All About Water Birthing

Benefits of Water Birthing

According to Barbara Harper, RN, director of Waterbirth International (www.waterbirth.org), birthing in water reduces stress and anxiety, allows the laboring woman to focus inward, relaxes the body's muscles, and makes it possible for the laboring woman to move and change position more easily. There are benefits for the baby too: Warm water is similar to the familiar fluid environment of the womb and creates a smoother transition to an air environment. Water also buffers light and sound that can overstimulate a newborn on his way out into the world.