Getting Ready For A Water Birth

By Sarah Mosskoff

Having a Home Birth is something very special for some women. One of the ways that many choose to do so is with a water birth.


Plan ahead for a home birth: The last trimester is getting to be too late to start talking about what you want. If it is already your third trimester, I would scrap the idea of having a baby at home and use your local hospital. Otherwise, it is time to spend time planning out who, where, how, and what you are going to do to have your baby at home.

If water birth is an idea that appeals to you, then you will need to set things up in your home. Some of the benefits of a water birth are that the child is monitored by a special underwater device. The water also provides a less traumatizing environment for the child because it is appropriate to the womb's environment and shields it from sound and light, thus preventing over stimulation at birth. If you choose to deliver your little darling through water birthing, you will need to consider a doula or midwife who is comfortable and familiar with water birth.

There are several midwives, obstetricians and birthing experts that say water birth can minimize fetal complications. Your child's cord will float gently in the water, allowing the last pulses of blood to transfer from it and into your baby. During labor, water takes the weight off of your body and provides a gentle, equalizing pressure all over. Water can also ease the labor pains.

Make sure you don't go down to Toys R Us and buy a baby pool. If you are going to do a home birth, then invest in the right equipment. Get a water birth pool that is built for doing just that. After all, those baby pools you find at the store are not meant for adults who are giving birth. I don't think that is what the manufacturer had in mind when they built it. It is also recommended that you inspect the birthing tub and the birthing equipment before you have the baby.

One question many moms have is if their baby will swallow the water. The feeling of cold air on your infant's face is what triggers that first breath, so you can be assured that your baby will not breathe in the moment he or she is under the water. Your babe is cradled gently in the warm water, just as he or she has been for the past 9 months. Water, sometimes referred to as “nature’s epidural” is a wonderful way to relieve the discomforts of labor.

Sarah Mosskoff received her masters degree in early childhood education and is the mother of two offspring.