According to a recent study, an increasing number of women are opting out of standard hospital births in favor of more natural, intimate birthing experiences. So, why are more women choosing to give birth without any drugs and while whooshing down a waterslide?
Mothers have said they feel closer to nature when giving birth outdoors on a waterslide.
Parents have found that waterslide births not only reduce tension and ease stress, but they also help the child make a smooth transition from womb to adrenaline-filled ride.
Waterslide births give mothers control over their environment. Women can choose the slide to fit their specifications, depending on how fast they want to go and how many twists and turns they want to slide through while giving birth. Women who wish to maintain modesty can choose a closed tube for their slide.
Beyond these many documented benefits, women who choose waterslide births say that the experience is something they recommend to all expectant mothers.
“I didn’t want to be on a lot of drugs or surrounded by doctors for one of the most beautiful, important moments of my life,” said Orlando, FL resident Bethany Goldblatt, who gave birth to her son on Blizzard Beach’s Summit Plummet in September. “I wanted to give birth naturally while going down a tube at 60 miles per hour and screaming ‘woo!’”
For Bethany’s husband, Mark, there was no question in his mind that a waterslide birth was the right choice for their family.
“We considered our options—the Scorpion’s Tale, the Black Anaconda, King Cobra—but ultimately we felt the Summit Plummet was right for Bethany and, most importantly, for our son,” Mark said. “The moment when Bethany and Daniel came zooming down the slide and we swam together to the shallow end—that’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
While many doctors are emphasizing the risks in waterslide births—primarily the challenge of finding the right community pool and waiting until free swim to give birth—a growing number of women say the benefits far outweigh the risks.
“From the moment my obstetrician blew his whistle and I went flying down the waterslide, I’ve never looked back,” Bethany said. “It was the right choice for me. Nothing compares to the feeling of racing your newborn baby to the bottom of a waterslide.”
