A water birth—that is, giving birth in a tub filled with warm water—is beneficial for both the mother and the child. This is the result of midwifery scientists led by Ethel Burns from Oxford Brookes University based on an analysis of the current study situation. For the review published in the journal BMJ Open, the team evaluated 36 studies that had been published since 2000. These recorded a total of almost 160,000 births. Accordingly, concerns about increased health risks in both forms of water birth are unjustified. According to the results of the working group, if the pregnancy proceeds without complications, one can safely opt for a water birth.
There are two variants of water birth; with both, the mother-to-be first lies in the warm water. However, she can either leave this birthing pool shortly before giving birth, or the newborn is born in the water. This is harmless – its diving reflex ensures that it does not breathe until its face is exposed to the air. According to the study, if women opted for one of these two variants, they were generally happier with the delivery than mothers who did not climb into the tub to give birth.
This also corresponds to solid medical findings. As the researchers found, the perineum, i.e. the region between the vulva and anus, often remained intact. Fewer episiotomys were also necessary – an operation intended to prevent such injuries. After giving birth, new mothers lost less blood. They also reported that the birth was less painful and that fewer medications were used than in a “land” birth. This was true for both painkillers and the birth-inducing oxytocin. In addition to the relaxing and pain-relieving effect of the warm water, the changed processes in the water also contribute, according to the midwifery scientists.