Benefits of Water in Labor and Birth

The 7 Benefits of using Water in Your Birth Experience

Water during labor and birth is no secret. It’s been known to offer comfort and ease for physiological birth throughout history. I have seen it magically move a mama from 3cm to 10, I’ve seen it change the mood and feeling of a room in an instant from “I can’t do this” to “wow this water is amazing” offering a bit more control and relief to the body. In all my years as a photographer, I’ve had the honor to witness many births in water and even more that used water as a tool in labor. Water has become an invaluable tool for countless families seeking a safe, empowering, and physiological birth experience. So today I wanted to share more about the 7 benefits and the ways in which families can introduce water into their birth experience.

How to introduce water into your birth experience?

Let’s start with the how. Water can be used in many ways during labor and in many different settings for birth. The main two ways I love to encourage water are either through the shower or fully submerged in a water pool or bathtub. The shower has unique powers by offering intense pressure, heat, and innate privacy while also keeping the body standing, which allows gravity to continue working with each contraction. The shower is often a great place to escape in early and active labor because it naturally feels safe, and the water itself is such a relief. While not the easiest place to give birth, I have seen a few amazing shower births where that powerful support of water allowed the birthing person to just let go and give birth right there.

Then of course, there is the water pool or bathtub option. I would say 90% of my homebirth families choose to include a birth pool just as an option for their pain relief and potential birthplace. Being fully submerged in water can offer buoyancy and pain relief like nothing else. Allowing you to feel both in control of each contraction and relaxed to allow your body to do exactly what it needs to. I have gotten to witness so many babies born underwater and love to see families supported in this if it’s their goal.

Here in Raleigh and the Triangle, we have many hospitals willing and excited to use their birthing tubs and showers for birth support. While birthing in them is yet to be allowed, many families still use them for laboring. I encourage all my hospital birthing families to tour their facility and ask questions about the use of water in labor so they can know more details of their options before the big day arrives. Birthing centers here in North Carolina also offer the option for water birth and labor support. Most have rooms with built-in tubs so families can feel like water is always an option for both laboring and delivery.

The 7 Benefits of using Water in Your Birth Experience

Moving beyond the ‘how’ it’s important we talk more about the benefits. Some are obvious the moment someone gets in the tub, while others are even more powerful because they support the progression of birth physiologically and the health of both birthing parent and baby.

1. Pain Relief and Relaxation:

   The soothing embrace of water can work wonders in easing the intensity of contractions. It encourages relaxation by relieving tension in your body, making those waves of labor more manageable and less daunting. Immersing yourself in warm water provides natural pain relief, allowing you to focus on the rhythm of your breath and the progress of your labor. For families choosing to labor unmedicated for any amount of time, water can be a powerful tool to make it closer to your goal.

2. Buoyancy

Being submerged in water supports your weight, creating a sensation of weightlessness that can significantly enhance the way your body moves through labor. This buoyancy enables you to move more freely, offering relief from the gravitational pull that can make labor on dry land feel more strenuous. This increased mobility allows for better positioning of your body during contractions, optimizing the birthing process. For some this feeling of weightlessness is exactly what they need to let go and allow birth to happen while others choose to get our of the birthing tub right before pushing so they can feel a bit more grounded. Either way, the buoyancy in labor can be a powerful way to work through active labor and transition.

3. Innate Privacy

The use of water, whether it's through showers, baths, or birthing tubs, provides an inherently private environment for laboring individuals. In contrast to the clinical and monitored atmosphere of a hospital room, water spaces or even bathrooms offer a greater feeling of seclusion. Private spaces foster a sense of comfort and security, allowing you to surrender to the natural progression of labor without the constant feeling of being observed. It’s also that familiar feeling of being in a bathroom, shower, or tub that reminds your body and mind of safety and connection.

4. Supportive Movement

Water facilitates easy changes in positions during labor. The buoyancy and support it provides enable you to listen to your body and shift positions effortlessly. This adaptability allows you to find the postures that are most comfortable and effective for you, enhancing your ability to respond intuitively to the rhythm of labor. When our bodies are feeling the intensity of back-to-back contractions or painful aches, it can be really hard to think about anything else. Being submerged in water or using the shower can offer temporary relief for you to move and listen to your body intuitively. There are some great birthing positions that can only be found in a bath tub as well which many families turn to by listening to what their body and baby need.

5. Faster Labor Progress

Birthing people who choose to incorporate water into their labor often experience faster labor with fewer interventions. This of course is not ‘always’ but studies show that overall water aids in the progression of labor. The calming and relaxing effects are like magic and beyond supporting your body they also reduce the stress in and on your body, allowing your cervix to dilate more efficiently. As a result, the labor process may unfold more rapidly, offering a smoother and swifter birth experience. Using the benefits of water also helps families avoid interventions that may slow or augment their labor progress.

6. Lowers Blood Pressure and Stress

Water induces relaxation and feelings of safety, which can positively impact your blood pressure and hormone levels. By lowering stress levels and promoting tranquility, water encourages your body to maintain a healthy balance. This not only benefits your overall well-being but also supports the progress of labor. Stress hormones, typically associated with feelings of unsafety, pain, fear, or anxiety, can often surge during labor. Cortisol and adrenaline may overwhelm your body when you feel panicked, leading to slowed labor or even causing labor to halt completely. Water supports your body's natural need for relaxation and release during labor.

7. Decreased Risk of Severe Tears

Water's gentle and buoyant environment lessens the risk of severe tears during birth. The warm water helps to soften the perineum, increasing its elasticity. This natural stretching reduces the likelihood of significant tears. Birthing in water reduces the intervention of the pushing phase allowing for a more hands-off stretching phase and avoiding the need for episiotomy. Overall less tearing contributes to a smoother postpartum recovery. Most studies show first-degree tearing (small tears, or grazes, affecting only the skin) to be consistent or not show much change across birth environments but second-degree and above to be significantly reduced by birthing in a birth tub.

Water's ability to enhance the birth experience is nothing short of remarkable. Its soothing support and privacy benefits, coupled with the freedom of movement it provides, can significantly impact the course of labor. As you prepare for your birthing journey, I encourage you to explore the option of water immersion and discuss it with your care provider. Remember that every birthing experience is unique, and the power of water may align perfectly with your desires and needs. Do your research, ask questions, and choose the birth environment that resonates most with your vision. By harnessing the benefits of water, you can embark on a journey to a more comfortable, empowering, and transformative birth experience.

For families planning to birth here and around Raleigh I would definitely encourage reading My Ultimate List for Preparing for Birth in the Triangle. There I share many resources you’ll need and answer questions only an active birth worker who witnesses birth all over our area would see and know.

Hey! I’m Amanda

Birth photographer and mama of 3 amazing kiddos! I am passionate about birth and documenting the powerful stories of new life and growing families. I would love to connect with you!.