I recently saw Michel Odent at a Conference in Italy. He has "invented" a new approach - the "Water pool test" which he feels could be a useful diagnostic tool. Whenever the labour is not going well, such as a delay in dilatation, very slow progress etc he now suggests that the woman be given 1 - 2 hours in the pool. If, after re-checking at that point, there is no further progress, then help will be required, quite possibly a caesarean.
Sounds like a very simple idea! The underlying physiology makes sense and it would be a better approach than to put up the synto and force the labour along to a point that the woman and baby are in distress, necessitating a caesarean.
This idea would seem to fit well with your observations....
Michel will be visiting us again in March 2005 for the next Future Birth tour. He will no doubt have more to say about this new approach by then.
Cheers
Andrea
At 06:03 PM 16/12/2003, Mary Murphy wrote:
YOU WROTE:"Yes, Denise: I wonder if an hour in the tub would have helped??" I had an undiagnosed brow who had very actively laboured in the tub for 4 hrs to 8cms. No matter what we did we still had the same outcome. As an experienced waterbirther, the tub is wonderful for lots of things but cannot change some others. MM
----- Andrea Robertson Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education
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