By:Carrie James
Laying in her private room in Nassau University Medical Center's obstetrics wing on the third floor, 22-year-old Karine Khashkhayan said she had hoped to use the hospital's new pain control method, hydrotherapy, during her first stages of labor.
And because she had been classified as a low-risk pregnancy, she could have too if she hadn't come to the hospital 10 days before her due date with complications.
"I heard about it [underwater delivery] a long time ago and I talked about it with Dr. Petrikovsky," Khashkhayan said. Petrikovsky is her obstetrician. "It's warm water and it's a good way to relax and help with pain control while I'm in labor."
The hospital's tertiary care Underwater Delivery and Birthing Center opened about three months ago as what Petrikovsky said is the first center of its kind on Long Island. It's located next to the Labor and Delivery Surgical Unit in case of complications and cost roughly $10,000 to construct.
A little more than a year ago, Petrikovsky and the labor and delivery unit at NUMC started planning for this new center, which provides mothers-to-be with an alternative to pain-relieving drugs during labor.
"First off, there are many centers in this country and in Europe that provide alternatives like this," Petrikovsky said. "We got a number of requests from patients to provide an underwater facility.
"It's very good to labor there," he continued. "It's good for pain control. Women can find a good position in the water. During labor, women are usually attached to an IV and stay mostly in bed. This gives them more freedom."
Since the center opened, Petrikovsky said between five and seven women have used the Underwater Delivery and Birthing Center at NUMC. The number is low, he said, because many of the women who express interest don't fit into the low-risk category.
"First off, they usually need to want to use it," Petrikovsky said. "And I try not to put high risk patients in the birthing tub. Someone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, someone who is having twins, any type of bleeding, those fit into the high-risk category."
Also, he said, many aren't aware that the East Meadow-based hospital offers this service.
While a majority of women interested in using the Underwater Delivery and Birthing Center use the tub for the first stages of labor to control labor pains, Petrikovsky said mothers have the opportunity to stay in the tub through the whole birthing process. Usually, he said, it's midwives patients that choose that option.
Either way, Petrikovsky said women interested in using the birthing tub must first take an informational class on how to use the tub and its benefits. The next course is offered July 26 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. To register, call (516) 572-6820.
During a patient's stay in the waterbirthing room, a member of the nursing staff is constantly there to ensure that all goes well.
"It always has to be nursing one to one," Petrikovsky said. "So, it's more sort of a burden to the hospital, but we really feel it is justified because of all those who wanted it."
Women can use the tub as long as they want, Petrikovsky said, adding that women typically use it between 40 minutes to four hours. Also, patients can get in and out of the tub as they see fit. The room is equipped with a bed if the person wants to lie down and also a shower if they want to use it.
Before the room opened, Petrikovsky said a majority of the staff went through training to learn about its benefits, how to properly clean and sanitize the tub after each use, and how to help the patients who choose to use it.
"For those women who would like a drug-free delivery, the Underwater Delivery and Birthing Center is a wonderful alternative," Petrikovsky said. "Hydrotherapy can also be used for pain control in the first stages of labor."
Anyone interested in using the waterbirthing tub or to find out more information can call (516) 572-4670.
