Water Birth
“I have witnessed the benefits of a birthing pool for labour and birth and I am only too happy to facilitate the woman in this way should she choose. ”
According to a recent systematic review from the Cochrane Libary (2018): Labouring in water may reduce the number of women having an epidural.
The same review recommended further research both in water births outside of the hospital setting and in the qualitative experience of women and caregivers of labour and birth in water. Certainly, it is a method that more and more mothers are considering.
There are many recommendations on how to use the pool from maintaining the right temperature to monitoring the foetal heart beat while the woman labours and it is wonderful that now there is so much more information on best practice in this area.
While some women do not like the idea of water birth, for others it is a fantastic option. Some will labour in the pool and choose to exit in order to give birth, while others may be most content remaining in the pool for the entire second stage. Whatever the preference, what is important is empowering choice.
I have witnessed the benefits of a birthing pool for labour and birth and I am only too happy to facilitate the woman in this way should she choose. I think the relaxing quality of the warm water coupled with the buoyancy can have a marked positive effect during labour and birth.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to offer guidance where needed. For anyone considering this option, here are some links to further information on water birth and best practice.
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/waterbirth/
https://www.cochrane.org/CD000111/PREG_immersion-water-labour-and-birth
https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/more-benefits-of-water-for-birth/
“If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to offer guidance where needed. ”
