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In a quest to reduce or eliminate pain during childbirth, Indonesian women are looking into alternatives such as underwater birthing or hypnotherapy techniques, a noted obstetrician and gynecologist said on Tuesday.

“A natural birth is a gift that can prove to be a nightmare for some women. But now there are options for women to consider that can help reduce pain during the birthing process,” said Tri Pratiwi Suci, of Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta.

Suci said water birth services — in which a woman gives birth while immersed in warm water — are now available at a few hospitals in Jakarta, though not at Harapan Kita.

“The method is relatively new and frankly quite expensive,” Suci said, adding that the service costs anywhere from Rp 5 million ($540) to Rp 11 million.

By comparison, normal birthing services at Harapan Kita cost Rp 2.1 million to Rp 6.3 million, or Rp 7.7 million to Rp 17.6 million for a Caesarean section, depending on the level of room and care requested.

Suci said water births can help to calm the mother’s nerves. She said it was important to ensure that the water temperature remains at a constant 37 degrees Celsius, the same temperature as the amniotic fluid inside the mother’s womb.

“The warm water will relax away all the tension as well as ease the woman’s pain. It will also help make the vaginal wall more elastic,” Suci said.

She added that the process must be conducted in a sterilized room and the water must be heated properly.

She said water birthing rooms should be equipped with a thermostat to make sure the temperature remains constant.

“It is quite effective to ease the pain, so women can focus on pushing the baby out instead of focusing on the pain,” she said. Suci added that interest in the procedure has been high.

Hospitals that offer water birthing services include Sam Marie Hospital and Ibu dan Anak Budhi Jaya Hospital in South Jakarta, Ibu dan Anak Bunda Jakarta in Menteng, Central Jakarta, and Harapan Bunda Maternity Hospital in Denpasar, Bali.

Suci said hypnotherapy has also been used during pregnancy to help prepare mothers for birth, to ease fears and to mitigates some potential health complications. “Most women are terrified about the idea of natural birth,” she said. “Excessive fear could release certain hormones that increase blood pressure.”

“Women should concentrate more on preparing their minds than shopping for baby clothes,” Suci added.

She said that mothers undergoing hypnotherapy treatment join their spouses or a partner for a course that lasts at least two weeks before giving birth.

The course is available at Ibu dan Anak Bunda Jakarta and the Pro V Clinic in the Indra Sentral building in Central Jakarta.

“Only those who can concentrate well can succeed with this method,” Suci said.

She said women who had a low tolerance for pain often chose to have a Caesarean section or receive an epidural.

“Epidural shots enable women to give birth without pain, but it is not recommended because it can affect the amount and the quality of the breast milk,” Suci said.


This article was produced as a result of a weekly health discussion organized by KBR64H.