Water birth: A boon for the mother

Abstract

A number of potential benefits for both mother and baby have been attributed to labouring and giving birth in water. Some of these seem to be backed up by common sense, and some have been supported by research. A number of hazards of labouring in water have also been suggested. An important element in using immersion in water for labour and possibly for the birth of the baby is that it provides an effective way of helping the woman cope with the pain of labour, and gives back control of birth to the woman herself. Yet there is more to it even than that. It seems to create an entirely different environment and atmosphere for a woman giving birth, as it does also for the midwife caring for her. Birth takes place in a quiet room, with personal care from a midwife who is concerned to support the normal physiological process of birth.