To: Victorian DHHS
Midwives want water immersion
This campaign has ended.
We call on the Victorian DHHS and Safer Care Victoria to reverse the directive suspending water immersion for labour and birth. The justification “Personal protective equipment is not effective when wet and consequently, safely caring for women in a bath during this period presents an unacceptable risk" simply does not add up. Wet PPE is ineffective, yes. But caring for someone in a bath does not make your PPE wet. Once every half hour you can ask them to stand to auscultate the FHR. Otherwise you do not need to be anywhere near the bath.
Why is this important?
Water immersion is proven to reduce epidural rates by up to 70%. Epidurals can lead to longer labours, much longer second stages (more expiratory effort), increased risk of instrumental birth and therefore increased risk of PPH and longer hospital stays. If you want to reduce the pressure on our health system, keep birth normal and low risk and encourage non-medical pain relief. If your PPE gets wet, change it. Birth is a splash hazard already. Bodily fluids expelled into a bath, are kept away from HCWs and furthermore diluted. Listen to midwives, the ones who are providing the care!