The Benefits of Water for Labour &/or Birth
The gentle journey for you and your baby.
Birthing is a sacred rite and to create your own birth environment incorporating water is the most natural way for your baby to enter this world. A water birth pool, soft music, aromatherapy, massage, acupressure, breathing and visualisations can be easily incorporated when you’re in control of your water birth journey.
During a water birth the transition from womb to warm fluid in your birthing pool under soft lights in a calm environment alleviates the stress factor for both mum and baby in an uncomplicated, normal pregnancy and birth scenario. The amazing properties of water have continuously been reported as making the labour and water birth process into a private, calm, spiritual experience where the mother’s natural instincts can been followed. Remember, your body knows what to do, so statistically there is less intervention necessary.
Water completely supports a drug free birth by relaxing the pelvic floor muscles and eliminating pain by blocking the impulses from the pain fibres and therefore reducing or eliminating the need for drugs and intervention. There are no side effects connected to the use of water.
The calming nature of water reduces blood pressure and conserves energy to make the whole process less strenuous and more enjoyable.Water softens the skin, which greatly reduces the risk of perineal trauma and episiotomies.
Births where the mother is conscious and aware puts her in control of her own birth experience, which leads to a feeling of accomplishment and empowerment.
The water and space in the birthing pool allows the mother to move around freely and uninhibited to assume different positions.
Water birth is statistically as safe as giving birth on dry land. Your baby is still connected to the umbilical cord and is receiving an oxygenated blood supply via the placenta. Babies do not receive the stimulus to breathe when born without stress into water.
They do not need to breathe until the cord is cut as it remains soft and continues to pulse after delivery. You will get to hold, watch, wonder and share your baby’s first breath as you bring them up out of the water.
For optimal advantage, because water is so incredibly relaxing, it’s advisable to enter the pool when labour is established, usually around 4-5 cm dilated or when contractions are about 3-4 minutes apart. Otherwise it may make labour last longer. This is when you’ll feel the most relief from the flood of hormones and the delivery process will be sped up.
The option of using water in a birthing pool offers a gentle alternative for labour and birth for mum and baby. gentle birth is possible in water and the bond it creates for families encourages a healthier relationship between everyone in the family and leaves the mother with an amazing sense of empowerment
If giving birth in water is something that is of interest to you please discuss this idea with your midwives. There is one room in our hospital that is used for waterbirths (although all rooms have tubs) which is available to use, which we can access if the room is available. If you strongly feel that you would want a waterbirth then we recommend that you consider having your baby at home to guarantee access to a suitable tub to labour and birth in.
