Contents
A water birth
An atmosphere conducive to relaxation
The light has been dimmed. Sandra chose melodies taken from the film “Amélie Poulain”. Frédéric, his companion, added songs by Francis Cabrel. She then plunged into a large, blue, egg-shaped tub. He took his place just behind her, a little above, so as not to miss anything about the event. Bathed in lukewarm water, Sandra now concentrates. The contractions overwhelm her in successive waves. She will soon give birth to her fourth child.
At the Arcachon hospital, we are used to it. The first aquatic birth dates back to 1995. It is the former boss of the maternity ward, Dr Jean-Pierre Maubaret, who is at the origin of this project. He was still a medical student in Bordeaux when he attended a conference given by Dr Frédéric Leboyer, champion of “birth without violence”. We are at the beginning of the 70s. The young man is seduced by this speech which advocates the “rehumanization” of an event which has often become too technical. He will then follow the aquatic experiments of Dr Michel Odent, in Pithiviers. But for him, “it was too extremist” and then, the pool was doubtful: “Everyone was floundering in there …” Uncompromising on security issues, Dr Jean-Pierre Maubaret is neither an ideologue nor a suicide bomber. He will wait for the first controlled experiments, in Ostend, Belgium, to start. He will not hesitate either to go there to study the methods of this aquatic motherhood where more than six thousand babies have been born.
A decompression chamber for the baby
Outside, night has fallen. With her head resting on a big blue sausage, Sandra is now trying to support each of her contractions as best as possible. The midwives encourage him. Frédéric holds her hand. On a poster on the wall, dolphins play in the waves. The soothing effect of the water, permanently set to 37 ° C, begins to do its work. The pain seems deadened. “At this temperature, water has a recognized antispasmodic and relaxing effect. Labor is easier and pain considerably reduced, ”explains Annie Delbourg, the midwife manager of the maternity hospital. Carried by water, the mother-to-be can also move more easily: hang from fabric ropes, squat, lie on her side or sit down. Mobility that promotes the baby’s progress towards discharge. Precisely, it is Frédéric, the first, who distinguishes the top of the baby’s head. He is very moved. Then the future parents see Emmy coming out little by little. Under the watchful eye of a midwife, the baby seized by Sandra then unfolds slowly in the water. After nine months spent in the amniotic fluid, this transition airlock promotes a smooth arrival. And in complete safety: the baby, without contact with air, can stay underwater for up to a minute, because he receives the oxygen he needs through the umbilical cord which still connects him to his mother. Then, gently lifted by Sandra to her chest, Emmy discovers her new aerial environment and the warmth of mother’s skin.
Strict, but discreet surveillance
At the other end of the birth room, plunged into darkness, a medical bed, an incubator and all emergency equipment are ready. In this public hospital labeled “Baby Friendly”, everything is done to respect the privacy of a birth, but never to the detriment of safety. To benefit from a childbirth in water, you must meet very strict criteria : no pathologies during pregnancy, no premature delivery, breech presentation or multiple pregnancy. During childbirth, the mother is also placed under close supervision by specially trained staff. And at the slightest anomaly, she came out of the water. A catheter is installed automatically at the start of labor just in case.
Baby safety
As for the baby, safety is ensured as in the context of a traditional childbirth. It enjoys a monitoring and continuous thanks to waterproof sensors. Hygiene measures are also draconian. The “special childbirth” bathtub purchased in Switzerland has a non-porous coating and has no roughness where germs could nest. A disinfection protocol after each birth and regular bacteriological samples of water and equipment complete this system. In short, this type of “natural” childbirth cannot be improvised. Dr Philippe Veschambre, the new boss of the Arcachon maternity hospital, is determined to continue the water births “Even if they only concern 5% of births”. Like his predecessor, he praises this alternative to the epidural, this personalized care, but above all, he insists on “freedom of choice for women”.