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Summer is hot and sticky in the South, so it’s no wonder people want to be in the pool.These days, that includes women giving birth. Not prior to birth, but actually during labor and delivery.“It’s like a liquid epidural,” said Greenville resident Rosetta Mowbray, who became the first mom to have a waterbirth at Greenville Memorial Hospital on May 30. “Part of it was when they’d splash water on my back, it felt so good, but then all that weight in front of you, it’s taken off when you’re in the water. It floats.”At 8 pounds, 9 ounces, Annabelle Grace Mowbray’s arrival via waterbirth was a milestone for the hospital, but it’s increasingly one of the options moms-to-be are choosing to feel more comfortable before, during and after labor and delivery.Moms and dads are looking to individualize the births of their children and take control of the birth process. Many are creating birth plans that specify preferences for everything from who’s to be present during the birth to wishes for pain relief, positioning, clothing and music.“This is the only time a person is dreaming and planning for a hospital stay is when they’re having a baby,” said Dr. Donald Wiper, chairman and medical director of Women’s Services at GHS. “That’s completely different from having your gallbladder out.”Parents’ birth plans might include delivery in a hospital with a midwife or doula in attendance or at a childbirth center, or even at home.Though still a very small percentage of all births — less than 1 percent — the number of home births has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, new research shows home can be one of the most dangerous places to give birth.Whether in a medical setting or at home, parents say they’re seeking calm, relaxed ways to have babies. And hospitals like GHS are listening.Families wanting natural births spur changes at hospitals
Summer is hot and sticky in the South, so it’s no wonder people want to be in the pool.These days, that includes women giving birth. Not prior to birth, but actually during labor and delivery.“It’s like a liquid epidural,” said Greenville resident Rosetta Mowbray, who became the first mom to have a waterbirth at Greenville Memorial Hospital on May 30. “Part of it was when they’d splash water on my back, it felt so good, but then all that weight in front of you, it’s taken off when you’re in the water. It floats.”At 8 pounds, 9 ounces, Annabelle Grace Mowbray’s arrival via waterbirth was a milestone for the hospital, but it’s increasingly one of the options moms-to-be are choosing to feel more comfortable before, during and after labor and delivery.Moms and dads are looking to individualize the births of their children and take control of the birth process. Many are creating birth plans that specify preferences for everything from who’s to be present during the birth to wishes for pain relief, positioning, clothing and music.“This is the only time a person is dreaming and planning for a hospital stay is when they’re having a baby,” said Dr. Donald Wiper, chairman and medical director of Women’s Services at GHS. “That’s completely different from having your gallbladder out.”Parents’ birth plans might include delivery in a hospital with a midwife or doula in attendance or at a childbirth center, or even at home.Though still a very small percentage of all births — less than 1 percent — the number of home births has increased dramatically in recent years. At the same time, new research shows home can be one of the most dangerous places to give birth.Whether in a medical setting or at home, parents say they’re seeking calm, relaxed ways to have babies. And hospitals like GHS are listening.
