THE BENEFITS OF WATER BIRTHING A GENTLE DELIVERY OPTION

The Benefits of Water Birthing: A Gentle Delivery Option

What is water birthing?

A water birth means at least part of your labor, delivery, or both happened while you’re in a deep birth pool filled with warm water. Some may ask, “Why do people have water births?” or “Is a water birth better?” Well, many women say the benefits of a water birth include a calmer, more relaxed environment with less pain and the potential for vaginal tearing. The water birth process is conducted by a team of experts with experienced nursing staff. Sage Anandam at Apollo Sage Hospitals is equipped with world-class modern amenities to cater to all your health needs.

Health Criteria for Water Birthing

• Full-term, low-risk pregnancy
• Free of infection and other medical conditions
• Pregnant with one baby (not twins)
• No history of high blood pressure
• No history of bleeding disorders
• No complications during pregnancy or labor
• Must meet pre-pregnancy BMI criteria

Is a water birth the Same as a Natural Birth?

The water birth process is popular among women looking for fewer interventions during labor and birth. A “natural childbirth” refers to a birth that lets the birth process run its course with minimal interventions. There is no such thing as an “unnatural birth,” however, and every woman’s experience is unique and special. At Apollo Sage Hospitals Bhopal, women can choose The Natural Birth Experience, which supports a holistic birth experience and honors your body’s natural ability to give birth to your baby without medical interventions unless absolutely necessary. This includes prenatal education, patient-led interventions, and shared decision-making. During The Natural Birth Experience, you might choose hydrotherapy, or water birth, because you feel more comfortable submerged in warm water. Research has found that when laboring women are buoyant in deep warm water, pain-inhibiting endorphins flood their brains and put them into an altered state of consciousness and relaxation.

What to expect during water birthing?

You can expect the following actions to occur during your labor and delivery:

• The water temperature will be maintained within a range of 35°-37° Centigrade during the first stage of labour.
• Your baby’s heartbeat will be monitored every 15 minutes.
• Your pulse rate will be monitored every 30 minutes and your temperature will be monitored every hour.
• Entonox (gas and air) is the only other form of pain relief you can use in the pool.
• The water is kept at a level above your uterus.
• It is advisable that you drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

When your baby is being born, the water temperature is elevated to 37° C Your baby is born completely underwater, with no air contact and then raised head first to the surface. We encourage immediate skin to skin contact in the pool.

Benefits of a water birth for a birthing person

What motivates individuals to opt for water births? Water birth offers several advantages for the mother, including reduced pain and greater overall satisfaction with the birthing experience. If you find solace in warm baths for pain relief and stress reduction, you may want to explore the possibility of having a water birth.

Here are some of the advantages associated with choosing a hospital water birth:

• Relaxation: The warmth of the water can be incredibly soothing, encouraging the body to release more pain-inhibiting hormones while diminishing stress-inducing hormones.
• Enhanced Mobility: Many women discover that laboring in water makes them feel lighter, enables them to find more comfortable positions, and allows for greater freedom of movement during labor.
• Improved Circulation: Water immersion can lead to more efficient contractions and increased oxygen delivery to the baby, benefiting both the mother and the child.
• Reduced Risk of Tearing: A relaxed body in water reduces the risk of tearing during childbirth.
• Privacy and Focus: The environment created by water birth promotes a heightened sense of privacy and concentration, which can enhance the overall birthing experience.

Preparing yourself for Water Birth

Before choosing water birthing as an option for delivery the couple needs to prepare themselves for this birthing technique. The couple needs to understand the contribution they have and also in this technique, the role of a husband as a support is most important.

The following steps are important to enroll for water birthing :

1. Go through the water birthing section on the website and read the detailed process of Water Birthing. The couple will get to know how it starts and how the mother will perform during the process. The couple will also watch the videos showing a few moms during water births to understand the environment during the Birth. 
2. Book an appointment with the consultant: Once the couple has gone through the website content understood the process for water birthing and is willing to go for it, they will fix an appointment with the counsellor and the one clinical person. The job of the clinical person is to qualify the patient for water birth on clinical grounds.
3. Enroll for Water Birthing: The couple will then enroll for water birthing by filling out the consent form as guided.
4. Enroll for childbirth Classes: The couple will enroll inchildbirth classes. These sessions equip the mother and prepare her to go smoothly with the water birth. There are 5-7 sessions in childbirth preparation.
5. List of Items to get for the water birth: The couple will be handed over a list of items they need to get for water birthing.

Water birth at Sage Anandam, child and mother care unit of Apollo Sage Hospitals
Opting for a hospital-based water birth, such as the one offered at Apollo Sage Hospitals, offers expectant mothers the advantage of experiencing labor and delivery in the comforting embrace of a deep, warm water tub. Simultaneously, it ensures access to advanced medical assistance should the need arise.

At Sage Anandam within Apollo Sage Hospitals, our water birth facilities are designed to create a serene and secluded space for mothers, accommodating any individuals they wish to have by their side throughout the labor and delivery process.

 

FAQ's

• 1. Is water birth less painful?

Answer: Some women find that the buoyancy and tranquility provided by water during a water birth can lead to reduced discomfort. However, it is important to keep in mind that pain is subjective and varies from person to person.

• 2. What is water birthing method?

Answer: The buoyancy and calmness experienced during water births have been reported by some women to help alleviate discomfort, but it is crucial to remember that pain levels are subjective and vary among individuals.

• 3. Is a water birth better than a normal delivery?

Answer: Based on a small-scale research, it was found that women who deliver in water might have a lower rate of cesarean sections (13.2 percent compared to 32.9 percent). Additionally, 42 days post-delivery, women who gave birth in water showed a lower incidence of stress incontinence than those who delivered on land—6.1 percent versus 25.5 percent, respectively.