In the pool, pregnant women can move freely without being confined to a narrow hospital bed, and they can easily find the most comfortable position. The buoyancy of the water reduces the pressure of the stomach on the body, resulting in better blood circulation and a better supply of oxygen to the fetus; at the same time, the pregnant woman can retain her strength to push during the second stage of labor.
(2) Helps relaxation
Everyone has the experience that after soaking in water for a long time, the skin of the fingertips will become wrinkled, which is because the water has the effect of relaxing and softening the tissues. Arthritis patients who receive hydrotherapy rehabilitation, is also the use of water to make tissue softening effect.
When a pregnant woman gives birth in water, because the muscles of the whole body, especially those of the pelvis, are relaxed, the labor progresses very quickly, and the cervix dilates and the head of the fetus descends three times faster. In addition, the relaxation of the tissues of the vulva makes episiotomy unnecessary in most pregnancies, and even if there is a laceration, it is a shallow wound that usually does not require stitches.
(3) Pain Relief
Most women who give birth in water find that their pain is greatly reduced. According to statistics, the use of painkillers can be reduced by about half, with only 10 percent of pregnant women requiring them, mainly because the water stimulates the nerves in the skin and prevents the transmission of pain. In addition, the body's secretion of Endorphin, a substance made in the body and similar to morphine, will increase, which also has a pain-relieving effect.
Many pregnant women find that once they get into the water, the pain naturally disappears; western countries often recommend that pregnant women take a hot shower when they are in pain, for the same reason. Although epidurals can also be used for pain relief, water is not only effective, it's obviously much safer.
(4) Helping labor progress
Water stimulates the body to secrete some hormones that make labor progress more smoothly and uterine contractions more efficient, which can reduce the use of oxytocics. Many women become regular with their uterine contractions when they get into the water. Sometimes the uterine contractions may get worse after being in the water for a long time, and then you can get up and walk around, and it will help the uterine contractions.
(E) lower blood pressure
Warm water will make the blood vessels on the surface of the body relax, lower blood pressure, high blood pressure or pregnancy toxemia of pregnant women, especially helpful.
(6) Reduce anxiety
Because the pain is reduced and the muscles are relaxed, being in the water also relaxes the pregnant woman's mood, reduces anxiety and fear, and allows her to focus on the process of labor, which in turn makes the labor go more smoothly.
(7) Helps in breathing
The humidity in the air will make breathing smoother, which is also helpful for asthma patients.
(8) Helping the second stage of labor
The second stage of labor refers to the time after the uterus is fully open, when the pregnant woman starts to push until the fetus is delivered; the average time for primiparae is about 50 minutes, and the average time for primiparae is about 10 minutes. In a water birth, because the birth canal becomes looser and the pregnant woman is more likely to push, the baby is usually born within a few minutes after pushing. Many pregnant women give birth to their babies in water on their own, with less need for medical assistance.
(9) Reduced stimulation to the baby
When giving birth in water, the baby is first exposed to the warm, gentle environment - water, rather than the cold air and strong light in the delivery room as in normal labor, so there is less stimulation to the baby.
Is it safe to give birth in water?
Many people worry about whether it's safe to give birth in water. Although for a small number of high-risk pregnancies it's best to deliver in a major hospital, for the majority of pregnant women, according to research, home births are just as safe as hospital births, and water births don't increase the chances of infection.
This is mainly because during labor the fetus, placenta, and fluid flow out of the uterus, making it unlikely that bacteria in the water will reach the uterus, and even if they do, they are diluted in the large amount of water, making it rare for them to cause an infection. In Dr. Rosen's 1,000 water births, none of the pregnancies resulted in infection.
There are also concerns: Won't the baby drown if it can't swim? The baby is also encased in amniotic fluid inside the womb, so how can it not drown? Fetuses can't breathe on their own until they are exposed to air, so they won't choke or drown because oxygen is still supplied by the umbilical cord when they are in the water.
According to Drs. Ould and Rosen, water birth is not only a safe way to give birth because it reduces birth complications and maternal and fetal mortality rates, but it also reduces the rate of cesarean sections.
Preparation
The only thing you need to prepare for a water birth is a sink and clean water. The size of the sink must be large enough for the pregnant woman to move around comfortably, usually about 120 to 180 centimeters, and the depth of the sink should be about the height of her armpits when she sits down, or you can rent one if you don't want to spend the $500 to buy a new one. The temperature of the water is about 35 to 38 degrees Celsius, not too high, otherwise on the one hand, it will cause dehydration, on the other hand, it will reduce the blood supply to the uterus.
When should I get in the pool? Some people recommend going in when the uterus is in strong contraction, or when the cervix is more than 5 centimeters open, in the hope of preserving the pain-relieving effect of the water until it is needed most. In fact, you can go in as long as you want to. If the contractions are not good, going in the water will stimulate the uterus to contract; if the uterus contraction slows down after staying in the water for a long time, you may want to get up and walk around a bit. Often a change of scenery will help the uterus contract.