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Care Opinion

Water birth

Posted By Mummaj

"Water birth"

About: Broome Health Campus Broome Health Campus / Maternity/Midwifery

(as the patient),

I am currently pregnant with my second baby and am due in two weeks. 

I have been discussing water birth as an option from the very beginning of my pregnancy with the Midwife group. 

I always had got told it would be an option as it would “hopefully” be signed off before my due date, but if it wasn’t my second option would be to purchase my own pool. 

As I came into my third trimester I was informed that it still had not been passed and would not be an option. My only other option would be to purchase my own pool and bring it into the ward and would be able to labour and deliver in the pool if that is what I wanted. 

Now that I’m two weeks away from my due date I have been told that the manager of the midwife group has said that I am not to bring the pool in, it is not an option. 

After purchasing a pool, and been told through out the whole pregnancy this would be an option, I am being disappointed that I cannot do the birth plan that I was after and expecting throughout my pregnancy. 

Also knowing that the pool was an option to other women only last year and had been taken away for further assessment before signing off on it again, and has taken so long for it to be signed off is very annoying. 

It’s very disappointing as there are no other hospitals in our region to be able to consider to be able to have the water birth as an option.

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Responses

Response from Carmen Morgan, Regional Director Of Nursing, WACHS - Kimberley 5 years ago
Carmen Morgan
Regional Director Of Nursing,
WACHS - Kimberley

Submitted on 25/07/2018 at 10:57 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 11:09 AM

Dear Mummaj

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I would like to acknowledge your disappointment in the inability of the health service to support you with a water birth during the birth of your second baby.

Our midwives are highly experienced and many have undertaken the training necessary to support water birthing however, the physical space and infrastructure of the birth suites in our hospitals, is not currently at a standard that would ensure your safety or that of our staff, and safety is of paramount importance to us. The remodeling of our birthing suites in the region to accommodate safe water birthing as per policy is on our infrastructure priority list however, there are no immediate plans for modifications given the many competing priorities.

I am fully committed to supporting the preferences of birthing mothers and helping our exceptional midwives to provide their clients an exemplary obstetric service. I am sorry the birthing suite modifications required to ensure safety won’t happen in time for the birth of your second baby. I would however, like to extend my very best wishes to you and your family at this special time.

Please do feel free to contact me personally if you would like to discuss this further via phone 08) 9195 2450 or via email carmen.morgan@heath.wa.gov.au.

Kind regards

Carmen Morgan

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