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Labor Under Water

Childbirth experiences can be just as different as the women who have them.  Pregnant women are often urged to think about what kind of birth plan they would li...

Childbirth experiences can be just as different as the women who have them.  Pregnant women are often urged to think about what kind of birth plan they would like before they go into labor.  A woman from Northumberland County is sharing her story, highlighting an increasingly popular option: labor in water.

What 6-month old isn't fascinated by running water.

This little cutie is Kelsey Long, here with mom, 31-year-old Regan Long from Turbotville.  It turns out it was Regan who benefited from water when she was giving birth to Kelsey.

"It's almost freeing. You feel weightless in water. It was just much more comfortable for me," recalled Regan.

She has four children, and says she'd had epidurals before.  An epidural is a local anesthetic, sometimes given to women in labor to help with pain.  It worked, but she didn't like how it made her feel after childbirth.

"I almost feel sedated, that I really couldn't enjoy the amazing incredible thing that just happened," said Regan.

Regan consulted with Shari Wachob, a Certified Nurse Midwife at Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, when she was pregnant with Kelsey.  Because she had a low-risk pregnancy, they decided to go completely natural during labor, using what's called the Aqua Doula, a portable tub filled with warm water.

"The difference with the tub is, when you submerge a body in water it becomes bouyant. It takes a lot of pressure off the skeleton, off the muscles, takes away a lot of the discomfort ladies are feeling," said Wachob.

According to Wachob, warm water during labor relaxes the muscles.  When that happens, the body gets rid of at least some of the stress hormones produced when in discomfort.  In addition, she says the water also encourages the release of endorphins, the "feel-good" hormone, and oxytocin, the hormone that helps to progress labor.

But Wachob stresses: what's good for one mama won't necessarily be good for another, and that's just fine.

"Some want epidurals the minute they walk in.  Others want to see how far they can go without any interventions," Wachob told us.

Regan admits labor without a painkiller was very difficult and exhausting, but does think laboring in water took the edge off of her contractions, and even more importantly allowed her to focus entirely on Kelsey.

"I was completely energized. I felt like I could get up and move around. I felt great."

We should stress that this isn't a water birth, at least not at Geisinger Bloomsburg.  The baby isn't actually born into water.  The tub is only to help mom be more comfortable during labor.  Hospital officials say it's an offering that's only a few months old, and so far they've used the Aqua Doula in about a dozen deliveries.

 

 

 

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