Frankfort Regional Medical Center

A Patient's Perspective "I wanted to have a natural birth, so I wanted something to help me get through the pain without drugs," Angela Morris says. "The thought of being in a tub sounded very relaxing to me." After a visit to Women's Care of the Bluegrass, Angela and her husband Jason learned that Frankfort Regional had recently begun offering labor hydrotherapy, and she decided to have her baby here. "I was in labor for 36 hours and got in the tub when the contractions became more intense, about halfway through," Angela says. "I had pain in my back, but the water relieved a lot of pressure and helped tremendously. I don't think I could have gotten through labor naturally without the hydrotherapy relieving the pain." Angela gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Gideon James Morris, and would recommend hydrotherapy to other women seeking a drug-free delivery. "If you want a natural birth, hydrotherapy helps you relax," she says. "It lets your body do what it knows how to do naturally." Women seeking a natural, drug-free birth experience have a new option at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. Labor Pain "Hydrotherapy is an alternative for labor pain management," says Stephanie Stratton, RN, BSN, RNC-OB, Director of the Center for Women's Health at Frankfort Regional. "It allows women to get the birth experience they envision, and it's a very natural labor." NATURAL PAIN RELIEF Labor hydrotherapy isn't water birth: water is used for comfort during labor, but delivery occurs in a hospital bed. During hydrotherapy, women in labor rest comfortably in a specially designed tub that seats them and their partner. The warmth and buoyancy of the water reduces pain, strain and tension throughout the body, often eliminating the need for an epidural. "The most important thing to know is labor hydrotherapy is safe," says E.J. Horn, MD, MBA, obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and Chief Medical Officer at Frankfort Regional. "It's effective in what it's meant to accomplish: It can reduce risk to the mom, as an epidural does have some risk, and IV pain medicine can have a small risk to the baby." COMFORT AND CARE "By implementing hydrotherapy, we can offer services that more closely resemble the midwifery model of care," says Emily Dial, CNM, WHNP-BC, midwife at Frankfort Regional. "We can provide women with a birth center feel in a hospital setting." Pregnant women interested in hydrotherapy should speak with their OB/GYN or midwife to see if the approach is right for them. To be eligible for hydrotherapy at Frankfort Regional, women must have a full-term, low-risk pregnancy with no complications, and they can't have had a previous C-section. When admitted to the hospital during labor, a final examination will make sure hydrotherapy is still an appropriate option. Â Learn more about labor hydrotherapy at FrankfortRegional.com/Service/ Labor-Hydrotherapy. E.J. Horn, MD OB/GYN Emily Dial, CNM Midwife Soakin Awa 3

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