VIRTUAL REALITY MIDWIFE Childbirth goes digital!

THIS MUM OF TWO IS DELIVERING A HIGH-TECH LABOUR OPTION

- Fleur Mealing

Imagine giving birth on a tropical beach. It’s a strange concept, but dreaming that crystal blue waves are crashing at your feet as the sun sets over the horizon will help you through your labour, according to PhD student Lorna Massov.

The Wellington midwife has completed research on the use of virtual reality (VR) as a form of pain management during childbirth.

With more than 20 years’ experience, Lorna (56) saw the opportunity for the use of VR in labour as another tool for mothers.

“Women often want to control their pain, or manage it, rather than have the pain taken away completely,” explains Lorna.

“I knew virtual reality was being used in a variety of acute pain settings, so I thought it could work well in a labour and birth setting.”

The headset works by immersing the expectant mum in another environment, to the point they feel as though they’re in a different reality.

Lorna thought relaxing scenes would work well in what is traditionally a highly stressful and painful situation, distracting women in labour enough to reduce their discomfort.

The mum to Hunter (19) and Luca (17) opted to give women four idyllic locations to choose from, including a dreamy beach vista and an interactive underwater view.

“A lot of women talked about the feeling of going to a different place and escaping the sterile, medical room that they were in.