I Give Birth In The Water, Can It Be For Me?

Water delivery is for any pregnant woman who sees in this method the best way to bring her child into the world, and during all the weeks of her gestation, she has had a low-risk pregnancy, that is, free of problems as well for her than for her son.

In this text we will help you learn more about the subject by offering you information on the main advantages and disadvantages of this modality.

Advantages of water birth

Among the advantages of water birth are:

• Quick dilation. The cervix and vulva relax, dilate and allow labor to go much faster
• Relief during contractions
• The female needs to do less physical effort
• Prevention of episiotomy. It is said that childbirth in water facilitates the delivery of the fetus and prevents the mother from having the surgical incision known by this name. The episiotomy is performed with the purpose of widening the opening through which the fetus comes out to make the delivery less extensive and achieve that the baby is born more easily

• Less trauma to the newborn. When the delivery is carried out in a bathtub with warm water (at approximately 37 degrees) the baby goes from being in the amniotic fluid to the water in the bathtub. By not perceiving great differences, the birth is less traumatic. He is born without haste, without being forced to leave

• Endorphin secretion is increased. Endorphins are neurotransmitters produced by the central nervous system that are responsible for inhibiting pain, acting as any drug does.
• The woman has more control of her body. The body weight in the water becomes lower, this allows the pregnant woman to move more easily and feel more owner of the process

• Postpartum recovery is much faster than with conventional methods.

Disadvantages of water birth

Woman, if you want your birth to be in water, first you should know that:

• The relaxation produced by warm water can have the opposite effect than expected. Instead of speeding up labor and getting to delivery much faster, you can slow it down
• As the delivery in water is not foreseen, because the baby arrives when he wishes, the female does not have time to perform enemas before the delivery. Therefore, she can evacuate in the water and put her and her child at risk of infection.
• Despite the fact that throughout the pregnancy the fetus has shown signs of good health, there may be any complications during delivery that make it require specialized equipment and care. If the pregnant woman decides to give birth at home and any eventuality occurs, it may be too late when she reaches a maternity clinic.

I give birth in the water, can it be for me?

If you do not have a multiple pregnancy or pathologies such as gestational diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, we recommend that you discuss the idea of ​​water birth with your obstetrician-gynecologist so that he can tell you more about the advantages and disadvantages of the process.

Water birth may be for you if during your pregnancy both you and your little one did not have any problems and you are more than aware of the pros and cons of it.

Now, a point that should be made explicit is that whether you are going to give birth in the comfort of your home or in a maternity clinic that provides this service, you need to receive prior training that explains how it is done. the same.

If you are going to give birth in your home, you need to comply with strict hygienic sanitary measures to avoid any type of infection. Also, you should do it in the company of a gynecologist or trained midwife who can act in case of any complications.

If you choose to do it in a medical center, it is convenient that you approach it well in advance to find out how the process is carried out in that place.