The Benefits of Water during Labour & Birth
- Comfort and mobility – Mother has the freedom to move about.
- Conserves energy – Being in water reduces resistance to gravity, supporting the mom’s weight so that her energy can be used elsewhere.
- Deep relaxation – Water enables you to relax more, making it possible for the birthing hormones to be released more effectively. Progress in labour is more efficient.
- Relax pelvic floor muscles – Water softens the birth area and leads to less injury of soft tissue.
- Minimises pain – So effectively that it eliminates the need of analgesia or epidurals.
- Lowers blood pressure and changes consciousness – Relaxation in the water causes anxiety to subside and this is more evident if the room is darkened and noise kept to a minimum.
- Women can let go and focus inward on labour.
- Breathing is easier – The moisture in the air makes breathing easier without the mouth drying out.
- Easier and faster second stage of labour – the birth of your baby.
- Reduces the “icky” factor – Mother is more encouraged to touch baby as he is born.
- Birth in water is wholly a somehow softer, gentler experience.
- Heated water helps to ease the transition from the birth canal to the outside world because the warm liquid resembles the familiar intra-uterine environment, and softens light, colours and noises.
Comments (0)