The use of water for labour and birth
The Benefits:
- Contractions will be less painful
- No side effects on baby or mum
- The warm water helps you to relax
- Being relaxed helps your body to produce more endorphins (natural pain killers)
- Being relaxed helps your body to produce more oxytocin (makes your contractions more efficient)
- Less need for medical pain relief
Less need for drugs that accelerate labour - Shorter labour
- Added privacy
- Water supports your weight and makes you feel more comfortable and it will be easier for you to move and change positions.
- You are more likely to achieve a natural birth
The birth is more gentle for your baby - Breastfeeding can be encouraged immediately
- A more enjoyable experience of labour and birth
Things to be aware of:
- Not suitable for everyone—under certain circumstances using water for labour / birth may not be recommended
- Not available everywhere—your local birth unit or hospital may have limited or no pools
- To hire or buy a birth pool for a homebirth can be expensive
Your home / hot water system may not be suitable for a pool
You can combine the water with the following methods of relaxation and pain management
- Entonox (aka Gas & Air)
- Hypnotherapy
- Aromatherapy
- Massage
- Mood lighting
Cannot be used in the pool
- Tens machine
- Epidural
- Opioids
Positions you can use in the pool:
- On your knees, leaning on the side of the pool.
- Squatting, holding the sides / handles of the pool.
- Using floats such as a swimming noodle under your arms for support.
- Floating on your back holding on to the sides of the pool
- Floating on your front with your head on a waterproof pillow or a swimming ring
- Sitting resting your back against your birth partner for cuddles
- On your side, resting your head on a waterproof pillow
Pictures provided by www.pregnancytobirth.co.uk
References
These are the sources of information used in this handout
* Birthplace in England Collaborative Group, Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study, BMJ 2011;343:d7400 (2011)
* Care Quality Commission, Women’s experiences of maternity care in England: Key findings from the 2013 NHS trust survey (2013)
* Cluett ER, Burns E, Immersion in water in labour and birth, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000111. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000111.pub3. (2009)
* National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health, Intrapartum care: care of healthy women and their babies during childbirth. NICE Clinical Guideline 190,London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2014)
