Home water birth has become known for its hands-off approach to giving birth. As more women become aware of the benefits of using a deep bath for water labor, demand grows for natural waterbirth as a viable option to traditional labor and delivery methods. Since 1988, Waterbirth International has upheld the right of childbearing women to exercise full autonomy in their care decisions.
Gentle birth practitioners prioritize the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of the person giving birth and the infant who is being born above all other system considerations. Thanks to the efforts of Waterbirth International founder Barbara Harper, waterbirth became a global movement. Now, many women demand it as an option, even from hospitals which have been deeply rooted in birthing experiences that involve invasive and often unnecessary medical and surgical intervention.
Waterbirth, also known as gentle birth, is a birthing method that encourages labor and delivery in a tub of warm water. You can use a deep bath or birthing pool and have your water birth at home, hospital, or in a birthing center that supports water birth. Some women labor in the birthing pool and give birth outside of the water, while others choose to labor and birth while sitting in waist high water.. A trained doctor, or midwife helps you through the process of giving birth in water.
The theory behind water birth is simple: the birthing mother births her baby into an environment that is similar to the warm fluid protected space of the womb. Birthing the baby in the water is not the goal of laboring in the water. However it is less traumatic for infants. The goal of using water during the birth process is to increase the comfort, peace, and relaxation of the mother so that she can easily “let her baby” out if she choses to stay in the water at the time of birth.
