1. Have you ever heard that a mother gives birth in the water at her home without going to hospital? Are you still thinking that there is no option for the pregnant women delivery baby other than a bed birth?
a. Water birth is a process of giving birth in a pool of warm water.
b. It breaks with the traditional method of giving birth on the bed in a hospital.
c. The mothers can have a water birth at a home with a hired birthing pool, in a birth centre and on a labour ward that provides water birth services.
d. If you are a low risk pregnancy and using natural birth without epidural, you should give it a try of birthing in water.
2. Recently, water birth had been gain popularity among the mothers, especially in developed countries such as Spain and UK in Europe.
a. According to the University Hospital of Torrejón de Ardoz in Madrid, it approximately 100 of women experienced a birth in water among 2500 births a year in this hospital.
b. According to the Community of Madrid, a total of 12 Spanish hospitals have introduced this method of giving birth.
c. Based on the data from the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project from 2004 to 2009, there is a result that 6,534 babies are born underwater which is water birth while 10,290 babies are not born underwater.
3. There are many real stories that the mothers choose a water birth instead of bed birth and obtain a great experience after birthing in water. There are many good feedbacks from the mothers who are experienced water birth.
a. One of mother, Jade stated that she feel so glad that went for a water birth and definitely recommend it to other mothers. She also said that she really hoping the birthing pool is available for her to use again for her next baby a few year.
b. “After experiencing a hospital, epidural birth and a hospital natural birth, I had set on a natural home, water birth for my last child. I just found that it really helped me relax and concentrate on getting through contractions. It was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life.” said by Jess Fam.
4. Today, I would like to persuade each of you that water birth is a better choice for the mothers since it had some benefits that bed birth would not have.
(Transition: Let’s begin by explaining the first benefit of water birth instead of bed birth.)
BODY:
1. Water birth helps to reduce the pain and stressful of the mothers than a bed birth.
A. The pool should filled with warm water in a temperature between 35 to 37 degrees Celsius.
B. Warm water is comforting and relaxing.
C. Water can act the natural pain relief for the mothers because it had the same effect during labour as taking a soothing bath after a stressful day.
D. Due to the effect of the water buoyancy makes the mothers can float in the water that automatically lower the mothers’ weight to feel lighter.
E. It also can allowing the mothers free movement, looking for a suitable position for birthing their babies since they can move easily around the water.
F. In contrary, you might not have energy to move easily on a little space of bed in the hospital.
G. According to the Barbara Harper, the founder of Waterbirth International, when women enter the deep water of a birthing pool, there is an adjustment in hormone oxytocin, which pumps from the brain and helps regulate the intensity of the contractions in order to help in ease the pain.
H. It releases more endorphin which is often better than morphine at pain reduction in the mothers’ body to help in coping with contraction while stimulating the oxytocin. (Bekka Besich, 2010)
I. According to American College of Obstericians and Gynecologists, a study revealed that women who have water birth reported less incontinence 42 days after delivery than those who delivered on land, 6.1% versus 25.5%.
(Transition: Let’s move on to the second benefits of water birth which is speed up the duration of labour than a bed birth.)
2. Furthermore, it will speed up the labour of the mothers who are experience a water birth than a bed birth.
A. According to BabyCentre Medical Advisory Board, the average length of the active first stage of labour for a first baby is about 8 hours if babies born under a bed birth. While the active second stage which is the pushing phase of labour usually takes 2 or 3 hours if you have had a baby before.
B. It is likely that a bed birth may last for 11 to 12 hours.
C. Taking a long time in labour may cause the mothers and their babies to become tired.
D. However, the water birth may shorten labour of the mothers by an hour.
E. As warm water immersion in labour will makes the mothers relaxed physically and alleviate the muscular tension, they can relax mentally with greater ability to focus on the birth process.
F. When the contraction may become stronger and regular after immerse in the water, it actually make the progress of the labour quickly than a bed birth.
G. It actually encouraged a sense of control in labour and conserve energy of the mothers.
H. According to Mumsnet Ltd., you will find it easier of birthing in the water than a bed as many positions as you can change until you are feel the most comfortable. The gravity helps with the birth where birthing under water in a vertical position, may be faster than on dry land. (Mumsnet Ltd., 2018)
I. In other words, it may be easier to push your baby out in the water than in air. This is because the water will contribute you more ability to push out and the sides of the pool become some extra support for you.
(Transition: Now that we will talk about a baby who is born under water had less traumatic than on a bed.)
3. Besides that, water birth not only good for the mothers but it also beneficial and safer for babies than a bed birth.
A. It provides a more peaceful environment for the babies.
i. According to BabyCentre Australia Medical Advisory Board, the reason is that the warm water of the pool may feel like the waters of the mothers’ uterus or womb to their babies. The babies are often calmer than babies born in air.
ii. Therefore, they believe that a water birth provides a gentler transition for the babies and the babies were face less traumatic than a bed birth.
iii. The babies tend to cry less at birth.
B. Does the babies drown if they born under water?
i. It is absolutely that babies will not drown in water.
ii. According to the Barbara Harper, a baby is actually like an aquatic animal, obtaining the oxygen supply from the placenta circulation and transmitted to its own lungs. When the baby born into the water, the placenta was the respiratory system for the baby breaths in the womb.
iii. In other words, a baby does not drown in the water because the baby is already in the womb that provides air for breath. As long as the baby does not contact with the air when comes out from their mothers, the lungs will remain collapsed and no water can enter. Once the baby’s face hits the air, they will start breathing without womb.
iv. It is cannot be denied that the water birth is a safe way for a baby to be born.
CONCLUSION:
I. In conclusion, I urge each of you regardless gender should choose a water birth for your future baby than a bed birth.
II. Believe that it is a better choice for every mother and every family after seeing many successful examples in real life.
III. You can gain some benefits and great satisfaction that a bed birth could not provide but only in water birth could.
IV. Think about it now and remember that must having the complete preparation and safety measures before proceeds a water birth to ensure the safety for both mothers and babies.