by Melinda Boyd

Water birth has becoming progressively popular recently. It is a process of giving birth in a tub
of warm water. Due to its popularity, it leads to an increased number of hospitals offering this preference
available for woman. On the other hand, women should first consider the potential problems and the
advantages of water birth before choosing this method of delivery.
In general, the main advantage of water birth is that it makes the process of delivery to be more
comfortable. The water seems to reduce stress-related hormones, allowing the mother’s body to produce
endorphins which serve as pain-inhibitors. Immersion in water also often helps lower the blood pressure
caused by anxiety. For this reason, it decreases the possibility of complications from happening.
Additionally, buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation
resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the
baby.
As for the negative sides, water birth makes it not easy to monitor child birth progress
accurately as the woman is submerged under the water. This makes it very risky for those who have
pregnancies complications. Another risk is that the waterborne pathogens can be easily transmitted from
the mother to baby, or to the medical staffs. In addition, there is a risk that the contractions will be
weakened by the water even though it helps to decrease the pain. The risk of hypothermia also presents
which is why monitoring the temperature of the water is important. Last but not least, measuring
bleeding under water is tough which leads to the risk of heavy blood loss.
Despite these risks, the medical staff as well as the patients are very optimistic when it comes to
water birth. Some women even choose to do water birth again for their subsequent childbirth. It is
believed that the restrictions in water birth can be reduced significantly by giving more training for the
medical staffs.
Adapted from Oxford English for Careers: Nursing 1 Student’s book