You wrote: "A new midwife to our unit from England said our baths would not be suitable > > because of back care for the midwife! My response was that from what I've read > > the baby is birthed by the mum, hands off by the midwife, so why should there > > be a problem!!" and: > how many women are willing to touch their baby during the process of birth > and immediately at the moment of birthing???
I have been assisting women to labour and give birth in water since 1987. The "water tubs" we have used have been mostly demountable, portable pools made of wood panel surrounds and plastic liners. Ends up about 60cm high and about 1-11/2 metres across when in use . Plenty deep enough for the mother and not too high for the midwife. Sometimes they are triangular spa baths in their homes. The best one is the Birthing Centre at KEMH, (for labour at least) I mostly kneel on a cusion on the floor and turn my body sideways. Initially I found that I was having lower back problems which I thought was due to stretching across to the middle of the pool to rub backs, not from reaching in and assisting the woman to pick up her baby. I then did some Alexander lessons and found that the lower back problems were mostly caused by my poor posture and life long misuse of my body in every day life, which was then exacerbated by the birthings I attended (both in and out of water). Since then I have utilised the husband and support people to do most of the back rubbing. I don't do any particular education to encourage the women to pick up their own babies.. some times they do and often the don't. I obviously have to look at that again. Usually just a firm "command" to Pick Up The Baby is enough for a woman to snap out of the birthing haze and do as I ask. One thing I do in the 2nd stage is to NOT tell the womant to "PUSH" but rather to encourage her to touch her own vulva so she can be "in touch" with her body/baby when crowning and birthing. It really helps to ease the baby out. I hope this has been helpful. cheers, Mary M -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
