Kansas-based photographer Tammy Karin never passes up an opportunity to capture a ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ. Kansas-based photographer Tammy Karin never passes up an opportunity to capture a ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ. Karin explains: “The mother has this warm, protective ʙᴀʀʀɪᴇʀ around her in which to bring her baby into the world. She can receive help if wanted or needed, but it’s almost like this wonderful force field that lends itself to this more hands-off environment.”
Karin, a mom of three herself, adds that “the ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ stories that I have been honored to document have resolved with the most gentle entrances into the world for the baby. From the warmth of his mother to the heated waters, directly into his mother’s arms — it’s such a smooth transition. I would have loved the opportunity to bring my own babies into the world that way.”
What’s particularly special about photographing ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜs, according to Minneapolis-based photographer Jennifer Celine, is “seeing a moments-new baby ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇ from the water in Mom and/or Dad’s arms.” Celine said: “Watching a mother’s strength, beauty and sense of calm throughout her little one’s birth is absolutely incredible.”
The theory behind ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ, is that “since the baby has already been in the ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ꜰʟᴜɪᴅ sᴀᴄ for nine months, birthing in a similar environment is gentler for the baby and less sᴛʀᴇssꜰᴜʟ for the mother.” Advocates of ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜs highlight many benefits. It provides ɴᴏɴ-ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴀʟ ᴘᴀɪɴ relief, may reduce ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ, promotes relaxation and helps the mother feel more in control during childbirth and ʟᴀʙᴏʀ. Water makes it easier to get into different positions because the ʙᴜᴏʏᴀɴᴄʏ relieves some of the extra ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ, and this movement can help the baby to work its way down the ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴄᴀɴᴀʟ.
While ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ remains ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏᴠᴇʀsɪᴀʟ in some circles — the American College of Oʙsᴛᴇᴛʀɪᴄɪᴀɴs and Gʏɴᴇᴄᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛs suggests that it is an “ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ that only should be performed within the context of an appropriately designed ᴄʟɪɴɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ with informed consent” — hospitals are increasingly giving women the option of going through ʟᴀʙᴏʀ or even giving birth in a pool of warm water. If you’ve ever wondered what a ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙɪʀᴛʜ looks like, these powerful images speak for themselves.
Source: babynewss
