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Waterbirth FAQs

"Remember that birth, as a gift, was not meant to be scary. It was meant to test you, to prepare you for this greater journey of caring for your young.” Lakshmi Bertram, author of Choosing Waterbirth

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FAQs and answers were culminated from various sources on the web. Source notation will be listed as appropriate.
 
What is waterbirth?
The act of giving birth in water is so incredibly simple. A mother submerges herself in warm, body temperature water during her labor. If she feels like giving birth in that warm buoyant state, there is no need to ask her to leave the water. (Waterbirth International)

Is waterbirth safe?
The safety of waterbirth needs to be judged in looking back at the number of cases that have been reported world wide and the number of problems that have occured as a result of birth in water. To date, there has been over 100,000 documented cases of water birth.
(Waterbirth International)

What prevents baby from breathing under water?
There are several factors that prevent a baby from inhaling water at the time of birth. These inhibitory factors are normally present in all newborns. Go here for more info. http://www.waterbirth.org/spa/content/view/34/40/
(Waterbirth International)

How long is baby in the water after the birth?

Here in the US, practitioners usually bring the baby out of the water within the first ten seconds after birth. There is no physiological reason to leave the baby under the water for any length of time. There are several water birth videos that depict leaving the baby under the water for several moments after birth and the babies are just fine.

 

Physiologically, the placenta is supporting the baby with oxygen during this time though it can never be predicted when the placenta will begin to separate causing the flow of oxygen to baby to stop. The umbilical cord pulsating is not a guarantee that the baby is receiving enough oxygen. The safe approach is to remove the baby, without hurrying, and gently place him into his mother's arms.
(Waterbirth International)

 

When should I get into the water?

A woman should be encouraged to use the labor pool whenever she wants. However, if a mother chooses to get into the water in early labor, before her contractions are strong and close together, the water may relax her enough to slow or stop labor altogether.  That is why some practitioners limit the use of the pool until labor patterns are established and the cervix is dilated to at least 5 centimeters.
(Waterbirth International)

Who cleans up after the birth?
Usually your midwife (and the midwife assistant, if she/he has one) will clean up aftwerwards. Ask your midwife to make sure but most of them do. If you have a doula, your doula may assist in the clean up as well.