New mum lauds Bendigo Health's waterbirths service as 'dream come true'

The service has been offered since October last year, with 10 Bendigo mothers opting to have a waterbirth so far.

One of those taking up the option was Amy Harrison.

Ms Harrison was the second woman to have a waterbirth at Bendigo Health when she delivered her daughter Cleo in October last year.

A midwife herself, Ms Harrison had seen the benefits of waterbirths through her work.

"I just saw how beautiful this can be in the water," she said.

"Saw it, loved it, wanted to do it myself. It was a dream come true.

"I couldn't have asked for a better birth in the water with her."

Bendigo Health's Director of Nursing and Midwifery Shelley Hardingham welcomed the new service for expectant mothers.

"Women should be allowed to have a choice of where they birth and how they birth," she said.

There have been several articles published about the benefits of waterbirths, including reducing pain, supporting endorphins and reducing risk of intervention and escalation processes.

The hospital has had the baths since it was built in 2017, but were not able to offer the service to women before its midwives were properly trained in the procedure.

In the meantime, the baths were used for water immersion as a form of pain relief only during labour.

Now, 50 per cent of the midwives at Bendigo Health are trained to perform water births.

"They're an incredibly passionate group of clinicians that really wanted to drive choice for women," Ms Hardingham said.