Why Water Births Rule!

It just dawned on me that I had yet to REALLY write about how Baby Bean came into the world and why my husband, CJ, and I chose the all natural water birth route. Now that she's been out of me almost half as long as she was inside I realized it was time to share before it becomes a foggy memory.  

Although I seriously doubt the birth of your kid, especially the first one, is ever foggy- unless you were higher than Keith Richards on any given Saturday night in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's- oh hell, who are we kidding that man would probably drop dead if he didn't still get his groove on- now it's just probably laced with calcium and Metamucil.

From the moment I learned that a woman could have a baby in water I wanted to do it. Maybe it’s because I’m a Cancerian with my Rising and Moon Signs in Scorpio -which of course makes me a “triple water threat”. 

But I also thought that it would help make one of the most intense experiences of my and my baby’s life relaxing and calming; and when you think about it what better way to come into the world? Heck, you’ve been in water for 9 months- talk about a smooth transition. So when we got pregnant my CJ and I found a birthing center that would let us have the all-natural delivery we dreamed of.

 

The ACTUAL Birthing Tub Where Baby Bean Was Born 

When my daughter was born I don’t know if she’d heard us talking and knew she was going to come out into water, but thank God she did because that little creature launched out of me like a submarine torpedo. I swear if we’d been in a regular hospital delivery room this kid would have shot clear across the room like a bad scene from a National Lampoon movie. I can totally picture her slipping through Chevy Chase's hands. 

Fortunately, Baby Bean had a short umbilical cord so she didn’t hit the other side of the tub. Instead, she ricocheted right back and CJ literally caught her on the rebound. I for one had no idea newborns were such thrill seekers I mean really you're gonna baby bungee jump out of the womb. Really?!

Aside from the comfort and ease that being in water afforded me and my baby I think one of the best parts of a water birth is that when you bring them up out of the water for their very first breath they don’t look like something out of “Alien”. They’re squeaky clean!!! Ba-bam!!! No more maintenance required—well, except for the whole feeding and raising them thing.

 

I had no idea how fortunate I was to have such an amazing birthing experience.  I give two thumbs and a uterus up to water births. I think every woman should have one or at least seriously consider it. 

*Oh and one last little caveat- EVERYONE who meets the Bean comments on how alert she is. I swear it's because she was born drug-free and in such an awesome environment.