Water Birth

Water birth is a method of giving birth in a bathtub or pool full of warm water. Proponents believe this method has many benefits for both mother and infant, and is a safe alternative to standard types of delivery. Critics cite the introduction of an unnecessary risk factor to infants. However, criticisms and praise must be weighed both against the documented benefits of water birth, the risks of routine medical interventions that occur "on land" (which water birth is intented to help avoid), and also parental prerogative. With an increasing number of hospitals routinely offering tub facilities for labor and/or delivery in the U.S. and Europe, additional data on safety from studies is available, care providers are more experienced with benefits and risks and how to manage them, and protocols for monitoring water birth are becoming more stringent thus contributing to increased safety of this method of childbirth.