If you are pregnant and are considering the different birth plan options available to you, you may feel understandably overwhelmed with all of the different choices available to you. After all, each has its merits, and it can be difficult to decide which is the best option for you. Water birth is one of those options to keep in mind. Before you make any final decisions about your birth plan, get to know some of the important facts about water birth. Then, you can better decide the path you want to take for your childbirth experience.

Water Birth Is What It Sounds Like

A water birth is exactly what it sounds like: the baby is born under the water. You will sit in a pool or tub (commonly called a birthing pool) and will go through labor and delivery there. 

Water Birth Cannot Occur in Just Any Tub

You cannot plan to give birth in just any pool or tub. You need a tub or pool that is entirely sterile. Otherwise, you run too high a risk of infection. As such, people often set up special pools in their homes for home water delivery. 

Alternatively, some hospitals and birthing centers offer water birth as an option in en suite bathtubs that have been sterilized and prepared for the birth. Check around with your local hospitals and birthing centers to see if this is an option. It will save you the trouble of having to set up and sanitize a pool yourself. 

Midwives Help with Delivery

When you opt for a water birth, you will rarely work directly with an OB/GYN for the delivery. Instead, you will need to hire and work with a midwife. Now some people may think that the idea of midwives is antiquated and old-fashioned, but midwives not only still exist but can also be of great help in pregnancy and childbirth, no matter what type of birth plan you choose. 

Most midwives working in the United States today are nurse-midwives, meaning they have medical training and certification. This can be extremely helpful in childbirth as they will be able to determine if something is not going according to plan and act in your best interest in such an instance. 

Water Birth Can Help with Pain Management

If you are an expectant mother that wants to avoid using pain medications through the labor and delivery process, a water birth may be the right option for you. There is something comforting and relaxing about being in the water that can help mitigate labor and childbirth pain, making it less likely that you will ask for or need those drugs. 

Now that you know some of the important facts about water births, you can better decide if this is an option that would work well for you and your childbirth plan. Contact an organization like Phoenix Urban Mid-Wifery to learn more.

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