Why A Water Birth? 
*Greater comfort and mobility. The mother has much greater ease and freedom to move spontaneously and to change position to assist the descent of the baby.
*Reduction of pressure on the abdomen. Buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and better blood circulation, resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the baby.
*Helps mother to conserve her energy. Immersion reduces opposition to gravity; supports the mother's weight so that her energy can be used to cope with the contractions.
*Promotes deeper relaxation. As a woman relaxes deeply in water, her hormones kick in and she starts progressing faster and with more rhythm; labor becomes more efficient.
*Water relaxes the pelvic floor muscles.
*Water minimizes pain so effectively that for most women other pain control methods are no longer needed.
*Water stimulates the touch and temperature nerve fibers in the skin. It blocks impulses from the pain fibers, known as the Gate Theory of Pain.
*Immersion is often more effective and safer than an epidural. Some people call waterbirth an "aquadural."
*Facilitates a dysfunctional labor. Water can be an effective way to stimulate dilation of the cervix when the mother has difficulty progressing into the active stage of labor.
*Water can reduce the need for drugs to artificially stimulate labor. Often, simply getting into the tub will result in dramatic and rapid progress to full dilation within an hour or two.
*Lowering of blood pressure. When anxiety is causing high blood pressure, immersion in water often helps lower it.
*Change of consciousness. Immersion helps relieve anxiety and promotes relaxation. Water helps a woman to let go and focus inward as labor strengthens.
*Easier breathing. Moisture in the air makes it easier to breathe and can be helpful to women with asthma.
*Facilitates the second stage of labor. Many mothers are less inhibited in the water. The warm water softens the vagina, vulva, and perineum, leading to fewer injuries to these tissues.
*Many women experience rapid second stages, with the baby emerging minutes after the body starts pushing, also known as the fetus ejection reflex (see Odent, The Nature of Birth and Breastfeeding).
*Empowerment of the mother. When a woman delivers her baby while remaining awake, aware and in control, it greatly enhances the birth experience for her and becomes a source of great personal strength and power that enriches her life forever.
*Greater involvement of the father. Because the mother's pain and stress is so greatly reduced, it is much easier for fathers to particpate and take a more active role in the birthing process. Many men are reluctant to become involved in the birth experience when they know that the mother is likely to endure intense pain, trauma and suffering during labor and delivery.
*Enhanced family relationships. When the mother's pain is dramatically reduced, many fathers eagerly take a more active role in the delivery, resulting in a greater family bond. When fathers are more involved it increases the possibility of a joyous birth. Both parents and child get to share a wonderous experience that can enhance their relationships with each other for the rest of their lives.
*Better parent-child interactions. A mother who has had a beautiful and empowering birth experience will have an especially positive association in her mind and emotions to that child; and a baby who has had an easy, non-traumatic, not painful, gentle birth will have an especially positive association to the parent. This exceptionally positive start to their relationship will likely enhance the parent-child interactions forever.
*Evolving humanity in a positive direction. Many psychologists believe that babies born gently grow up to become more gentle adults, and have a greater ability to deal with problems non-violently.
Resources: Daniels, 1986; Balaskas, 1990; Lichy, 1993; Napierala, 1994.
Once you have decided to have your baby with a midwife (and you should consider a doula as well), and decided on the birth setting that feels right to you, you should explore other resources which can enhance your birth experience. Are you interested in waterbirth? The relaxation and pain-relieving benefits of water are well-known; many women who have had babies in and out of water will attest to this. Also, laboring in water allows the woman to move freely and change position unhampered; this is helpful to the baby's descent in the birth canal. Babies born in water tend to be quiet and calm, although alert. Barbara Harper, R.N., is the doyenne of waterbirth, and her site, www.waterbirth.org will tell you about the advantages of this option. The site includes a number of photographs of women laboring and giving birth in the tub. Barbara's organization, Global Maternal/Child Health Association, Inc. is working to change in the way families prepare to give birth. GMCHA provides up-to date educational materials for pregnant couples and refer them to practitioners who support them in making informed decisions about their health care and who view birth as a completely natural process, not a medical event.
Documentation On Safety And Efficacy?
Swiss Waterbirth Study Abstract
These articles are all provided by www.waterbirth.org and contains a multitude of information and is run by Barbara Harper R.N., a leading midwife and advocate of water birthing in the United States.
Rental Prices?
Our rentals are based on 3 week acquisitions. Since babies tend to be unpredictable with their arrival dates it is usually best to pick the estimated due date within the middle of these 3 weeks.
Rental fees are as follows: 3 weeks @ $250.00
A $75.00 non-refundable deposit must be made at the time of order and the residual must be paid upon delivery. A credit card imprint must be secured for damage deposit (no charges will be made to the credit card without authorization).
The rental agreement must be signed along with your deposit.
This rental comes with a single disposable liner. If extra liners are requested, they are available at $25.00 each.
Please note that we will do our best to keep this tub available to you at no extra charge if the baby decides to come later than this 3 week rental period. If another family has rented this unit immediately following your rental period there is nothing we can do. Because we do not charge extra for extra days (where possible) we would request the courtesy of a tub return earlier than the 3 week period should the baby come early.
We will deliver and set up the tub within Windsor and Essex County. If possible we will do our best to service Chatham-Kent no further east or north than Chatham. A delivery charge will apply outside of Windsor or Essex County. (A practice run with the tub is still suggested before it is actually needed.) We will also disassemble and remove the tub at the end of the rental period although we expect that the water will be drained (with the supplied pump) and that the disposable liner will be disposed of. A final check, for damage, will done in your presence before the tub is disassembled and taken away.
Special Considerations?
There are definitely some things you want to keep in mind when ordering the aquadoula (or any) birthing tub:
Size: This unit is 4.5 feet across and 2 feet deep. This will comfortably fit the mother and her birthing partner but not be so large that anyone is inaccessible by the midwife/doula/family member, etc.
Weight: This unit holds approximately 150 gallons of water and will therefore weight about 1500 lbs. This sounds like a lot, but if you can imagine 12 grown men standing on this area on your floor you should be fine. If weight is a concern, consider placing this unit near a load bearing wall and preferably on the main floor.
Requirements: You will need an electrical supply for the water heater and for the submersible drainage pump. Don't worry, they are both fully grounded. You will also need access to water for filling and a drain for emptying the tub via the hoses provided. An adapter for filling the tub from any faucet is provided.
Safety: Our fully grounded equipment won't do a stitch of good if your electrical supply isn't fully grounded. You will also want to keep the cover on the pool when not in use not only to keep debris out but because a large body of water can be a danger to children and pets. You should keep them away from the pool, especially when unsupervised. When the pool is being filled hot water will be in use and appropriate precautions to avoid burns must be taken. (Water over 104°F will damage the plastic parts - the tub should not be over 99°F for use anyways)
Why Choose Aquadoula?
There are many reasons you should consider the aquadoula over other birthing tubs:
• Elegant Design - developed especially for labour and waterbirth
• Soft yet Sturdy Structure - offers superb comfort and strength for mother and helpers
• AquaDoulux(tm) Heating System - maintains consistent water temperature (when used with pool cover)
• GFCI Protection with 100% Grounding - ensures maximum electrical safety
• Spacious Size - comfortably accomodates 2 adults with easy access
• Light Aqua Colour - enhances visibility
• Aquadoula Cover - maximizes heat efficiency
What Is Included In The Rental?
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Your Rental Includes the Following Contents:
• One Aquadoula tub 24 inches deep and 54 inches wide• One birthing tub fully grounded birthing tub heater with temperature control
• One Aquadoula tub cover to keep debris out and help maintain temperature
• One disposable liner
• One drainage pump (will drain tub in 20-30 minutes)
• One fill hose with a faucet hose adapter
• One drainage hose (please don't mix them up!)
• One set of shoulder length gloves
• One debris net (for collection of materials during childbirth)
• One floating thermometer to maintain temperature
• Delivery/set-up and disassembly/removal of the tub (you drain tub)
• One BIRTHING BALL to sit on if not in tub (you must give us the mother's height so we know which size ball to bring)
• One SCUBA flashlight for seeing in the water should things become murky. This is a handy item for illumination is suturing is required later (hopefully a non-issue). Batteries are NOT included.
• One Conair bathtub spa with 2 jets. This doesn't exactly turn the spa into a hot tub, but the jets can be relieving on the low back or abdomen.
Other Things You Might Be Interested In?
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One of the wonderful things about the natural birthing process is that the options are endless. Some of your considerations may include:
• Doulas
• Midwifery
• Birthing Balls (one of these is part of your aquadoula tub rental)
• Vitamins, Minerals, Herbal Supplements
• HypnoBirthing® Classes
• La Leche League - breast feeding support
• mom2mom - connecting parents in Windsor and Essex county (bulletin board system)
Birthing Tub Rentals In Other Communities?
Download Rental Contract
Look At My Aquababies!
Want to know if anyone around you has a waterbaby?
Look at these beautiful children. My list is always growing!
