Watch above: Pregnant women in Saskatoon will now have more birthing options. As Meaghan Craig reports, water births will soon be introduced at Royal University Hospital to midwifery clients.
SASKATOON – Women having a midwife-assisted birth will now have more options when it comes to the type they can have. Water births will be introduced at Royal University Hospital (RUH) in Saskatoon to midwifery clients within the next two months.
“I think there are women who want midwifery services, need to be in hospital for various reasons but still want the option of the water birth,” said Leanne Smith, director for maternal services with Saskatoon Health Region (SHR).
Up until now, moms have only had the option of traditional water births at home.
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Danielle Bearss, 33, is one of those women who had all three children delivered in the comfort of her own home, two of them in water.
Including the newest addition to their family, baby George who was welcomed into the world on Dec. 18, weighing seven pounds six and a half ounces.
“I say it was dreamy and it really was,” said Bearss.
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“Each time it’s amazing, it’s the biggest rush because you’ve been working so hard to meet your baby and finally you’re bringing them up and you see their face.”
Bearss admits when she had her first child four years ago, a midwife-assisted birth wasn’t on her radar but the more she looked into it the more appealing she found it, especially the water birth option.
“For me it was really relaxing and any pains I had were cut in half it seemed once I was in the water.”
According to health officials, 50 per cent of babies born to midwifery clients in the region are delivered at home, the other half in-hospital.
George is about one of 180 babies born since last April with the assistance of a midwife and Bearss admits this new option will likely help strike the right balance for couples who are torn on what to do.
“I know quite a few people who have a midwife and they want to do it in a hospital but they’re always a little gutted when they can’t try the water birth.”
SHR officials say the decision to offer water births in-hospital just seemed like the natural progression and that a few adjustments had to be made to the plumbing at the labour and delivery unit.
“Within our current physical environment, we will have one room that we would be able to accommodate a portable birthing tub,” said Smith.
“We don’t have fixed birthing tubs, so really that would be one woman at a time.”
The birthing pool will be strictly used by the midwifery team and its clients.
SHR say once the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan is built, they hope to use two rooms for midwife-assisted water births.
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