Water birth in practice

How is a childbirth in water?

The idea of ​​giving birth in water greatly appeals to women who dream of giving birth to their child in a less medicalized and less violent environment. In the water, everything is done to promote the smooth arrival of the baby.

Concretely, when the contractions intensify and become painful, the mother-to-be takes place in a transparent bathtub with water at 37 ° C. She is then much less bothered by her curves and can move freely. Water indeed produces a feeling of lightness and well-being. The epidural cannot be requested for an aquatic birth, the relaxing properties of water thus reduce pain. The mother is then followed as for a normal childbirth thanks to waterproof monitoring.

At the time of expulsion, the mother-to-be will be able to choose to stay in the bathtub or to get out of it. In the first case, the baby will arrive directly in the water before being brought up to the surface. There is no risk of drowning, since the baby bathes for nine months in amniotic fluid and does not breathe until his lungs come into contact with air. On the other hand, the mother will have to get out of the water for the expulsion of the placenta. In the event of a problem, the mother is immediately transferred to a traditional delivery room.

Childbirth in water: the benefits for the mother

Water has a well-known effect: it relaxes! It also has antispasmodic properties. The pain of childbirth is therefore reduced. Muscles also relax on contact. Besides its soothing properties, water speeds up work in particular by relaxing the tissues. The cervix dilates faster and there is less risk of episiotomy and tearing. Episiotomies are only necessary in 10% of cases, instead of 75% usually for a first birth. The childbirth takes place in a calm atmosphere, where we try to reduce the medicalization as much as possible. An intimate environment that respects the birth of the baby.

For babies: the benefits of childbirth in water

For the baby too, it would seem that the aquatic childbirth is beneficial to him. Birth is sweeter : the newborn indeed arrives in water at 37 ° C which reminds him of the amniotic fluid in which he bathed for nine months. So there is no sudden change in the situation for him. Completely relaxed, he will be able to stretch his limbs and open his eyes underwater before being gently raised to the surface.

Midwives who perform this type of childbirth speak of stark differences compared to a baby born out of water. The child would be much calmer. Finally, skin-to-skin contact with the mother is facilitated and privileged upon arrival.

Contraindications to childbirth in water

Not all women can give birth in water. If you are up for it, you first ask your doctor if you can benefit from an aquatic birth, and if a maternity hospital is practicing it near home. In some cases, childbirth in water is not possible: high blood pressure problems, diabetes … Baby side: prematurity, poor cardiac monitoring, anomaly detected, bad posture before childbirth, blood loss, placenta previa (too low).

Preparing for childbirth in the water

This type of childbirth requires specific birth preparation. From the fifth month of pregnancy, it will be performed in the pool with a midwife, and will allow the mother-to-be to build muscles (back, legs, arms), to work on her breathing and to learn relaxation movements.