FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is every woman a candidate for a waterbirth?

So long as there are no medical contra-indications, any woman is a possible candidate for a waterbirth. Once health concerns are set aside, it is important to think (and be realistic) about your philosophies, thoughts, and fears relating to birth. This realistic appraisal will be helpful in assessing whether you might be a realistic candidate for a waterbirth. It is best to set-up an appointment with a waterbirth consultant/doula.

What's the difference between water immersion and waterbirth?

Water immersion means that the woman labors in water, but gets out of the tub to deliver the baby. Waterbirth means that the woman labors in the water and delivers the baby into water.

Where can you do a water immersion or waterbirth? You can do a water immersion or waterbirth at home, in a hospital, at a birth center, or in the ocean.

What are the most common reason women want to labor and/or give birth in water?

The most common reason women like the water is because it feels good. Water helps women cope with the sensations and surges of labor and birth. Many women report that the water enables them to override the epidural. In fact, when speaking with a woman whose labor I attended, I noted, "From my observations of you during labor, if you had not had the tub available, I believe there was an 80 percent chance you would have gotten an epidural." "Eighty!" She exclaimed back, "200 percent I would have gotten the epidural. The water saved me."