Water immersion for labour and/or birth can be a supportive low-cost, low-tech intervention that enhances women’s experiences of their labour and with positive outcome benefits.
In a previous article,1 we highlighted the current evidence in favour of water immersion that demonstrated the positive impact upon women’s and birthing people’s physical and psychological outcomes, including; reducing pain perception, epidural use, labour duration and hospital transfers; enhancing mobility, freedom of movement, feelings of safety, privacy and positive experiences of labour and birth.
Overall, water immersion enhances the neuroendocrinology of a normal physiological labour2 and is a helpful option for pain relief.3