Novant Health hospital installs new tubs for to help mothers in labor
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem recently renovated its labor and delivery unit to improve the birthing experience for expectant mothers.
There are many forms of pain management that can ease the burden of labor and delivery. Some moms choose drug intervention to ease the pain of labor, which can include an epidural, spinal blocks, or opioids, to name a few options. Other moms choose to deliver naturally and rely on relaxation techniques and breathing techniques to get them through.
Whether a mother chooses medication or natural birth, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center offers hydrotherapy to patients in labor. Hydrotherapy is the use of water to help with labor pain and discomfort.“It reduces a woman’s stress,” Certified Nurse Midwife for Novant Health Nancy Prothero said. “It also helps reduce pain, gives them more satisfaction in the labor process. It’s been researched and it does show that women are more comfortable because of the buoyancy.”
Prothero has been a midwife for 22 years. She says in the beginning of her career, hydrotherapy wasn’t used often. But as more research was done, it showed how helpful hydrotherapy can be.
“It actually reduces the amount of pain medications people need. And sometime reduces the need for an epidural, but if they decide they want one, they are still able to get one,” Prothero explained.
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center recently renovated its labor and delivery floor. Six labor and delivery rooms are now equipped with hydrotherapy tubs. Soon, all 9 rooms will have hydrotherapy capabilities. The tubs are much larger than your average bathtub so that the mother can be fully immersed in water and easily move to different positions.
“We know movement during labor helps the baby get into the pelvis better,” Prothero explained.Hydrotherapy tubs are only available at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, right now. But Novant Health plans to offer the service in Charlotte once its Ballantyne Medical Center opens in 2023.
