Aside from water births, Shaare Zedek maternity ward is one of the most active in Israel, with over 22,000 births recorded annually.
The Shaare Zedek Medical Center recorded its 300th water birth on Sunday, according to a release by the Jerusalem-based hospital.
The 300th water birth baby was born to Rachel Richler Vitri and Nadav Vitri from Efrat.
“The water birth was a truly special experience,” the mother Rachel said. “The water allowed me to work in sync with my body and flow with the contractions, rather than resisting them.
“As soon as I entered the water, I felt a sense of relief and a floating sensation so that I could rest in between contractions and save up energy,” she added. “I want to thank the remarkable staff at Shaare Zedek who helped us welcome our new baby in just the way we wanted.”
Shaare Zedek has a dedicated delivery room meant specifically for water deliveries, constructed last year, which is fitted with a pool and all of the necessary equipment needed to perform such procedures.
The hospital’s midwifery team has been trained specifically to undertake water deliveries within the confines of the hospital. Expected mothers who wish to undergo a water birth delivery meet with a trained midwife in advance of their expected delivery to further understand the procedure and what to expect from it.
Aside from water births, Shaare Zedek maternity ward is one of the most active in Israel, with over 22,000 births recorded annually, utilizing a wide range of birthing options and prides itself on making all options available to expectant couples, the hospital said.
“The availability of water-births at Shaare Zedek is an integral component of the natural birthing service we have at the hospital,” said Director of the Wilf Woman and Infant Center at Shaare Zedek Prof. Serena Grisaru-Granovsky. “These births have become increasingly commonplace in leading hospitals around the world.
“The warm water provides a calming effect that helps mothers cope with contractions,” she added. “When the mother is more relaxed this helps the birthing process to advance in a more effective manner.
“Water birth is a safe option that is performed in full accordance with regulations of the [Health Ministry], with full attention to the safety of mother and child.”
