- Email: [email protected]
Water baby: Experiences of water birth
Water Baby: Experiences of Water Birth. Color, sound, 57 minutes. Produced, directed, and written by Karil Daniels, 1986. Available in %inch and M-inch VHS or Beta videocassette cartridges from Point of View Productions, 2477 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. (415) 821-0435. Purchase price: Individuals-$95.00 plus $10.00 postage/handling for %-inch VHS or Beta; others (hospitals, libraries, schools, nonprofit groups, birth centers)-$195.00 plus $10.00 postage/handling for %-inch VHS or Beta and 3/4-inch U-Matic. Rental: $75.00 for three days plus $10.00 postage/handling, for use at small screenings with no admission charge. Rental fee may be applied to a lifetime lease (life of tape) if ordered within three months. For conferences, public performances, commercial or paid screenings, special fee arrangements can be made based on the nature of the event. Reviewed by: Mary V. Widhalm, CMN,MS, Director of Midwifery, Lincoln Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Water Baby: Experiences of Water Birth is a fascinating and provocative film. It opens with a statement of purpose that the film is for educational purposes only- to describe new developments in the field of Journal of Nurse-Midwifery
??Vol.
water birth and gentle birth. It has a disclaimer and recommends that those who want to use water birth must use experienced medical professionals who can deal with problems. Water Baby begins with Don Creevy, MD, obstetrician, who answers common questions about water birth: what is it, is it safe, what are the risks to the baby as well as to the mother? The film then segues into an interview with Dr. Michel Odent in France and the viewing of two water births. Dr. Odent, the most recognized authority on water births, discusses the distinct advantages of the use of warm water in labor and in birth. And women throughout the course of the film attest to the same advantages. In the warm water they feel comfortable, relaxed, supported, have shorter labors, shorter second stages, no tears of the birth canal, and feel the birth is more gentle for the baby. Dr. Odent also is convinced that women who are anxious and/or hypertensive are best treated by relaxing in the warm bath. It decreases their stress and adrenalin levels and makes them normotensive. The film then focuses on Michael Rosenthal, MD, the first obstetrician in the United States to open a birth center to offer women safe altematives from high technological ob-
34, No. 4, July/August
Copyright 0 1989 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
1989
stetric care, one alternative being water birth. The same advantages are noted and the intuitive belief is that gentle birth will promote a gentle people, to benefit all humankind. What follows is a homebirth water birth in California. During this birth, what seems an inordinate period of time (actually 2+ minutes) lapses between the birth of the baby and the time the baby is lifted above the surface of the water to take her first breath. This is the provocative segment. How long should the baby be allowed to float under water; when does it need to take its first breath; is monitoring the cord for pulsation sufficient; at what point is the placenta no longer delivering oxygen? Drs. Odent and Rosenthal are of the opinion that the baby should be under water only “seconds” before being lifted up and allowed to breathe. Others believe in the “slowemergence” of the infant from the water: slow, gentle, but still safe, in their opinion. Indeed we see the homebirth water baby later in her life, as a happy healthy child. Dr. Igor Charkovsky, a pioneering research physiologist in the Soviet Union, has used water since 1963 to ease birth, to help weak and prematurely-born infants, and to help babies realize their full human potential. The film concludes with his 215 OO91-2182/89/$3.50
teaching mothers how to exercise their infants in water. Dr. Charkovsky believes that this strengthens the children physically and emotionally, and enhances their paranormal abilities. This is a well-done film, already a winner of 12 awards. The photography, the music, and the quiet narration are themselves conducive to gentle birthing. Water birthing is brought to the viewer objectively, stimulating thoughts and feelings, and presenting very artfully some of the newest information regarding labor and birth in water. Water Baby Information Book. By Karil Daniels. Available from: Point of View Productions, 2477 Folsom Street, San Francisco, California 94110. 1988. Unpaged. $20.00 plus $2.80 postage/handling. Softcover. Reviewed by: Mary V. Widhalm, CMN,MS, Director of Midwifery, Lincoln Medical Center, Bronx, New York. The Water Baby Information Book is a “self-publishing project”-an interesting compilation of useful and “empowering” articles and information, gathered together while the author was researching her video, Water Baby: Experiences of Water Birth. While the video is termed educational, the Water Baby Information Book is not meant to be a how-to-do book. However, much of the same information is offered. The articles vary in calibre. Some are reports of personal experiences with underwater birthing. Some of the papers have been previously published in professional journals, such as Dr. Michel Odent’s experiences with the first 100 underwater births in Pithiviers, France (Lancet, December, 1983). A paper by Binnie A. Dansby was presented at the First International Congress on Pre- and Peri-Natal Psychology, June, 1983, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a whole, the book provides 216
useful information about laboring and birthing in water, and many safety features to be considered. All the authors are water birth proponents, and all agree that warm water decreases pain, increases relaxation, frequently decreases the length of labor (first and second stages), decreases or eliminates the need for episiotomies, and decreases the incidence and severity of lacerations. There is some evidence that the warmth, relaxation, and more upright position assumed by the laboring woman have decreased the need for cesareans. The fetuses are monitored with fetoscopes or doptones. Differing philosophies are evident. Some view water as a “tool,” not the “goal.” Dr. Odent and others see the warm bath as good-helpful for the release of stress, tension, and pain. Following the birth, the baby is lifted from the water to the mother within seconds. Other proponents see water birthing as the ultimate in gentle birthing. After extensive prenatal preparation for birth and parenting, the woman births her baby slowly into warm water, easing the infant’s transition from an intrauterine to an extrauterine environment. The umbilical cord is palpated for pulsations; the baby is observed for all signs of reactivity. Gradually the baby is brought to the surface of the water. This contact with air then stimulates the first breath. Gentle birth proponents believe that the infant is conscious, aware, feeling, and sensing what is happening, and will benefit from the gentle, slow, atraumatic birth. Obviously these descriptive reports are just that. They are not controlled studies. But water birth proponents have found no increased risk to mother or baby. As in the video, there are references to the philosophy and work of Dr. Igor Charkovsky in the Soviet Union. He is a proponent of water exercises during pregnancy, laboring and birthing in water, and water ex-
ercises for babies. The bouyancy of water, i.e., the lack of the forces of gravity while exercising, according to Dr. Charkovsky, allows more of the infant’s energy to be used for better physical, mental, and emotional development. Many of the book’s photographs are of Dr. Charkovsky and his clientele in Moscow. The Water Baby Information Book concludes with helpful hints regarding tub rentals and recommended reading. There is a long list (85 entries) of midwives, physicians, nurses, and childbirth educators with their addresses, telephone numbers, types of practices, and their experiences in assisting with water births. The list was updated as recently as August, 1988. For those interested in the subject of water birthing, the list of resources might be one of the most helpful parts of the book. Knowing the Unborn. Color, sound, 29 minutes. Produced by Royda Ballard, CMN, BSN and Kelly Ballard, RN, MSN and directed by Bob Grant, 1988. Available in 3/4-inch and l/2inch VHS from Pre-Birth Parenting, Inc., 2554 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 509, Marina de1 Rey, CA 90291, (213) 417-3663. (800) 772-1172. Purchase price: $39.95 for %-inch VHS plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Reviewed by: Jeanette Breen, CMN, MS, Baldwin, New York; Director of Midwifery Services, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center/MIC Affiliation, Brooklyn, New York. Royda and Kelly Ballard make a monumental contribution to the field of maternal-child health in their production of this video on pre-birth parenting. This documentary-style production includes commentary by 20 leading experts in the field of fetology and prenatal psychology. Interspersed between the narration and professional comments are interviews with prospective parents and demonstrations by parents of their purposeful interactions with their unborn babies. This video evidences a great deal
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery
??Vol.
34, No. 4, July/August 1989
??Vol.
water birth and gentle birth. It has a disclaimer and recommends that those who want to use water birth must use experienced medical professionals who can deal with problems. Water Baby begins with Don Creevy, MD, obstetrician, who answers common questions about water birth: what is it, is it safe, what are the risks to the baby as well as to the mother? The film then segues into an interview with Dr. Michel Odent in France and the viewing of two water births. Dr. Odent, the most recognized authority on water births, discusses the distinct advantages of the use of warm water in labor and in birth. And women throughout the course of the film attest to the same advantages. In the warm water they feel comfortable, relaxed, supported, have shorter labors, shorter second stages, no tears of the birth canal, and feel the birth is more gentle for the baby. Dr. Odent also is convinced that women who are anxious and/or hypertensive are best treated by relaxing in the warm bath. It decreases their stress and adrenalin levels and makes them normotensive. The film then focuses on Michael Rosenthal, MD, the first obstetrician in the United States to open a birth center to offer women safe altematives from high technological ob-
34, No. 4, July/August
Copyright 0 1989 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
1989
stetric care, one alternative being water birth. The same advantages are noted and the intuitive belief is that gentle birth will promote a gentle people, to benefit all humankind. What follows is a homebirth water birth in California. During this birth, what seems an inordinate period of time (actually 2+ minutes) lapses between the birth of the baby and the time the baby is lifted above the surface of the water to take her first breath. This is the provocative segment. How long should the baby be allowed to float under water; when does it need to take its first breath; is monitoring the cord for pulsation sufficient; at what point is the placenta no longer delivering oxygen? Drs. Odent and Rosenthal are of the opinion that the baby should be under water only “seconds” before being lifted up and allowed to breathe. Others believe in the “slowemergence” of the infant from the water: slow, gentle, but still safe, in their opinion. Indeed we see the homebirth water baby later in her life, as a happy healthy child. Dr. Igor Charkovsky, a pioneering research physiologist in the Soviet Union, has used water since 1963 to ease birth, to help weak and prematurely-born infants, and to help babies realize their full human potential. The film concludes with his 215 OO91-2182/89/$3.50
teaching mothers how to exercise their infants in water. Dr. Charkovsky believes that this strengthens the children physically and emotionally, and enhances their paranormal abilities. This is a well-done film, already a winner of 12 awards. The photography, the music, and the quiet narration are themselves conducive to gentle birthing. Water birthing is brought to the viewer objectively, stimulating thoughts and feelings, and presenting very artfully some of the newest information regarding labor and birth in water. Water Baby Information Book. By Karil Daniels. Available from: Point of View Productions, 2477 Folsom Street, San Francisco, California 94110. 1988. Unpaged. $20.00 plus $2.80 postage/handling. Softcover. Reviewed by: Mary V. Widhalm, CMN,MS, Director of Midwifery, Lincoln Medical Center, Bronx, New York. The Water Baby Information Book is a “self-publishing project”-an interesting compilation of useful and “empowering” articles and information, gathered together while the author was researching her video, Water Baby: Experiences of Water Birth. While the video is termed educational, the Water Baby Information Book is not meant to be a how-to-do book. However, much of the same information is offered. The articles vary in calibre. Some are reports of personal experiences with underwater birthing. Some of the papers have been previously published in professional journals, such as Dr. Michel Odent’s experiences with the first 100 underwater births in Pithiviers, France (Lancet, December, 1983). A paper by Binnie A. Dansby was presented at the First International Congress on Pre- and Peri-Natal Psychology, June, 1983, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a whole, the book provides 216
useful information about laboring and birthing in water, and many safety features to be considered. All the authors are water birth proponents, and all agree that warm water decreases pain, increases relaxation, frequently decreases the length of labor (first and second stages), decreases or eliminates the need for episiotomies, and decreases the incidence and severity of lacerations. There is some evidence that the warmth, relaxation, and more upright position assumed by the laboring woman have decreased the need for cesareans. The fetuses are monitored with fetoscopes or doptones. Differing philosophies are evident. Some view water as a “tool,” not the “goal.” Dr. Odent and others see the warm bath as good-helpful for the release of stress, tension, and pain. Following the birth, the baby is lifted from the water to the mother within seconds. Other proponents see water birthing as the ultimate in gentle birthing. After extensive prenatal preparation for birth and parenting, the woman births her baby slowly into warm water, easing the infant’s transition from an intrauterine to an extrauterine environment. The umbilical cord is palpated for pulsations; the baby is observed for all signs of reactivity. Gradually the baby is brought to the surface of the water. This contact with air then stimulates the first breath. Gentle birth proponents believe that the infant is conscious, aware, feeling, and sensing what is happening, and will benefit from the gentle, slow, atraumatic birth. Obviously these descriptive reports are just that. They are not controlled studies. But water birth proponents have found no increased risk to mother or baby. As in the video, there are references to the philosophy and work of Dr. Igor Charkovsky in the Soviet Union. He is a proponent of water exercises during pregnancy, laboring and birthing in water, and water ex-
ercises for babies. The bouyancy of water, i.e., the lack of the forces of gravity while exercising, according to Dr. Charkovsky, allows more of the infant’s energy to be used for better physical, mental, and emotional development. Many of the book’s photographs are of Dr. Charkovsky and his clientele in Moscow. The Water Baby Information Book concludes with helpful hints regarding tub rentals and recommended reading. There is a long list (85 entries) of midwives, physicians, nurses, and childbirth educators with their addresses, telephone numbers, types of practices, and their experiences in assisting with water births. The list was updated as recently as August, 1988. For those interested in the subject of water birthing, the list of resources might be one of the most helpful parts of the book. Knowing the Unborn. Color, sound, 29 minutes. Produced by Royda Ballard, CMN, BSN and Kelly Ballard, RN, MSN and directed by Bob Grant, 1988. Available in 3/4-inch and l/2inch VHS from Pre-Birth Parenting, Inc., 2554 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 509, Marina de1 Rey, CA 90291, (213) 417-3663. (800) 772-1172. Purchase price: $39.95 for %-inch VHS plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Reviewed by: Jeanette Breen, CMN, MS, Baldwin, New York; Director of Midwifery Services, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center/MIC Affiliation, Brooklyn, New York. Royda and Kelly Ballard make a monumental contribution to the field of maternal-child health in their production of this video on pre-birth parenting. This documentary-style production includes commentary by 20 leading experts in the field of fetology and prenatal psychology. Interspersed between the narration and professional comments are interviews with prospective parents and demonstrations by parents of their purposeful interactions with their unborn babies. This video evidences a great deal
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery
??Vol.
34, No. 4, July/August 1989