Benefits of Water Birth |
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Minimizes pain thus increasing the comfort and relaxation for the laboring woman, by blocking pain impulses...( The Gate Theory of Pain), improving the mom's coping ability. |
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Drug-Free - Decreases use of narcotics and epidurals by increasing relaxation & speeding up labor. |
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Relaxation - can facilitate labor, by helping the mother relax & thus stimulate labor contractions. |
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Gravity - Waterbirth facilitates getting into an upright position to ensure gravity contributing to descent. |
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Shorter labor - by helping the laboring woman conserve her energy |
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Gentle & peaceful birth - process supports family bonding thus enabling future closeness. |
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Reducing tearing - Water relaxes the perineal tissue and pelvic floor muscle, thus softening and supporting the perineal tissue better. |
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Buoyancy - by supporting the mom's weight with immersion, water helps reduce opposition to gravity and allows for easier movement for the mother, thus helping movement into other positions and assisting descent of the baby. |
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Reduces blood pressure - thus increasing the efficiency of contractions & blood circulation, and increasing oxygenation to the baby & oxygenation to the uterine muscles; again reducing pain for the mother. |
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Easier breathing - the increased moisture in the air, enhanced change of consciousness by relaxation, leading to increased feeling of empowerment for the mother. |
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Enhanced family relationships - accomplishing childbirth together facilitates couple communication, and their sense of achievement, increasing their love for each other and the baby. |
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Risks of Waterbirth |
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Infection - There may be a risk of infection from the birthing pool itself, the outlet or inlet pipes, or if your bowels should open in the pool, although the research to date doesn't support this. |
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Unpleasant environment - occasionally the midwife will have to sieve any debris (blood clots, feces) out of the water in order to keep it clean. |
