Birth Pools
Warm water immersion in labour can diminish stress hormones (catecholamines) and reduce pain by increasing the body's production of pain relievers (endorphins). It can ease muscular tension and help you to relax between contractions. Labouring in water may provide significant pain relief.
For women who want to avoid pharmacological pain relief and for midwives who support these women, judicious use of water immersion may offer the means to achieve this. The benefits of labouring and birthing in water for women are reduced pain, increased functional diameter of the true pelvis, improved quality of contractions, increased release of endorphins, lessened need for analgesia, greater freedom of movement as well as improved positioning through the different stages of labour ( Chaichian et al., 2009 ; Mollamahmutoglu et al., 2012 ).
For women who want to avoid pharmacological pain relief and for midwives who support these women, judicious use of water immersion may offer the means to achieve this. The benefits of labouring and birthing in water for women are reduced pain, increased functional diameter of the true pelvis, improved quality of contractions, increased release of endorphins, lessened need for analgesia, greater freedom of movement as well as improved positioning through the different stages of labour ( Chaichian et al., 2009 ; Mollamahmutoglu et al., 2012 ).