Birth Tubs Are Labor's Secret Weapon
Water is routinely used in daily life for pain relief. It’s a natural extension to turn to once in labor to see if the therapeutic effects of water can have an influence on your birth experience. One of the greatest ways you can alleviate discomforts is to use a birth pool in your hospital or birth center in active labor.
Sitting in a bath of extremely warm water that covers the laborer at least over the belly can create alterations in the hormone productions and help the flow of fluids throughout the body. These changes can really impact the way that intensity of pain and contractions are perceived. The temperature of the water is recommended to be around body temperature or a bit above, no higher than 100 degrees. Any warmer and the laborer can lose lots of energy with the rise in body temperature, and the increased risk for baby to develop a fever in utero as well.
Also, the association of a bath with relaxation and other ‘safety’ environments can put the mother into a wonderful mental space, allowing for the increase in oxytocin and stronger contractions. This safety cycle moves forward, and the labor can become more effective while also being perceived as less intense by the person giving birth!
Because the water is so warm, and the tired laboring person doesn’t have to hold up their body anymore because of the buoyancy of the water, stress hormones are reduced as the person relaxes.
After two hours or so, these changes and the way the blood circulates in the body may slow down labor and necessitate a change. Think of it like time limits in a hot tub.
Most of our labor doulas recommend having a change from the tub within 45 minutes to an hour to help move labor along. You can come back to the tub after working effectively in a different position, like the shower, if heat has been helping!
Most providers recommend not getting into a deep, warm pool until active labor has been established, or until 4 cm of dilation are confirmed through a cervical exam. If labor isn’t moving along, the water can actually slow labor because of the mild nature of early labor contractions and their ability to be influenced by movement and relaxation.
The great news about safety is that babies may be born in the water - if wished or by expedience during the pushing phase - as long as the baby is in water that is body temperature. This is often a preferred place to push, and baby isn’t breathing oxygen until exposure to the air, once the baby emerges from the pool and is kept above water the process will begin. If water breaks during the labor process, it’s totally fine to be in the tub as long as Mom is being monitored, which is easy to do with a doppler or portable monitor!
Consider water as a feature for your birth, and ask your labor doula for suggestions of how to choose a place and time for the tub, where it’s feasible in your birth location, and positions that can make laboring in the tub supported and comfortable!
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