Waterbirthing Practitioner Training Details
This course has been developed to inform practice and to assist professional medical staff to gain knowledge and competency in the care of women who
choose to use water immersion for labour and/or birth. This is the first time that such a course has been offered in Singapore.
What This Program Teaches
- What is water immersion in labour?
- History of water immersion in labour
- Physiological effects of water immersion in labour
- Current Evidence
- Reported Advantages to Mother and Baby
- Reported Disadvantages to Mother and Baby
- Contraindications to Use of Immersion in Labour
- Practice Issues
- Informed Consent
- Safety and Infection Control
- Management of Labour
- Emergency Situations
- Maternal Collapse
- Prolapsed Cord
- Nuchal Cord
- Snapped Cord
- Shoulder Dystocia
Participants Will Also Learn
- How to eliminate fear and replace it with confidence in and understanding of the use of water immersion.
- How to facilitate the natural progression of labour when a woman is experiencing her own high levels of oxytocin and endorphins.
- Maternal and fetal assessment techniques to monitor the condition of mother and baby whilst using water immersion for labour and/or birth.
- How to help the birthing companion be comfortable and helpful in the birthing room
- Prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal bonding techniques
- …and much more
Waterbirth Benefits (compared to birth stool and bed births)
- 30% fewer tears and episiotomies
- less blood loss
- fewer painkillers used
- great maternal satisfaction
- increases mother’s ability to move into positions easily
- minimizes discomfort during labour
- buoyancy relieve pressure on the abdomen
- Average arterial blood pH of the umbilical cord significantly higher
- Apgar scores at 5 and 10 minutes significantly higher
- Infections of neonate do not occur more often after waterbirth.
- No cases of water aspiration or any other Perinatal complication of mother or child which might be water-related was reported as reported in
the study by Geissbuhler V. Eberhard J. PMID: 10971083. This study looked at 2,014 waterbirths, 1,108 birth stool births and 2,362 bed births.
What does this mean for the hospital?
- Reduction in operative birth
- Reduction in birth trauma e.g. episiotomy, tears
- Reduction in intrapartum and postpartum blood loss
- Higher apgar scores
- Fewer fetal heart rate decelerations and less fetal acidosis
- Relaxed mothers, lessening fatigue during labour
- Reduction in the need and use of analgesics during labour
- Waterbirth tub facilitates patient autonomy and a sense of control, a refuge away from interference
- Increased buoyancy and mobility and ease of maternal position change
- Provided that immersion is only used in established labour, the incidence of augmentation of labour is reduced
- Minimizes the incidence of uterine hyperstimulation and the need for epidural analgesia
- Reduced postnatal recovery time
- Optimises bonding and breastfeeding success
- Less time in crisis – better use of staff resources
- Reduced complications
- Wider choices – for vaginal or cesarean births
- Word of Mouth – positive birth experiences increases referrals
- Consumer choice is met
Course Brief:
The Waterbirth Practitioner Training Course is offered as an inspiring 2-day program, consisting of 2, three hour sessions.
Segment 1 – Introduction to Water Immersion for Birthing
- Experiences of warm water immersion. What do we know already?
- Fears of Waterbirth, what are they? Where do they come from?
- How fear affects labour
- Dangers of unqualified birth attendants
- Abdominal Breathing for relaxation
- History of Waterbirth
- A Waterbirth story
- Rationale for water immersion in birthing
Segment 2 – The How, What, When and Where of Water Immersion in a Hospital Birthing Room
- What is required for water immersion
- Where to position equipment
- How to facilitate water immersion,1st Stage, 2nd Stage, 3rd Stage of labour
- How to safely enter and exit the birth tub
- How to care for the newborn
- When water immersion is contraindicated
- Emergency situations
- Waterbirth film, “Born in Water”
- Birth attendant care
You will be provided with ongoing local support and an active online client referral system. Water Immersion Policy and protocols/procedures
will also be provided for use by hospitals. Certificates will be given after successful completion of the competency review.
Cost of Classes
$625 per person, limit 10 per class.
Class Dates
| Session | Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 | | Course | 28 &29 Nov | | | |
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