Today more and more women
are making the decision to give birth at home with the help of a birthing pool. In addition to pain relief and body
mobility, most Mums claim water decreases tearing, increases relaxation and
makes the birth a more comfortable yet sensual event.
The Feel Good Factor:
Water is a
feminine element. It is buoyant and soft and carries your body’s weight. We all
know how good it feels to have a long, hot bath, so imagine just how
therapeutic warm water can be during labour. Many women testify that the warm
sensations on their skin remind them how powerful and sensual a body in labour
should be. Indeed, the majority of women are surprised to note how wonderful
and relieving it feels when they first enter the birthing pool. It’s worth having a birth pool mainly for this reason—even if you are not planning on a
water birth.
Even though I knew the water was
clear, I felt as if no one outside the birthing pool could see my body. I felt
an extreme sense of privacy in the water. - Amy
Waterbirth and Pain Relief:
Birthing pools
help many women to cope better with pain and enhance those hormones which are
an integral part of a healthy birth. For many women, a birthing pool can be the
key to a physiological birth, providing an alternative route to medical
intervention such as an epidural. It is important to stress that water is not
likely to take away the pain, but it can make a tremendous difference to your
ability to relax, and may well make the pain more bearable. In fact, some
studies even show that endorphin levels reduce when labouring in a birthing
pool - a sign that pain levels do decrease. For many, a birthing pool is a form
of pain relief to try before looking to medical alternatives; remember you can
always change your mind if you need to. Indeed, many choose to combine the use
of a birth pool with gas and air, which can be used easily whilst in the
birthing pool (other forms of medication and intervention are normally only
available in a hospital so please discuss this with your midwife).
Another benefit of
labouring in water is the superb mobility that it offers. The buoyant effect of
the water completely supports your body’s weight. This gives you a feeling of
physical liberation. As a result, resting between contractions is much easier,
and you are less likely to become fatigued or exhausted. In the same way, the
water's buoyancy helps to make you significantly more comfortable in upright
positions. You can move more easily and thanks to the water, many women feel
that they are able to help their babies to descend and rotate. You will be
surprised to find that it is much easier, for example, to squat in water. Even
women who find squatting difficult on land, perhaps due to pelvic girdle pain, or SPD, can often do so comfortably in
water - with the added benefit that this position makes a lot more space in the
pelvis for your baby to descend.
I didn't think I wanted to use a
birth pool, but when I got in, the sense of freedom was exhilarating. Whereas
in the air I felt cumbersome, in the water I could move into any position I
wanted so easily. As a result, if I have another child I will definitely choose
to use a birthing pool again.
Physiological Effects of Water during Labour and Birth:
Entering the birth
pool during labour causes you to relax: it reduces stress hormones in your
body. It lowers your heart rate and blood pressure; your respiratory rate
lowers and you consume less oxygen. Water helps warm up your uterus as labour
progresses, thus reducing cramps and tiredness. It helps relax the pelvic floor
muscles which help the baby be born more easily. It also helps
soften the perineum thus reducing the risk of tearing. All of the above benefits help
you to conserve energy needed for the second stage of labour.
In the birth pool you are in your own womblike space and you are
unlikely to notice how quickly time passes. A birth pool can represent a
sanctuary from
what some women consider the menace of obstetric routines. In a
birth pool it is more difficult to disturb or distract you. Others need your
consent to get close to you - you are very much in charge. The strong sense of
privacy women feel in a birth pool lends itself to helping women labour more
efficiently. Many women say that the world beyond the rim of the birthing pool
seems to disappear. In water, your body is definitely your own territory.
As soon as I got into the
birthing pool, the panic I had been feeling between contractions disappeared.
In the birth pool, I felt lucid and completely in control - it was
fantastic! - Marie
It is also argued
that water increases the suppleness of our skin, thus minimising the risk of
tearing. Although this is not proven, many women are convinced that water plays
a huge role in not tearing during childbirth.
Deciding to have my baby at home
in a pool made her birth an absolutely wonderful positive experience. I would
recommend the use of water to every mum-to-be. - Jo
Sharing Your Waterbirth:
Finally, a birth pool offers you and your partner a
closeness that often cannot be experienced in a normal birth environment. Not
every woman wants to be held during childbirth, but having the option to have
your partner close to you is a great benefit. As mentioned earlier, in a birth
pool there is a definite barrier between you and your birth attendants, which,
of course, is felt by both parties. By entering into the birthing pool with
you, your partner may feel significantly more included in your labour.
With both of my water births it
was crucial that my partner was in the birthing pool with me. During my
contractions, his closeness gave me a much needed security and strength. During
the rest periods, if I needed some space, the buoyancy of the water allowed me
to move away easily. When our children were born, they were passed to us both
and it felt as if we were in our own little world.
