Waterbirth
Birth in water is a very natural and relaxed way of giving birth and has many advantages.
Hot water is relaxing. The more you relax, the more endorphins your body produces. This is a kind of natural painkiller and ensures that you can better cope with the contractions. As a result, the delivery is generally faster.
- You can move very easily in the water. This makes the search for a different posture less difficult than out of the water.
- Usually, a water birth is a little more gradual, so that the perineum also stretches more gradually. The warm water also ensures that your perineum becomes smoother. As a result, the chance of tearing or a cut is smaller.
- The warm water ensures that your body stays at temperature. This allows your body to use all energy for delivery.
- For the partner, a water birth is often also positive because he can make himself useful. The bath must be set up and filled and he can take a bath to support you if you want. Because of this he does not feel like standing on the sidelines. Moreover, the partner also has the same intense contact with the baby after birth.
- For the baby, the transition from the uterus through the water to the outside world is a gentler transition. They can recover from the delivery before they are taken out of the water, after all, the oxygen comes through the umbilical cord. As a result, water babies are generally relatively calm when they are born. Sometimes they hardly even cry.
Who can give birth in the bath?
Anyone who can give birth at home can also give birth in the bath. Nowadays it is possible in more and more hospitals to organize a bath birth, provided your midwife okays it. Ask about the possibilities at the hospital where you want to give birth. Unfortunately, not all midwives are willing to supervise a bath-birth, so consult her first.
Choosing and renting a bath
A good bath has a diameter of 1.50 and is about 65 cm high. If you have the space it is useful to ensure that the midwife and your partner can walk around the bath. Make sure the room where the bath is located has a pleasant temperature and sufficient light. If necessary, place an extra lamp in the room. The room must be able to be ventilated if desired. There must also be two (grounded) outlets in the vicinity for heating the bath and for the pump to empty the bath. It is nice if there is a toilet on the same floor, so that you do not have to walk up the stairs during the delivery to reach the toilet. There must also be a bed on the same floor.
The advice is to get in the birthing bath at 4 to 5 centimeters dilation. Your midwife will tell you when that is, but generally the contractions are more difficult to take than at the beginning. If your membranes have already been broken, then your contractions must be well underway before you enter the water. The water must have a temperature between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius. When the water is warmer, your own body can not lose its heat and the contractions stagnate.
In regards to hygiene, everyone gets their own plastic cover for use in the bath. This cover is discarded after use. In addition, each bath including accessories is thoroughly cleaned after each rental period.
Also see these information articles: · Acupuncture · Doula · Hospital birth · Induction · Pain · Preparations
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