Ever imagined welcoming your baby in the soothing embrace of warm water?
Water birth occurs in a warm water tub, creating a soothing and supportive setting for labor and delivery. The warm water aids in pain relief, relaxation, and easing the birthing process. It’s believed to offer a smoother transition for the baby while increasing the mother’s comfort and overall experience. Immersing in warm water is proven safe, widely accepted, and poses no extra risks for you or your baby. While opinions vary on water birth, hydrotherapy offers undeniable comfort and relaxation.
Benefits of Water During Labor
1. Natural Pain Relief
Water is a natural pain reliever during labor, especially when immersed. It helps your body and mind respond better to contractions. Grab my guide for an easier birth for a powerful hormone hack to make your labor easier, healthier, and smoother.
2. Reduces Anxiety
Water helps reduce anxiety by easing stress hormones, which relax muscles and make labor easier. Reducing anxiety improves both how you feel and how labor progresses.
3. Increases Relaxation
Warm water induces relaxation, releasing feel-good hormones that help block pain.
4. Enhances Blood Circulation
Immersing yourself in water promotes better circulation and that’s been linked to smoother and shorter labors.
5. Allows You to Move Freely
Being in a large tub lets you move around freely. You can easily change your position and find what feels most comfortable for you.
6. Improves Fetal Positioning
Water improves fetal positioning, making birth easier and reducing the need for interventions. Use water during labor, even for a short time, to benefit from this.
Getting in the tub too early (before 3 cm) can slow labor, but you can fix it by waiting or getting out if contractions space out. Hospitals often offer drugs over water immersion. If you plan on an epidural, use water earlier, as you can’t after getting the line. Many hospitals lack suitable tubs, so research local birthing options to find places that offer water immersion.
Now what about actually having a baby that is born in the water?
Planning for a water birth requires careful consideration. If birthing at a hospital, confirm if they allow water birth and whether they have large tubs or birthing pools. For home births, find out if you need to supply your tub, who will set it up, and how you’ll fill it. Check if your water heater can provide enough hot water and ensure your floor can support the weight of the water. Think through potential issues, like running out of hot water or missing equipment, to avoid surprises.
Benefits of Water Birth
1. Reduces Risk of Deep Tears and Episiotomies
Warm water softens the perineum, lowering the chance of severe tears and the need for an episiotomy, leading to a more comfortable recovery.
2. Greater Satisfaction
Many moms express feeling a profound sense of empowerment and satisfaction during water birth. In one study, 72% of moms who had a water birth would choose it again, compared to just 9% of those who had land births.
3. Gentle Transition for Baby
The warm water mimics the womb, making the transition from womb to world smoother, with babies born in water having similar health outcomes as those born on land.
The research doesn’t confirm any specific health benefits of water childbirth. Most midwifery associations support water birth for healthy, low-risk women, but OBs are divided. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports it, while the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends land births until more research is done. Water birth is generally safe for low-risk women, but minimizing risks makes it safer. So, what risks should we avoid?
- Risk of Overheating: Your care provider should monitor the water temperature so that it doesn’t rise above normal body temperature.
- Risk of Infection: Birth pools must be easy to disinfect tubs should be filled closer to the time of birth, and there should be regular testing of the hospital water supply and hoses.
- Risk of Baby Breathing in Water: When babies are born in water, the reflex to breathe is only triggered once their face touches the air. So once a baby is born, it should be brought up and out of the water and care should be taken so the baby does not go back under the water after taking that first breath.
- Risk of Tearing the Umbilical Cord: If the cord is short and the baby is brought out of the water too quickly, the cord could tear. Your care provider should monitor the length of the cord as the baby is being guided gently out of the water.
Once risks are managed, water birth can be a safe choice for low-risk pregnancies. It’s important to make an informed decision, so discuss it with your healthcare provider. Keep in mind that midwives, obstetricians, and locations may offer different advice.
The Birth Pool Setup
If you’re considering a water childbirth, proper pool setup is key. Here’s how to prepare:
- Choose the Right Pool: Talk to your midwife about local rentals. Make sure the pool is spacious and designed for water birth, either inflatable or rigid.
- Use a Tub Liner: For infection control and easy cleanup.
- Protect the Floor: Place a waterproof mat or tarp under the pool.
- Secure the Area: Ensure easy access for your care team from all sides.
- Convenient Location: Put the pool next to a load-bearing wall to support the weight of the water. Consider a thick rug for insulation to keep the water warm longer.
- Test Run: Check if everything works—water temperature, faucet attachments, and supplies for filling and draining the pool. Assign someone to monitor the setup and temperature. A floating thermometer is helpful to keep the water at body temperature.
Preparation makes a smooth birth in water experience!
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