How Does a Water Birth Work?
Many women who are going to be moms, as well as their partners, have heard about water birth. They’re familiar with the idea that waterbirth offers pain relief, that it’s comforting, and that it’s easier to push your baby out in the water. With so many people watching Instagram videos and following #waterbirth and #naturalbirth, you are bound to come across waterbirth and wonder, “How does waterbirth work?” In this blog, we’ll detail for you how a natural waterbirth works, a midwives’ role in waterbirth, what to expect during your waterbirth, and the benefits of water delivery. At Hearth and Home Midwifery, we are passionate about providing waterbirth to women in our midwifery practice and we hope this blog is helpful!
How Does a Water Birth Work?
“How does a waterbirth work?” Is one of the most common questions we are asked by parents who are expecting their first baby. We expect the question and we are happy to answer it! In short, a waterbirth is safe because when a baby is being born, they do not get oxygen through their mouth and lungs yet. While babies are developing in the uterus, they are getting oxygen through the placenta and the umbilical cord. They get everything they need from that system, and while they do “practice breaths,” they are not actually using their lungs because they are surrounded by amniotic fluid. When a woman is having her baby in the water, the baby’s head is born into the water. The water in the tub feels similar to the amniotic fluid the baby has been in its whole life, and it does not pass through air to get into the water. For that reason, the baby does not take an inhalation breath while the head is born. The baby continues to get oxygen through the umbilical cord, and there is no rush. When the baby’s body is born, the baby comes out into the water and can be lifted out of the water by a parent, the birthing mom, the partner, or the midwife. As soon as the baby’s cheeks hit the air, nerve receptors in their cheeks stimulate them to take their first breath. They take a breath, and suddenly, they are using their lungs to get oxygen for the very first time. This is the basics of how waterbirth works.
Another really important part of waterbirth, well before the baby is actually born, is the labor support the water provides. When a laboring woman gets into the waterbirth tub, she feels instant counter pressure on her back, her sacrum, her legs, and her vulva. There is an incredible amount of pressure on the laboring person’s body when they are trying to have a baby, and being in the water is relaxing and calming and helps with those sensations. If you are someone who loves to get in a bath after a long, hard day, or after a long workout, you can imagine how amazing it would feel to be submerged in water while you are having contractions. This is another important part of how waterbirth works.
A Midwives Role in a Water Birth
Midwives have traditionally been the people who could tell you how waterbirth works and who are most comfortable with the practice. Midwives attend a lot of the water births that happen in the US, so we are the experts on how waterbirth works. During a waterbirth, midwives will listen to fetal heart tones through a Doppler. Midwives support laboring people to get into different positions and help them know when it’s time to get into the waterbirth tub. You don’t want to get into the waterbirth tub too early, because that can slow contractions and make your birth last longer. Midwives help women to know when it’s time and what to do. We support women to push when the time is right in order to have their babies, and we are experts at monitoring fetal well-being and maternal well-being during the pushing and immediately after the baby is born. We can deliver babies in the waterbirth tub, and we can assist with the delivery of the placenta in the waterbirth tub. We are hands on in offering support, comfort, and words of encouragement to our clients while they are having a waterbirth.
Benefits of a Water Delivery
The benefits of a waterbirth are multiple. Women have reported that it made them feel like it was possible to have a vaginal birth, because they were feeling discouraged and wanted a Cesarean, and the waterbirth tub helped them to get through the final stages of labor. Waterbirth is protective against episiotomies, which is the process of a provider making a surgical cut in the perineum during birth. Midwives rarely do episiotomies, but even in settings where episiotomy is more common, waterbirth is protective against it. Waterbirth has also been shown by some evidence to be linked to a decrease in severe tearing during birth. Waterbirth lowers the use of anesthesia by a big factor. Women who labor in the waterbirth tub are less likely to get an epidural or to use IV narcotics in labor. That is the most common reason that people choose waterbirth, because they want to have a natural birth and they want to set themselves up for success in order to do so. Pain scores are considerably lower in waterbirth than in non-waterbirth. There has been some evidence to show that labors are slightly shorter in a waterbirth than in a land birth. There is also evidence to show that waterbirth is associated with lower blood loss than land birth. To learn more,
you can read our article “How to prepare for a water birth”.
Final Thoughts
The first question is, “How does a waterbirth work?” And now you know! The next questions is whether you think it sounds like the right thing for you. If you are interested in a waterbirth, get in touch with your local midwife in order to have your questions answered. If you’re in Portland, Oregon or the surrounding area, schedule a free consultation, visit here. Midwives are the experts on waterbirth and we are always happy to help you figure out what you want for your labor and birth. Happy birthing!
