Natural Pain Relief for Childbirth
From what I hear, labor or childbirth is quite painful. Many women ask for an epidural during labor in order to get relief from the pain. However, a new study indicates aquatic aerobics may serve as natural pain relief during labor.
Labor
The childbirthing process contains three phases: contractions, delivery of the baby, and delivery of the placenta. During the contractions phase, the uterine muscles contract against one another, pushing the cervix up over the baby’s head. Contractions typically last eight hours for a mother giving birth for the first time and four hours for a mother who has given birth before, according to Wikipedia.
The second stage of labor, delivery of the baby, begins when the cervix is fully dilated. The mother must assist the baby at this pint by pushing. When the baby’s head crowns, the mother may feel a stinging or burning sensation, also known as the, “ring of fire,” according to Wikipedia.
In the last stage of childbirth, delivery of the placenta, uterine contractions along with or without medical assistance delivers the placenta.
Aquatic Aerobics for the Reduction of Pain During Labor
There has been some argument over whether exercise during pregnancy is harmful to the mother and/or to the unborn child. Thus, not only did this study look at the efficacy of aquatic aerobics at reducing pain during childbirth, it also examined how safe it was for both the mother and baby.
Rosa Pereira led the research, which involved 71 expectant women. About one half of the participants were randomly assigned to take part in three 50-minute aquatic aerobics sessions each week during their pregnancies. The other women did not take part in the exercise program.
The researchers found no statistically significant differences between the two groups of women on the types of deliveries they had or how long they experienced labor. However, there was a statically significant difference between the two groups of women in terms of how many women requested pain medication during labor. While 65% of women who did not participate in the aquatic aerobics classes requested pain relief during labor, only 27% of women who took part in the classes requested pain medication during childbirth.
The researchers also found that the aquatic aerobics were not harmful to the mother or the newborns. A neonatal examination of the newborns indicated no harmful effects to the babies.
It appears that participating in aquatic aerobics exercise during pregnancy reduces the amount of pain a women feels during childbirth. Perhaps future research will further support this claim.
Sources:
Wikipedia: Childbirth
Medical News Today: Aquarobics for Pregnant Women Makes for A Less Painful Delivery
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