From water into water - the gentle birth

I once wrote the following in an article about water birth:
"While water births are already common practice in other cultures that are close to nature, they are still in their early stages here. ……But the hopes placed in them now seem to be coming true, based on the 19,500 water births examined. In England, every hospital is even required to have a birthing tub. This should encourage us midwives to make this type of "gentle birth" possible for women here too - provided they want it and the conditions are right."

Over 20 years later, we no longer need to worry about the possibilities. The proportion of water births in this country is comparatively very low at around 1.5% - 4%. This is partly because certain conditions must be met in order to have a water birth. The mother must not have any pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. or risk factors for the child (child with heart disease, premature births, malformations, estimated weight of the child too high...).
The mother's circulatory condition must be stable and a large birthing tub, a wireless CTG and the necessary personnel resources must be available.
On the other hand, the desire for a water birth must of course come primarily from the woman and also be suitable for the midwife (medical criteria + personnel resources, infrastructure, etc.).
If these conditions are met, it is a beautiful way to bring your baby into the world.

Less pain and birth injuries

Dr. A. Rockenschaub (Viennese obstetrician) once said that water birth is one of the most perineal-protecting birth methods, as it makes episiotomies and holds much more difficult.
Water birth is considered one of the gentlest methods of giving birth. Rightly so?
Well, a decisive factor in this context is actually the very limited options for intervention. In concrete terms, this means that an episiotomy can hardly be performed in water, for example. Pushing on the abdomen is also rare and medication (such as labor stimulants) is not given during a water birth.
The medium of water also offers the woman protection and takes the edge off the pain when she "breathes through the contractions". The contractions subside more quickly, which leads to a longer break between contractions. The further the birth progresses and the more intense the contractions become, the more noticeable the pain-relieving effect is for the woman. The last phase of the birth is also more pleasant for the woman due to the increased elasticity and thus better stretching of the vaginal opening.
The number of episiotomies and higher-grade perineal and vaginal injuries is also reduced in water births. The initial fears of higher infection rates or increased bleeding after birth did not come true.

Already carried out in ancient Egypt

The desire for a water birth usually develops gradually in the delivery room. Many women know about the method from birth preparation courses. 80% of women initially use a warm bath as a natural painkiller. Even those who did not initially plan to do so find it to be an effective pain reliever.
Occasionally there is a desire to use the bathtub again, or the birth is progressing quickly and the woman is still in the tub during the so-called pushing phase. Afterwards, the two of you decide together to stay in the water for the birth.
Even though water births are rarely performed these days, the idea is by no means new!
Water births are said to have been performed as early as ancient Egypt. The first European water birth was documented in France in 1803. In the more recent past, Michel Odent is considered one of the founders of water births in Western Europe.
Both Michel Odent and Igor Tscharkowskij, who also conducted research on this topic in the 1960s, found that children born in water
have better development of muscles and motor skills
gain weight faster
learn to walk and talk earlier
have increased immunity to diseases in the first year of life and
are said to be above average intelligent.

Numerous benefits for mother and child

Nowadays, water birth is also said to have a whole range of advantages for mother and child.

Advantages for the mother include:
Less painkiller consumption
Better tissue stretching
Fewer cuts (slightly more small tears, but they heal better and faster)
No cramping or contractions; contractions are more effective and shorter
No vena cava syndrome
Shortened labor time
mother's self-determination
Less stress

Benefits for the child:
Stress-free birth – the birth shock is reduced (from water into water)
Slow adaptation
No initial sensory overload
Less pressure on the head from pelvic bones and perineal tissue during the expulsion phase
No congestion of the child's spine
Children born in water are more communicative, open-minded and capable of forming bonds due to the absence of violent experiences during the birth process (e.g. no vacuum application, no Kristeller maneuver, etc.).

In summary, one can say that water birth is a very nice, calm and relatively stress-free method of bringing your baby into the world. Water definitely has a legitimate place in the birth process. For some women, it also offers the ideal protective framework to give birth to their baby under their own steam.
However, it must also be noted that a "selection" for suitable candidates takes place before the water birth. This alone means that the water birth is considered natural and requires little intervention. So to speak...
“… water birth – back to the roots”