The Power of Water

By Johanna Lynn, Hypnotherapist Empower Birth

Just for a moment, allow yourself to drift back to a time when you soaked in a nice warm bath to soothe away the day's aches, pains and worries. All you need to do is let yourself think about how the water seemed to wash away all your tension and stress to realize why more and more women decide to immerse themselves in a tub of water to give birth.

Midwife and water birth expert, Gloria Lemay, observes that it is the seeming "weightlessness" and freedom of movement that reduces the discomfort of birth by about half. In addition to offering soothing relief and body mobility, birthing in water promotes deeper relaxation, and as a woman relaxes deeply in water, her birthing hormones flow freely throughout her body and allows her to progress faster, in the flow and rhythm of natural birth.

The theory behind water birth is that the baby has been growing in a fluid environment for the past nine months, and birthing into a similar environment is gentler for the baby and much more enjoyable for the mother. Also, as human beings are comprised primarily of water, it is only natural that our bodies would unwind when submerged in warm water. In water, a labouring mother can move fluidly, listening to what feels best for her body, modifying positions easily.

Buoyancy also seems to promote more efficient uterine contractions and overall enhanced blood circulation, resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles; which means, less discomfort for the mother and more oxygen for the baby. It is easy to imagine how being immersed in water supports a woman in letting go with inward focus as labour progresses while strengthening her determination.

Human beings' natural alliance with water is best witnessed in human babies who can swim naturally and easily long before they learn to sit up or crawl. During their first year of life, babies will calmly and happily paddle underwater, gazing around with eyes wide open. When they need to breathe, they naturally paddle toward the surface of the water before taking a breath. Babies instinctively know not to breathe while their heads are still submerged underwater. They wait until they reach the surface of the water before breathing. Babies adjust amazingly well to being born in a birth pool.

Water birth is miraculous. Experience it for yourself.