Provide access to Hydrotherapy options, such as birth tubs, for labouring women in the new Labour & Delivery ward at Kelowna General Hospital
Provide access to Hydrotherapy options, such as birth tubs, for labouring women in the new Labour & Delivery ward at Kelowna General Hospital
The Issue
To Kelowna General Hospital,
The Kelowna Expectant & New Parent Community request your attention to an important message; one that is focused around the value of access to ‘Hydrotherapy’ via birth tubs or pools during labouring & birth experiences.
It is our understanding that Kelowna General Hospital is reaching the last stages of planning for updates to the Labor & Delivery wards. This venture is very well received and appreciated by our community of new families ~ Thank you!
One of the elements that many labouring women appreciate is the access to water, particularly within a birth tub/pool; to have the ability to immerse themselves in water. In a Public Health Agency survey ( 2009 ) reported that 55% of women used the bath or shower as a labor management technique.*
“Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is a part of medicine, in particular of naturopathy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The term encompasses a broad range of approaches and therapeutic methods that take advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases” – Wikipedia *
Some of the benefits that can be offered to a laboring woman via ‘Hydrotherapy’ are*:
- Greater Comfort & Mobility ~ to assist in pelvic floor favorability, encouraging fetal positioning & descent
- Reduction in Abdomen pressure ~ for better oxygenation, more efficient contractions
- Physiological Stress Reduction ~ lowering the body's natural "fight or flight" response & can reduce labour length
- Pain Management ~ Immersion in water can support women in pain management, focused on her body’s signs and progress & often creates less need for Intervention
- Conservation of Energy & Deeper Relaxation ~ can increase maternal endorphins to support smoother, natural dilation & body readiness for infant delivery
- Smooth Facilitation through Labor ~ often resulting in Lower Blood pressures, increased oxytocin levels increasing contraction effectiveness, less tissue injury and need for intervention
- Maternal & Family Empowerment ~ smoother deliveries can result in better breastfeeding results, stronger mother & infant bonding, and less birth trauma which can be linked to the occurrence of Postpartum Mood disorders
Thank you so much for taking the time to note how important the improvements to the KGH Labor & Delivery ward mean to our families, infants and our mothers.
Also, thank you for taking note of our strong desire to experience normal and empowering birth experiences and that the opportunity to labor in water, that we can immerse ourselves in, is very much a part of that desire.
Sincerely ~
Your Expectant Parent Community
Resources:
The Issue
To Kelowna General Hospital,
The Kelowna Expectant & New Parent Community request your attention to an important message; one that is focused around the value of access to ‘Hydrotherapy’ via birth tubs or pools during labouring & birth experiences.
It is our understanding that Kelowna General Hospital is reaching the last stages of planning for updates to the Labor & Delivery wards. This venture is very well received and appreciated by our community of new families ~ Thank you!
One of the elements that many labouring women appreciate is the access to water, particularly within a birth tub/pool; to have the ability to immerse themselves in water. In a Public Health Agency survey ( 2009 ) reported that 55% of women used the bath or shower as a labor management technique.*
“Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is a part of medicine, in particular of naturopathy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The term encompasses a broad range of approaches and therapeutic methods that take advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases” – Wikipedia *
Some of the benefits that can be offered to a laboring woman via ‘Hydrotherapy’ are*:
- Greater Comfort & Mobility ~ to assist in pelvic floor favorability, encouraging fetal positioning & descent
- Reduction in Abdomen pressure ~ for better oxygenation, more efficient contractions
- Physiological Stress Reduction ~ lowering the body's natural "fight or flight" response & can reduce labour length
- Pain Management ~ Immersion in water can support women in pain management, focused on her body’s signs and progress & often creates less need for Intervention
- Conservation of Energy & Deeper Relaxation ~ can increase maternal endorphins to support smoother, natural dilation & body readiness for infant delivery
- Smooth Facilitation through Labor ~ often resulting in Lower Blood pressures, increased oxytocin levels increasing contraction effectiveness, less tissue injury and need for intervention
- Maternal & Family Empowerment ~ smoother deliveries can result in better breastfeeding results, stronger mother & infant bonding, and less birth trauma which can be linked to the occurrence of Postpartum Mood disorders
Thank you so much for taking the time to note how important the improvements to the KGH Labor & Delivery ward mean to our families, infants and our mothers.
Also, thank you for taking note of our strong desire to experience normal and empowering birth experiences and that the opportunity to labor in water, that we can immerse ourselves in, is very much a part of that desire.
Sincerely ~
Your Expectant Parent Community
Resources:
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The Decision Makers
Petition created on May 10, 2014