What are the potential benefits of water birth observed by midwives and birthing centers?
Benefits for Mother: • Water is soothing, comforting, relaxing. • In the later stages of labor, the water seems to increase the women’s energy. • The buoyancy lessens her body weight, allows free movement and new positioning. • Buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and better blood circulation, resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the baby. • Immersion in water often helps lower high blood pressure caused by anxiety. • Water seems to alleviate stress-related hormones, allowing the mother&’s body to produce endorphins, which are pain-inhibitors. • Water causes the perineum to become more elastic and relaxed, which reduces the incidents and severity of tearing and the need for an episiotomy or stitches. • As the laboring women relaxes physically she is able to relax mentally, concentrating her efforts inward on the birth process. • The water provides a sense of privacy, which releases inhibitions, anxiety, a
