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Witness History: The Birth of the Water Baby

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The Birth of the Water Baby

05/02/2018

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Birth of the Water Baby

French obstetrician Dr Michel Odent encouraged women to use water to ease childbirth.

French obstetrician Dr Michel Odent believed childbirth was too medicalised. So in 1977 he began encouraging women to use water to ease the pain of labour.

French obstetrician Dr Michel Odent believed that childbirth had become too medicalised. So, in 1977 he began promoting a more natural approach at the French state hospital where he worked. He introduced a pool which women could climb into, to ease the pain of labour. Eventually some babies were even born in the pool. Dr Odent looks back at his innovation which changed the way millions of women approached childbirth.

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