A certified nurse midwife with extensive professional experience, Barbara Bechtel owns and operates Dahlia Midwifery in Brooklyn. Over the course of her career as a practicing midwife, Barbara Bechtel has assisted many clients through nontraditional birthing methods, including water birth.
Many midwives, obstetricians, and other proponents of the practice believe that water birth is an excellent way for mothers to experience the natural birthing process. Laboring and giving birth in water has been associated with less pain, increased relaxation, and shortened labor times.
Additionally, in the deep water of a birth pool, buoyancy supports the mother’s weight and allows her to change positions without assistance. This freedom of movement not only enables the mother to feel more comfortable, but also helps open the pelvis to facilitate the descent of the baby.
In addition to the benefits for the mother, water birth provides the baby with a more gentle transition from the womb. The practice is also known to promote the involvement of the father and a more positive child-parent relationship later in life.
Many midwives, obstetricians, and other proponents of the practice believe that water birth is an excellent way for mothers to experience the natural birthing process. Laboring and giving birth in water has been associated with less pain, increased relaxation, and shortened labor times.
Additionally, in the deep water of a birth pool, buoyancy supports the mother’s weight and allows her to change positions without assistance. This freedom of movement not only enables the mother to feel more comfortable, but also helps open the pelvis to facilitate the descent of the baby.
In addition to the benefits for the mother, water birth provides the baby with a more gentle transition from the womb. The practice is also known to promote the involvement of the father and a more positive child-parent relationship later in life.