The Effects Of Water On A Warm Bath

Hydrotherapy is therapy using water. This can be hot, cold warm or even ice. The temperature of the water effects the therapeutic properties of the treatment, for example, hot or warm water is more relaxing, stimulating the immune system and reducing stress. Cold water is used to treat burns and smooth muscle pains and soreness. Steam is used along with herbs and oils to sooth respiratory problems and treat mild illness (colds). Movements in open water (swimming pools) are used to treat issues such as arthritis and is used in rehabilitation.

This essay demonstrates significant factors, a midwife and the women may face within Australian public hospitals. As a midwife the key skills are understanding of what supports and impacts the normal physiological process of labour and birth. This essay will discuss two influencing factors that have a negative effect on the normal progress of labour and birth. This will be seen, firstly by discussing the cultural and environmental impacts of labour and birth. Then, examining how the midwife may best support and facilitate the adverse effects of normal physiological process. This essay also discusses a positive labour and birth environment within the Australian standard model of care.

Special care and attention must be given to infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) because of their small size and the health complications they face. One particular challenge faced by health care professionals in the NICU is the management of pain for preterm babies. Preterm infants must undergo a wide range of tests, procedures, and, often, life-saving measures during their hospitalizations, which not only subjects them to pain, but pain-related stress and anxiety. This has an impact on the infants themselves, as well as on the family members and friends who are involved in their care (Smith, Steelfisher, Salhi, & Shen, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to examine the problem of pain management among preterm NICU patients and propose the implementation of kangaroo care as a pain management technique.

There are more than eighty massage techniques, but the safest one to indulge in during pregnancy is Swedish Massage. It uses long, gentle strokes to soothe and relax tightened muscles. Swedish massage helps the mom relax, eases tension, and promote a calm, peaceful inner self. It is also preferable – and more comfortable – for the client to avoid lying face down – even on specially designed pregnancy massage tables. Instead, you should lay on one side supported comfortably by pillows.

The purpose of this to explore the published research to critically analyse the evidence around the topic of perineal massage in the intrapartum period, and why it is important for midwives to use evidence based practice in order to provide the best possible care.

For hundred of years, women have wrestled with their womanhood, bodies, and what it means to be a woman in our society. Being a woman comes with a wonderful and empowering responsibility--giving birth. What sets us aside from other countries is that the process and expectations of giving birth has changed in our society; coming from midwifery, as it has always been since the early times, to hospitals where it is now expected to give birth at. Midwifery was a common practice in delivering babies in

The article, Gentle Caesarean Delivery by Jackie Tillet, starts by explaining how Caesarean deliveries are reforming to be more naturalistic or “gentle”. This is done by having a family presence in the delivery room, and by providing an ambient environment. Many hospitals have implemented procedure changes not only to promote the family ambiance, but also to imitate the feeling of coming out of the birth

After reading the articles and the book and watching the videos I have change how I see a midwife. I never really knew what exactly they were able or prepare to do and now I feel like they are very prepare to help with the delivery of a baby. I always thought that doctors were more prepare that it was too risky to have a birth at home and with a midwife. But now I learn that that’s not always the case. Am the mother of two kids and my plan was always to have them in a hospital with the best doctors that I could find, I wanted my kids to be born in a safe environment and with people that knew what to do in case of an emergency. When I first was pregnant with my fist, I actually search the whole water birth with a midwife and I was surprise that people had an option to have kids in that environment, I though it was very interesting but I didn’t felt that it was for me.

Therapeutic techniques offered by midwives, such as hydrotherapy and water births, have been a topic of debate. Critics claim that water births can cause a series of problems for the mother and the baby. Water temperature has been an issue brought up, obstetricians feared babies would breathe in water and drown, and pediatricians worried that infants would develop infections. According to Sheila Kitzinger, “further investigation revealed that [temperature] was very unlikely to be the cause of these babies’ problems” (214). An infant drowning is an understandable fear; however, a baby is more likely to drink the water than to breathe it in and retain fluid in their lungs. A baby’s lungs are not fully developed at birth, and this is why aspiration

According to historians, the first water birth can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptians. It’s the process of giving birth in a tub of warm water, some women choose to labor in the water and get out for delivery. Or other’s decide to stay in the water for the delivery as well. The theory behind water birth is that since the baby has already been in the amniotic fluid sac for nine months, birthing in a similar environment would be easier on the baby and not as stressful for the mother. But there still is a risk for infection from the water not being sterile. (Feldman, 2015,

This study has significance to nursing because the subjection to long term painful stimuli can have long term effects on cognitive and motor development in neonates as cited in Shu et al. (2014. p. 3108). Current neonatal pain management in the clinical setting has been found to be insufficient (Shu et al., 2014. p. 3108). Healthcare providers are patient advocates and understanding the effects of swaddling and heal warming on possible reduction in pain on the neonatal population will increase the quality of care provided. Heel stick procedures are used to sample blood in infants and this procedure was used in this study to examine the the use of swaddling and heel warming as interventions for reducing pain in infants.

Pharmacological comfort measures can provide partial or complete pain relief. The epidural is the most efficient way of reducing labor pain. Opioids can be given continuously or in intermittent doses at the patient 's request or through the patient controlled pump. There is the potential for these drugs to have some effect on the fetus, such as breathing difficulties that may require assistance through the use of Narcan. Providing pain relief during the labor process is solely the patient’s choice, and as the nurse only support and encouragement should be given for however she chooses to handle the pain. (Jansen, Gibson, Bowles, & Leach, 2013)

It has been shown through studies that exercising aids in strength, flexibility, muscle tone and endurance, all in which help in areas such as carrying extra weight, preparing for the physical stresses of labor and contributing in shedding the pounds postpartum (Gulino 2). Exercise also helps in relieving that excess weight gain, swelling, varicose veins, fatigue and leg cramps. It helps to prevent depression and establish confidence both before and after labor. Exercise lowers stress and improves emotional health. It has been shown through studies that women who exercise during pregnancy have shorter labors as well as a decreased need for painkillers and an epidural during labor and delivery (Hudson 1).

Although research has not found any significant differences with birthing in air or water, risk of infection has to be considered because women sometimes open there bowels in labour and in the water it introduces infection (Author A, 2009). There is a risk the baby may inhale their first breath whilst under water, although babies have a dive reflex and can instinctively close their airways, preventing them from breathing in water it is still a risk to be considered. Experts believe this is only a risk if the baby’s head reaches the surface of the water before the rest of its body overriding the dive reflex, the oxygen supply via the placenta is compromised or the baby is startled as it is born and takes a breathe before its brought to the surface. There is a possibility the cord can snap due to the quick process of the baby being brought to the surface quickly and not giving the cord time to follow (Author A, 2009). It also needs to be taken in to consideration that if there are complications requiring you have to leave the pool and birth on the bed or you find the water is making little or no difference to the painful contractions you are feeling you may need a pain relief which may make you dizzy so you will have to leave the pool for yours and

It has been hypothesized that pain relief after sitz bath could be the result of internal anal sphincter relaxation with a resulting diminution of the rectal neck pressure. A decrease in internal sphincter pressure during the sitz bath has been observed. It is found that warmer water led to a longer duration of low internal sphincter pressure. It is postulated that the relaxation of the internal sphincter muscle is mediated through sensory perianal skin receptors getting stimulated by warm water. The decrease in spasm and pain relief is attributed to this ‘thermosphincteric reflex’. It is found that hot water sitz bath produced relaxation of internal urethral sphincter, causing vesical contraction and eased urination in patients operated for