Benefits of birth in water

Pain relieving because immersion in warm water is relaxing. Faster delivery because the women is more relaxed and the contractions become more efficient. Less tearing because the warm water is comforting and soothing. More gentle for the baby because breathing is postponed a moment after birth in warm water.

It is well-known that immersion in warm water is pain relieving in connection with labour and delivery. Shower and pool have for many years been used for labouring women during the stage of dilation where the warm water has a soothing and pain relieving function.

Pregnant women more often want to be able to complete the entire course of birth in water and very good experiences with water birth have been have made, e.g. in Denmark.

A stay in warm water provides relaxation, comfort, and buoyancy which makes it easier to try different positions and move around. Labours tend to be shorter since the women are more relaxed and the contractions become more efficient. Also there are less tearings compared to conventional labours.

A water birth seems to be more harmonic and provides a gentle start for the baby which seems more calm immediately after the delivery.

Finally it is well-documented that serucity during water births are as good as during conventional births. See summary and reference list.