All About Water Birth: Your Guide to How Water Birth Works

Everything you need to know about how, and why, waterbirth works.

It's not uncommon for women to decide they want a water birth after learning that mothers who give birth in water report less pain in labor and a higher level of satisfaction overall with their birth experince.

If you've decided to give water a try, or are curious about whether it could be for you, it's worthwhile to spend some time reading up on how water birth works and what sort of logistical preperation it requires. Read on the find out what you need to know to feel, and be prepared, before the big day.

How does giving birth in the water work, since babies need to breathe air once they’re born?

To understand how water birth works, and why it’s not unsafe for a baby to be born under water, it’s important to understand how babies gets the oxygen they need before they're born.

During pregnancy, babies live in a fluid-filled enviroment and don't use their lungs to breathe. Instead, they receive oxygen from their mother. As the mom's blood circulates, maternal oxygen diffuses across the placental barrier, moving oxygen molecules from her bloodstream into her baby’s. From there, the umbilical cord moves the oxygenated blood from the placenta to the baby. 

During pregnancy, and through labor and birth, a baby's lungs don't play a role in helping them stay oxygenated. This changes after birth, when changes in pressure, sensation, and temperature stimulate babies to take their first breath.

When a baby is born under water, they don't experience a change in pressure, temperature, or sensation at birth, so they aren't stiumlated to breathe until they're lifted out of the water.

Do I need to purchase a birth pool?

Nope! A water birth kit, which includes an inflatable birth pool, a hose adaptor, an air pump to inflate the pool, and a pump to remove water from the pool after birth, is included in your global fee. If you’re planning a water birth, we'll bring your pool kit to your 36-week home visit and then take it with us when we leave your birth.  

To complete your water birth kit you will need to buy a few single-use items. You'll need a hose, a pool liner, and fish net, which will cost between $40 and $65 depending on the specific options you choose.  

How do you get water into the pool? And then how do you get water out of the pool?

If you’re planning a water birth, you’ll purchase a hose when you’re gathering your birth supplies. The water birth kit we bring to your homevisit, when you're around 36 weeks pregnanct) includes a hose adaptor, and we'll talk you through how to remove your shower head and use the adaprot to connect the hose in its place. 

When it’s time to fill the pool, we’ll run warm water through the hose directly into your birth pool to fill it up and, once you’ve given birth, we’ll disconnect the hose from your shower, connect it to the water pump in your birth kit, and use it to drain the pool. 

Many parents-to-be wonder about the mechanics of filling and emptying the pool. When the time comes though, most find they hardly notice how it’s done, since they’re snuggled up in bed with their new baby while the birth team manages the emptying, cleaning, and take-down of the pool.  

How do you keep the water in the pool warm?

Birth pools don’t retain heat forever, but they are insulated and designed to keep the water warm for a couple of hours. There is an ideal time to fill and enter the birth tub; usually as you're moving through the transistion phase of labor and nearing the beginning of pushing. With the right timing, getting into the pool can offer the relief and relaxation you’re hoping for without any worry that the pool will cool off before you and your baby are ready to get out and get tucked into bed.  

Moms that want to use hydrotherapy earlier in labor often take a warm shower or soak in their own bathtub to avoid filling the pool too long before birth. If, however, you end up spending a considerable time in the birth tub and the water begins to cool off, we’ll just remove some of the cool water and add more hot water to bring the pool back to a comfortable temperature. 

What if I get into the birth pool and then don't like it?

If you get into the pool and find that you don’t like it, you can simply get out. Planning a water birth doesn’t mean that you must or will end up having your baby in the water. Often, when moms don’t end up giving birth in the water, they still feel grateful for the comfort and relaxation it offered while they labored. 

Water birth can be a great option for families planning to give birth at home. With benefits for both moms and babies, and a simpler set up and take-down than most people realize, it’s easy to see why so many mothers choose to give birth in the water.