Getting Ready For A Water Birth

By Sarah Mosskoff

Plan ahead: Labor is too late to start talking about what you want. Relaxation takes away the pain of Having a child is not an Olympic sport, so no one will win a medal! Every woman also experiences different levels of pain during pregnant.

If water birth is an idea that appeals to you, come across a doula or midwife who is comfortable and familiar with water birth. 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, look for a hospital or birthing center that allows water birth and has medical personnel trained in the process.

Masses of midwives, obstetricians and birthing experts say that water birth can also 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 eases pain.

It is also recommended that you inspect the tub and the birthing equipment before you have the baby, as well as their prices. The feeling of cold air on your infant's face is what triggers that first breath, so you can be assured that your babe 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.

The knowledge contained herein should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, a doctor’s recommendation . You and your doctor will need to decide what's best for you and your infant. Any article on natural child birth would be incomplete without mentioning water birth. Relaxation and the right support favor you achieve your birth dreams.
Sarah Mosskoff received her masters degree in early childhood education and is the mother of two offspring.