Water Birth

Gisele Bundchen isn't done talking about her birthing experience. The supermodel shared more information about baby Benjamin's December debut in the inaugural post on her blog. After telling reporters that the water birth in her Beacon Hill bathtub didn't hurt a bit, the new mama is now writing about how safe she felt delivering at home:

Giving birth was the most intense and life-changing experience of my life. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to deliver at home, surrounded by love and where I felt safe. It was a really great experience. I never felt so vulnerable, but so strong at the same time.

Maternal safety has become a hot topic following a report that showed California's death rate directly related to pregnancy as higher than that of Bosnia and Kuwait. Safety is also cited as one of the reasons for the increase in homebirths over the past five years.

Did you feel safe during your birthing experience?

Gisele and Tom may have a lil swimmer on their hands. When planning their lil one's entry to the world, parents are presented with various options. Though a majority of mamas-to-be choose a hospital birth, many others opt for the comforts of their own home.

Contrary to reports that she was whisked to a Boston-area hospital, Gisele Bundchen told Brazilian magazine Fantastico that baby Benjamin was born in the bathtub of her Beacon Hill home. Water births are said to help women ease the pain of labor and are gentle on the baby too – simulating the same feeling as amniotic fluid inside the womb. With a water birth, a bathtub or portable tub (similar to a jacuzzi) is filled with clean water between 95 and 100 degrees and the laboring woman and her partner can relax and move about the tub until the baby is born. Today, water births can occur at home, in birthing centers and in many hospitals.

Regardless of how she gave birth, there is no denying the fact that Gisele looks fabulous. The interview took place during her first ad shoot following Benjamin's arrival.

Would you consider a water birth?

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