Hospitals often restrict water births due to potential risks like neonatal infection, water aspiration (drowning), umbilical cord issues (rupture), difficulty monitoring maternal blood loss, and challenges with emergency retrieval if the mother collapses, all while medical protocols favor hands-on, monitored delivery, making them hesitant about unmonitored immersion, especially for high-risk pregnancies. While many midwives support water labor, obstetricians worry about these complications and medico-legal issues, though proponents argue risks are low with strict screening for healthy, low-risk pregnancies.
Concerns have been expressed that immersion in water during delivery may predispose the infant to potentially serious neonatal complications, such as infection, water aspiration (fresh-water drowning), and umbilical cord avulsion 10.
The water birth process can take place in a hospital, birthing center, or at home and ideally under the care of a doctor or midwife. In order to have a water birth, you must meet certain health criteria: Full-term, low-risk pregnancy. Free of infection and other medical conditions.
Doctors worried that those who ate and drank during labor were at high risk of aspiration — inhaling food or water into the lungs during general anesthesia. During labor, aspiration can be caused by relaxed muscles in the stomach due to high levels of the hormone progesterone.
However, there have been very rare documented cases of drowning, rupture of the umbilical cord, respiratory problems and waterborne infection. Clinical guidelines are followed by staff to minimise these risks and we take all precautions to ensure your safety and that of your baby at all times.
Benefits of laboring in water
Less pain medication: Some studies show that women who labor in water need less pain medication and may have a shorter first stage of labor. Relaxation: Floating in water can be soothing for many women. Your muscles don't have to work as hard to support you.
After birth, your baby can safely stay underwater for a short moment (up to one minute if the baby is healthy), as they're still receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord. Your midwife, partner, or you will gently bring the baby above water afterward.
The "5-5-5 rule" in a labor/postpartum context is a guideline for new mothers to prioritize rest and recovery in the first 15 days after childbirth, suggesting 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed (minimal movement), and then 5 days near the bed (gentle movement around the home). This promotes healing, bonding, and reduces stress, though it's a flexible guide, not a strict mandate, with some experts suggesting early movement can help prevent blood clots, making a modified approach ideal.
The water temperature is usually between 34-37ºC during the first stage of labour and you can regulate it to suit you throughout this stage. For your baby's birth, the water needs to be about 37ºC. The midwife will monitor the water temperature hourly to ensure that you are comfortable and are not becoming too hot.
The 3-2-1 contraction rule is a guideline for first-time mothers (primigravidas) to know when to call their midwife or head to the hospital: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes long, for over 1 hour (or sometimes specified as 3-2-1= 3 mins apart, 2 mins long for 1 hour, or 3-2-1 rule = every 3 mins for 2 hours that are over 1 min long). This indicates active labor, marking a shift from early labor, though other rules like the 5-1-1 (5 mins apart, 1 min long, for 1 hour) are also common, especially for subsequent pregnancies.
They can recover for a while from the delivery before being brought to the surface, as the oxygen still comes through the umbilical cord. Because of this, water babies are generally quite calm when they are born. Sometimes they barely even cry.
Less than 3% of babies were born each hour between midnight and 7 a.m. However, this number rose on Saturday and Sunday, when births were more likely to occur overnight.
An En caul birth is a rare and intriguing phenomenon when a baby is born still within the amniotic sac: a thin, water-filled membrane that usually ruptures during labour. This unusual form of birth intrigues parents as well as medical professionals because of its rarity and visual appeal.
Vaginal delivery
It's the most preferred and most common way to deliver a baby because it carries the lowest risk (in most cases). A vaginal delivery occurs most often between weeks 37 and 42 of pregnancy. A vaginal delivery has three stages: labor, birth and delivering the placenta.
Women with a BMI ≤35 can use the birth pool in any birth setting, those with a BMI 36-39.9 may use the birth pool of the Exeter Birth Centre or on Labour Ward. It is not recommended that women with a BMI >40 use the birth pool due to increased risks especially with manual handling.
Your Birthing Partner will play a very important role in supporting you while you are in the birthing pool. However, they will not be able to accompany you in the pool due to weight restrictions.
You'll feel more relaxed
The process of labor can be very overwhelming. With a water birth, engulfing your body in warm water can be quite relaxing. It can also ease the pain of contractions and dilation, making the overall process of labor go by more smoothly.
The 40-day rule after birth, often called confinement or "The Golden Month," is a widespread cultural tradition emphasizing a mother's deep rest, healing, and bonding with her newborn, with family often handling chores and visitors, promoting physical recovery (like stopping bleeding) and mental well-being, rooted in ancient practices from Asia, Latin America, and religious traditions like Judaism and Christianity. Key aspects involve nourishing the mother, sheltering her from stress, and focusing solely on resting and bonding, a stark contrast to Western pressures to "bounce back" quickly.
The 2-hour rule for babies means they shouldn't stay in a car seat (or travel system seat) for more than two hours at a time, whether in or out of the car, because the semi-upright position can strain their developing spine and restrict their breathing, increasing the risk of low oxygen levels, especially for newborns and preemies. For long journeys, parents should take breaks every two hours to take the baby out, allow them to lie flat for a while, stretch, and feed, ensuring they get proper head/neck support and circulation.
Most doctors recommend waiting six weeks after giving birth to have sex again. This allows for general healing and for your body to recover from specific birth-related issues, such as: Vaginal tear or episiotomy (an incision that enlarges the vaginal opening for the baby to come through) Cesarean incision.
“What if I poop during my water birth?” Ok guys, passing stool during any birth is actually very common… most women do. And water birth is no exception. We have single-use colanders we use to keep the water clean.
Doing pelvic floor muscle exercises in combination with massaging your perineum can reduce your risk of tearing. During labour and birth, the following things can reduce you chance of tearing: Lying on your side, kneeling, standing or being on your hands and knees when you give birth.
The advantages of a water birth
If you're having a home birth - and especially if you deliver the placenta in water - it's a lot less messy, as you just drain the contents of the pool down the toilet!