>Is there any reason to be concerned about maternal BMI and consider it as
an inclusion /exclusion criteria?
Dear Hora,
I think it's fairly unlikely that there is any evidence for large BMI being
contraindicated for labouring and/or giving birth in water. Personally I
feel it's extremely restrictive to exclude a woman with a large BMI from
having this resource in labour, after all even large woman can have normal
births! In fact anything that makes it more likely that an overweight woman
has a normal birth the better- that way she is more likely to avoid the
problems/complications she will be more at risk of if she has a surgical
intervention. I can imagine that labouring in water would offer a 'large'
woman definite advantages: bouyancy and support and easier mobility being
several.
Hopefully guidelines are only ever that and aren't translated into absolute
'allowed' and 'not allowed' which don't always appear to facilitate maternal
choice.
Best wishes Cathy Walton
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