Water birth: a safe alternative? - Pregnancy

The-pregnancy.net

Water birth: a safe alternative?

Baby in water

Water birth

Water births, or giving birth while you are immersed in a pool of warm water, is a birthing method that has become increasingly more common in the UK over the last two decades. And as usual its rising popularity is accompanied by some controversy in the world of medical professionals.

On one hand, water births have been credited with several benefits including:

  • Shorter labour,
  • A mother-focused environment where the mother can actually see the entire birth,
  • A less painful birth for the mother and a reduced risk of perineal trauma and need for episiotomies, because the warm water relaxes the muscles of the uterus,
  • A less traumatic birth for your baby as the warm water environment resembles the amniotic sac allowing for a smoother transition into the world,
  • A reduction in the mother’s stress hormones and an increases in her endorphin levels, because the buoyancy of the water means there is no gravitational strain on the mother’s body,
  • The umbilical cord pulsates for longer which helps to replace the baby’s damaged red blood cells with healthy ones.

On the other hand, several medical professionals say there is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that water births aid the baby’s transition into the world, shorten the length of labour and reduce the risk of perineal tears. In fact there are many risks involved with water births, such as:

  • Drowning, which has previously occurred in Ireland and New Zealand,
  • Respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure due to water aspiration,
  • Pneumonia,
  • Snapped umbilical cords which can cause major blood loss,
  • Infection due to fecally contaminated water,
  • Less access to necessary resources if serious complications occur.

Unfortunately, there is currently no evidence to prove whether water births are any more or less risky than natural (land) births. Would you give it a try?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

0
COMMENTS
Back to blog
Publicidad
  • The Santa debate

    14 d December d 2012

    Every Christmas the Santa Claus debate reopens: should we tell our children Santa exists or would that be lying? At ThePregnancyNet we thought it would be a good idea to look at the reasons behind each side of the argument so that we and all of our readers could understand both sides of the debate. […]

    Leggi tutto

    Christmas drawings for kids

    13 d December d 2012

    Want something to occupy your kids while you’re busy running around doing Christmas tasks? These drawings and activities are a fun and easy way to keep them busy!  

    Leggi tutto

    Christmas cookie ideas

    13 d December d 2012

    Everyone loves baking Christmas cookies and we’ve found some great Christmas cookie ideas that we want to share with you. Whether you like simple patterns or extravagant works of cookie art, we’ve got ideas for everyone! If you need some basic recipes to get you started use our Sugar Cookie Recipe, Cookie Glaze Recipe and […]

    Leggi tutto

    Christmas nail polish ideas

    13 d December d 2012

    With all of the creative nail polish designs out there why should it only be your home that gets decorated this Christmas? There are so many options for giving your hands a festive touch this holiday season and we thought we would share some of our favourite Christmas Nail Polish Ideas with you. Just click […]

    Leggi tutto

    Christmas fun

    13 d December d 2012

    We all love Christmas decorations, Christmas gifts and Christmas food, but there is a whole lot more to Christmas than just those things, so we thought we have a special section filled with all the extra Christmas fun we plan to enjoy this holiday season. Enjoy! Christmas Nails Christmas Cookie Designs Christmas Drawings for Children

    Leggi tutto

    Eggnog gingerbread trifle

    12 d December d 2012

    Ingredients: 1 (14.5 ounce) package of gingerbread cake mix (and ingredients to make it) 3 cups of eggnog 1 (5.1 ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix 2 cups of heavy cream 1/4 cup of white sugar 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract Gingersnap cookie crumbs Method: 1. Prepare the gingerbread cake mix according to package […]

    Leggi tutto

    DIY paper plate snowman

    12 d December d 2012

    Materials: 3 paper plates Orange and black craft paper Pipe cleaners Soft craft balls Old piece of material for scarf Scissors Craft glue and glue gun Method: 1. Using the image on the right as a guide, stick each paper plate one on top of the other and use your glue gun to hold in […]

    Leggi tutto
    Skip to toolbar