Water, Please!
The Benefits of Waterbirth
More pregnant women these days are asking for waterbirth. They have done the research and know how water can relax their muscles and help ease their pain during labor. Waterbirth gives women the ability to move around in the water to ease their discomfort and allow labor to progress naturally. The buoyancy allows women to float in the warm water, which reduces pressure of the on the abdomen, decreasing the pain from contractions. Water also helps to decrease anxiety, which in turn alleviates the muscle tension that can inhibit progression of cervical dilation. The perineal muscles become more relaxed, which facilitates delivery and decreases trauma to the perineum.
After experiencing waterbirth, I've had women say, “What was I waiting for? The water is wonderful,” or “I was able to relax my stomach muscles and the baby floated out of my tummy”. Women love the ability to move around in the tub through their contractions and that they do not have to get out of the tub for birth. The tubs are often large enough for husbands to join their wives and provide physical as well as emotional support for their partners during the most powerful time of their pregnancy—birth!
The transition of a baby through warm water to its mother's arms is a beautiful sight not to be forgotten by anyone. Watching as a baby opens its eyes looking around at the people who have brought it into the world, peacefully, is indescribable. Calm, quiet, and warm—similar to the place they have been for the past 9 months.
