When thinking about how you want your labor and delivery experience to go, it's best to talk with your doctor about your desires and their policies. You mentioned that you're thinking about a water birth and in some cases, this can be possible as long as there's not complications with you or the baby. But you should know that there are inherent risks as well as benefits to laboring in the tub. Obviously, one of the biggest benefits is that women who labor in the tub are less likely to need an epidural and their pain is better controlled. Studies have shown that. But there are also risks if you labor in water that's too hot. You want it to be at about body temperature and if it's any warmer than that, that can pose risks to you and the baby and so your caregivers are likely to monitor your temperature if you're in the tub. Studies have also shown that if you sit in the tub for longer than two hours, it can actually slow labor progress because it decreases the release of oxytocin from your brain. And so this is something to consider. Maybe intermittent periods in the tub would be best. Now there's a difference between laboring in the tub and delivering in the tub. And it's likely that your doctor, if everything is going okay with your situation, they might let you be in and out of the tub throughout labor but when it comes time to deliver, there are risks to having a water birth. Studies have shown that there is a greater chance for the baby to aspirate the water that's in the bathtub and cause issues with breathing afterwards. And also there have been a few reported incidences of snapped umbilical cords. And so because of these risks, your doctor will probably feel like it's better for you to deliver outside of the tub but, again, if everything's okay, you might be able to labor inside of the tub. There's also other risks to consider and it's very circumstantial. If your water's broken, it's not a good idea to labor in the tub and here's why. The amniotic sac acts as a barrier between the inside and outside world and once your water is broken, there's now a breach in that barrier and all the unsterile water that's in the tub can then get up inside the uterus and cause infection for you or the baby. And so if your water's broken, your doctor is not likely to let you get in the tub. But until then, it could be a possibility. And again, speak with your doctor about your desires for a water birth because sometimes, doctors have policies about monitoring and all for good reason because the doctors and nurses who are taking care of you all want two things: a healthy mom and a healthy baby. And we're guessing that's your goal, too. And so, in order to achieve that goal, there's certain things to be done, like monitoring. If we don't monitor your baby, then we don't know if your baby's experiencing stress or not. So your doctor may have policies about how often you can be off the monitors so, again, this is why you should have this discussion with them. Again, if you're thinking of not getting an epidural or having an unmedicated experience, then you should take an unmedicated child birthing class now. If you don't, it's kind of like deciding to run a marathon tomorrow without ever doing the preparation ahead of time. It won't go well. So some sort of basic breathing and relaxation class or hypnobirthing, Bradley Method, Lamaze--those are all different things that people use while they're going through labor--any of those can be beneficial to you. They all boil down to two things: breathing and distraction. So if you practice that, you're able to relax on command and stay well controlled during labor, then it will be a good experience for you. But again, listen to your doctors and nurses throughout the experience because sometimes your desire for a certain experience has to change based on how you're doing and how the baby's doing. Good luck with everything and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our facebook page at facebook.com/intermountainmoms and recommend us to your friends and family, too.
