The Physical Benefits of opting for a water birth are:
Pain ReliefImmersion in warm water provides wonderful pain relief, as anyone with aching muscles knows as soon as they get into a hot bath. Hydrotherapy for muscular pain relief is well established in this country and elsewhere but it is still not clear why it is so effective. There are a number of theories which include:
 Sensations of heat and pain are thought to travel along the same nerves, so the conduction of the heat sensation limits the pain sensation you feel.
The sense of security, warmth and being held that immersion in warm water offers, help you to cope with your pain and not become overwhelmed.
An increase in the supply of oxygenated blood to your uterine muscles helps to flush out the toxins built up by muscle action, which in turn helps to reduce the level of muscle pain you feel.
Reduced perineal damageAll recent studies show a significant reduction in damage to the perineum for those women who give birth or labour in water.
Reduction in the use of epidurals, narcotic type pain killers and their side effectsRecent random trials have concluded that the use of narcotics and epidurals is significantly lower when you labour in a birthing pool. In an Oxford study there were twice as many epidurals in those who did not use water. Correspondingly, significantly more pool users had a spontaneous vaginal birth.
There may be a number of interrelated reasons for this reduction in the uptake of epidurals and narcotics: -
Firstly the excellent pain relief offered by immersion in warm water, secondly the physical and psychological sense of being held and supported which the water can offer you, and thirdly the very practical effect of hospital protocols which Otigbah (2000)8 also points out. Many hospitals require a midwife to be present at all times when you are in the pool. This allows midwives the opportunity to offer you one to one uninterrupted care, support and encouragement. This may make all the difference to your perception of whether or not you can cope.
BuoyancyThis allows you to choose the least painful and most effective positioning in labour for you.
Buoyancy also means that there is less stress on the postural muscles. Less muscular tension may result in a decrease in catecholamines (stress hormones) and an increase in oxytocin production.
Maximisation of oxygenated blood available to your uterine musclesLess oxygenated blood is needed by the muscles to maintain posture against gravity or to maintain body temperature in a warm pool, leaving more oxygenated blood available for uterine muscles.
Buoyancy helps take the weight of the uterus so that if you choose to be in a more prone position the blood vessels are less constricted, allowing blood to flow more freely into the uterus.
Reduction in blood pressureIt has been noted that elevated blood pressure could be dramatically reduced by getting in warm water. This could have implications as a treatment option for you if you have a pregnancy induced high blood pressure.
The Emotional Benefits
MobilityThe buoyancy that water offers helps you feel in control of your labour. You can easily manoeuvre yourself into the most comfortable and effective position for you.
SecurityThe supportive nature of water encourages feelings of security and privacy -essential in supporting the natural process of birth.1 The physical qualities of a birthing pool also offer you an additional physical and psychological barrier to any unwanted interference.
Reduction in sensory stimulationThe constant warmth and ability to float helps to get you in a space of inward focus and concentration.
Gentle transition from your womb to your armsAnecdotally, babies that are born underwater take longer to respond than those born on dry land, perhaps because the transition is gentler and they take time to ‘realise’ they have been born. The warm supportive environment may also assist in early breastfeeding.
RelaxationThe warmth and support of water encourages you to relax. This in turn helps promote the normal physiological progression of labour, encouraging endorphin and oxytocin production, and helping to ensure you do not feel overwhelmed.
Benefits associated with relaxation in waterIt is not clear exactly why immersion in warm water produces a feeling of relaxation. What is clear is that it does.
The relaxation that is encouraged by warm water produces a number of physiological benefits to the labouring woman.
Reduction in stress hormonesIf you are more relaxed you are unlikely to produce extra catecholamines (stress hormones), which can stall early labour, and clear the body of endorphins while the surge lasts. Adrenaline introduced at the wrong time may also cause your uterine contractions to become uncoordinated at the same time as natural pain relief has been diminished.6 This all feeds into a circle of fear. Although fear and stress are not the cause of a painful labour they do amplify it.
Encouraging endorphin and oxytocin productionThe relaxation that immersion in warm water produces helps you increase your production of endorphins (nature’s own pain killers) as part of your natural physiological response to pain in labour. This in turn helps you relax more and maintain a sense of well being.
Your body’s natural production of oxytocin (to stimulate contractions) is also enhanced.
12 Reasons To Have A Water Birth
November 2007
© Rachel Stacey
Born in Water | 
12 Reasons To Choose a Water Birth
