Hydrotherapy for labor

Aimee.K · Oct 6, 2001

I am currently attending NGCSU and completing my OB clinical rotation. I was so excited when one of the physcians talked with me about some of the alternative birthing practices (everything other then Lithotomy) He was really informative about the practice of Hydrotherapy. He said that the patients can't have had any PCA demoral in the past 3 hours, no meconium, with no known complications, What was interesting was when he told me that once the patient started labor in water, they have to stay in water throughout the labor process. He said that if the mother raised out of the water that the pressure difference could cause the baby to aspirate at high rates. Pros he said were lower doses of pain medications and also mom reports greater pain relief. I wish I could see one!

Aimee

RAIZIE · Oct 7, 2001

Thanks for your replies. "Evidence-based" means that the recommendations are supported by research and not what I like to call "PFA" ("pulled from air"). So many things we do in nursing are based on tradition, not research!

I appreciate both your responses! Nothing I have read so far has said anything about danger involved in removing the mother from the hydrotherapy tub...in fact, a recent protocol in MCN recomended mom exit the tub q2h for an EFM strip.

I would be very interested in a reference from the person who told you about the risk involved in exiting the tub.'

THANKS!

RAIZIE · Oct 8, 2001

We aren't planning on using our hydrotherapy tub for deliveries either, but tell me, don't they happen anyway from time to time.

Does the patient's MD/CNM need to be "readily available" when the tub is in use?

I'm fantasizing that the tub will facilitate labor progress and enhance comfort so much that rapid births may result@!

BTW, shat kind of tub do you use? Ours is called Aqua-eeze or something like that!