Why Choose A Waterbirth?

Dr Julia Sanders, a consultant midwife, and a member of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which drew up guidelines in June 2006, said: "There is a perception that water is just nice. But it is the most effective form of pain relief barring an epidural in labour. NICE states that birthing pools are second only to epidurals in alleviating pain "

 "All expectant mothers should be offered a water birth for the safest form of pain relief, says the Government's health watchdog."

"I would like to see more women using water and fewer women using the types of pain relief that are less effective."

To read more about NICE ‘clinical guidelines’ click on the link below http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/word/UNGCG55v2.doc

"There is a perception that water is just nice. But it is the most effective form of pain relief barring an epidural in labour. NICE states that birthing pools are second only to epidurals in alleviating pain”

What are the benefits for you?

There are numerous benefits to using water during labour. Many of which Sheila Kitzinger, a leading authority on childbirth, mentions in her book “The New Pregnancy & Childbirth Choices and Challenges.”

• Relax during your last weeks of pregnancy, floating weightlessly in your own haven of warm water
• Water allows more freedom of movement to adopt more active birthing positions. Women often switch from forwards leaning to other upright positions. This movement helps the rotation and descent of the baby’s head
• There is evidence that immersion in warm water can lower blood pressure during labour
• Being immersed in water increases venous pressure so that veins return blood to the heart more efficiently
• Your perineal skin becomes softer and more supple, reducing the chance of an episiotomy
• Water both counteracts the force of gravity and any pressure a woman may feel against her back and buttocks, and also reduces the pressure felt from inside the body.