07/31/2026
Some great info on waterbirth!!
The vast majority of my clients choose the pool - makes a huge difference!
Interesting comparison of epidural and water immersion. NB groups were self-selected, which may have influenced results. "Spontaneous vaginal birth was almost 17 times more likely in the water immersion group [94.5% vs 50.6%] (OR = 16.866 [6.540, 43.480], p < 0.001), whereas the odds of having a cesarean birth were almost 40 times higher in the epidural group [0.7 vs 21.9%] (OR = 39.346 [3.610, 429.120], p < 0.001). The odds of having an intact perineum were more than two times higher for the water immersion group (OR = 2.606 [1.290, 5.250], p = 0.007), whereas having an episiotomy was more than eight times more likely for the epidural group [4.1 vs 26.1%] (OR = 8.307 [2.800, 24.610], p < 0.001). Newborns in the water immersion group showed a better 5 min Apgar score and umbilical cord arterial pH and lower rates in admissions at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Conclusions: Women choosing water immersion as an analgesic method were no more likely to experience adverse outcomes and presented better results than women choosing epidural analgesia." Full paper here
Background: Adequate pain relief during childbirth is a very important issue for women and healthcare providers. This study investigates the effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes of two analgesic methods during labor: water immersion and epidural analgesia. Methods: In this retrospective observa...
