stretch to accommodate your baby’s head as it passes through.
- The relaxing effect of water: A warm bath might help you relax and help you feel more in control. As you relax physically, you are also able to relax mentally with a greater ability to focus on the birth process.
- It reduces stress and anxiety: Since the water provides a greater sense of privacy, it can reduce inhibitions, anxiety, and fears.
- It is peaceful: The pool itself is a quiet, private environment that helps you feel safe and secure while you labor.
- Support from Father-to-be: partners can get in the pool to support the expectant mothers through birth.
Benefits for Baby:
- Provides an environment similar to the amniotic sac. Babies born into warm water are often calmer and often appear far more relaxed than babies more in the air.
- Eases the stress of birth, thus increasing reassurance and a sense of security.
- Many experts believe that being born into warm water eases a baby’s transition to the outside world
Risks of Giving Birth in Water:
- Pain relief options are more limited
- You may have to leave the pool if a complication at delivery develops
- There may be a risk of infection in a birth pool. As you push out your baby, you may open your bowels. This is entirely normal, and debris will be quickly sieved out by your midwife. But it does introduce the risk of infection. A baby born in that environment could possibly swallow the contaminated water, increasing his risk of infection
- Getting into a warm bath too early might slow your labor.
Would you consider a water birth? Leave your thoughts and questions in the comment below!
Also check: Should I Bank My Baby’s Cord Blood?
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