Hello Everyone, Wishing each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010. Now… For some of you if you are little confused with my title I am actually referring to WATER BIRTH.

Water birth means having to give birth in water. Hydrotherapy (Hydro-water, therapy-treatment) has been considered a very efficient way of pain relief during labor. Being a new midwife, I was always very excited about water birth and had also seen some videos about water birth on You Tube. What I am going to discuss with you is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I actually had the opportunity to assist in the conduct of a water birth recently. The woman in labor was very well aware  and informed about water birth. She was accompanied by her Doula ( A birthing companion other than the woman’s husband).

Upon going into active labor, the woman decided to enter the water tub for pain relief. There was light music played for her and the lights of the room were kept dim as a form of distraction. She was not bound to her bed to monitor her baby’s well being through a Cardio Toco Graph(CTG) machine. This had been feasible due to the wireless CTG machine available in the hospital. The baby was monitored with the help of a wireless CTG when she was walking around as well when she was in water.

Here comes the most exciting moment. My patient was fully dilated and the consultant was called upon for delivery.  The water was a little hazy because of the amniotic fluid and blood discharges. I used a torch light to assess the progress of labor. The patient was very cooperative. We guided her through while the consultant put his hands in the water to grab the baby. With the final push, the baby was delivered in the water and guess what?? the baby didn’t drown or struggle in the water as I was worried about that. Rather, I found the baby very comfortable in the water. The baby was brought out of the water onto the mother’s chest and was wrapped with a warm towel. Then came the big cry and everybody in the delivery suite came to know that the baby had been delivered.

The mother then decided to deliver her placenta on bed. She was assisted out of water and was wrapped in warm towels as well. The baby was assessed by a neonatologist who was standing by for the delivery. All went well and everybody was very proud about the yet another successful water birth.

For me it was more than that.. Firstly it was my very first water birth that I assisted; Secondly, it cleared all my misconceptions ( Baby will drown etc..) about water birth.

My purpose of sharing this story with you is to bring forward the awareness that there are other options such as water birth which are available here in Singapore and beginning to be adopted more often these days.