I know the pros of water birth but what are some of the CONS?
ByI know that they can’t get an epidural but thats not a con….I am looking for any safety information out there……my husband and I are researching it and he said what if the baby is ready to take that first breath when they exit the womb…that could make water birth dangerous right?…..does anyone have an info on this?
mrs.mamma2 if you are reading this I would appreciate your thoughts if you have any as well!! thanks 
one more important thing……my husband made the point that they are in the amnionic fluid….not straight water…is it possible that is has somthing in it that is very different than plain water that could some how make them enhale or something?
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6 Comments
May 21st, 2010 at 5:33 am
Personally I cant think of any…and no the baby wont try and take its first breath until its out of the water, remember, they are in “water” now…
May 21st, 2010 at 6:06 am
The biggest con for me was no epidural, that was enough for me to say screw a water birth. But otherwise it is safe, the baby wont start breathing on its own until it is exposed to the air, remember that the baby will still be attached to your umbilical cord, so theyre coming out of a sac of water, into a sac of water, for that short moment where they are in the water in the birthing tub they will breathe as they would in the womb through the umbilical cord.
May 21st, 2010 at 6:19 am
I talked to my doctor about this ( I had a partial water birth…I labored in the water but chose to push out, because I couldn’t get into a good position to bear down) However, I researched it thoroughly before I gave birth.
My doctor explained it this way–the baby really doesn’t know when they are “out” of the womb…they have no clue what is going on, so how would they know the difference between the womb and the water. Plus, the baby is still attached to the placenta, which provides air until the baby breathes. The lungs take a breath when they are stimulated by the air. The air hitting the baby’s face is the indicator that they are “out.”
I can’t think of any other con of a water birth. Honestly, I was very pleased with the whole experience.
I think many of the cons that come out of water births are due to people having home births and something going wrong, or people not being prepared.
May 21st, 2010 at 6:34 am
I am looking into a water birth too and from my research so far, doctors say that because the placenta is still attached it can still sustain the baby’s oxygen long enough for you to take the baby out of the water without rushing-10 seconds to about a minute.
I havent found many cons so far, but I’ve read that immersing yourself too early can prolong labor You also need to consistently drink water to prevent dehydration-go figure.lol.
Here’s an article I found discouraging the use of hydrotherapy. Its a little unsettling but remember that these examples were “poorly managed”
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/110/2/409
May 21st, 2010 at 6:55 am
The baby will actually not take it’s first breath until the cord is cut, so you don’t have to worry about it inhaling the water.
May 21st, 2010 at 7:27 am
What makes a baby take a first breathe is actual air hitting the back of the throat. As long as that baby is going from liquid to liquid it is not going to try and take a first breathe under water. Don’t worry. Also, it is whisked out pretty quickly. They don’t let the baby swim around.
Good for you for doing all your research. I wish I could have a water birth.