Duration in Water
How long is the baby in the water after giving birth?
This will depend on a few factors. After giving birth in water, sometimes the baby’s body is wrapped in the umbilical cord and it takes a few seconds to bring the baby to a good position to take it from the water. In the majority of water births, the baby is caught by the mother and lifted gently to her chest. The baby does not need to stay underneath the water for any period of time nor is there a great need to rush to get the baby out. The best practice is to safely remove the baby from the water and place it skin-to-skin with the mother’s chest quickly but without rushing to do so.
When to get into Water?
The mother is in charge of her birthing process, and under our guidance we let her decide when she is ready to get into the pool. Ideally she should enter the water in active labour (3-4cm). However, if the mother does enter the water too soon, she could get into Relax mode and the process could slow down. In such cases, we then encourage the mother to leave the water for a short time.
When to get out of Water?
While most normal deliveries progresses without problems, birth can be unpredictable. On occasion, you may be asked to leave the water because a problem has been identified which needs to be further investigated. You will be encouraged to leave the water every two hours for a short time to walk around and use the washroom.