Suction of the baby's mouth and nose after a water birth

If the baby is born under water, suction should never be started while the baby is still submerged. If one wants to do this, the head of the baby may be brought above the water surface and suction performed.

Delivery of the placenta in a water birth

Most practitioners advocate that the third stage (i.e. delivery of the placenta) should be conducted outside the pool.

This has three theoretical benefits. These are:

Ø It may reduce the risk of heavy postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Ø It allows for a more accurate estimation of blood loss post-delivery; and

Ø It prevents a potentially serious, even fatal, complication of water embolism (where water finds its way into the bloodstream).

It has to be stressed that no case of water embolism has been reported in relation to water birth. However, all the ingredients for such a complication are there and hence placental delivery outside the pool is regarded to be a worthwhile precaution.

Water birth as a form of natural birth

Unless you are an amphibian or at least a reptile, there is nothing natural about labor or delivery in water! This is not a criticism. Far from it. It is an attempt to put things in their proper perspective. Anybody promoting water birth on this theme is promoting falsehood. However, there is no denying that the availability of this service is an important development which has enriched the experience of labor and offered choice to many thousands of women. It is an important and valuable alternative.