Water birth Benefits For the Mother

Water Birth

 Water Birth

 Water birth is a method of giving birth that involves immersion in warm water. The immersion can mean giving birth to the infant in the water or using it as a tool during the labor process. Proponents believe that this method is safe and provides many benefits for both mother and infant, including no need for a Episiotomy, pain relief and a less traumatic birth experience for the baby. However, critics argue that the procedure introduces a risk of infection. However bacteria are also present at birth in a hospital bed, especially if stool has spilled out during birth. A waterbirth clinic in Italy that births approximately half in bed, half in water, found no increased infection rate for water births. This occurred despite the presence of bacteria, most originating from the mother at birth. Statistics show no increased danger to the mother or baby.

Benefits

For the mother

The main advantage of waterbirth is that research shows that there is no or lowered need in performing a Episiotomy. Water birth is believed to aid stretching of the perineum and decrease the risk of skin tears. Support from the water slows crowning of the infant's head and offers perineal support,[5] which decreases the risk of tearing and reduces the use of episiotomy, a surgical procedure which can cause a number of complications. Some clinics have after some years concluded that besides being unpractical, performing a Episiotomy at a waterbirth does not result in any fewer lacerations, and no longer perform them at waterbirths.

Indeed, there is a zero episiotomy rate in the waterbirth literature (Harper 2000). Moreover, "perineal trauma is reported to be generally less severe, with more intact perineums for multips (multiparas, or mothers who have had multiple births), but in some literature about the same frequency of tears for primips (primipara, or mothers who are having their first birth) in or out of the water," (Harper 2000; also see Burn 1993 and Garland 1997). In addition, it is thought that immersion in water relaxes the maternal pelvic floor muscles and women who labour and give birth in water have a greater rate of intact perineum, fewer tears and no episiotomies performed as warm tissues stretch easier than cold.



For the Baby

Childbirth is believed to be a strenuous experience for the baby. Properly heated water[13] is claimed by proponents to help ease the transition from the birth canal to the outside world because the warm liquid is thought to resemble the intrauterine environment. In addition, the umbilical cord pulsates for longer, helping to remove damaged red blood cells from the baby's circulation and replaces them with fresh, undamaged red blood cells thus reducing neonatal jaundice and increasing the transmission of fetal stem cells. sprague.a 2011 The interaction between mother and baby is increased, as the woman is able to move easily and make eye contact with her alert newborn, and the warm moist air present in the birth room is beneficial for the baby's first breath. The air inhaled is warm and moist, rather than cold and dry. sprague.a 2011 In Australia, many birthing suites now have baths available to use during labour and birth. The majority of water births that occur in Australia, are with women who chose to labour at home with trained midwives. ref sprague.anne ISBN 0-646-44376-3 and many women hire a portable pool to use during labour for pain relief, to increase their feelings of autonomy and to help promote active birth positions, despite where the birth may actually occur.

 Refer:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_birth