Water Birth Safety copy

Preface

A Note on Reliability of Sources

  • A Note on Discerning Reliable Sources

    In setting out to create this resource roll, I looked for resources supporting both sides of the current debate about the safety of waterbirth. What I found -- and what you may have noticed yourself even if I didn't point it out here -- is that there were plentiful research-based, peer-reviewed journal articles concluding that water birth is safe. This is widely considered the gold standard, marking a source of information as reliable and trustworthy. When it came to finding "sources" citing the dangers/risks of water birth, all I could find were IG posts from influencers in the natural birth space, and one woman's class. None of them cited sources (eg, peer-reviewed research articles). There is a qualitative difference between the sources in the "Against" section of this role and the "Supportive" section. And this matters. It is wisdom to take with a grain of salt those claims and assertions -- particularly those that are strong, absolute, or controversial -- that are unable or unwilling to cite from where they have derived their information. I also affirm that Holy Spirit-infused intuition matters, and that tuning into it and listening to it when it comes to one's personal birth choices is vitally important for the safety and joy of our birthing experiences. Research and statistics are useful, but intuition trumps that in the moment. Listen to your body, listen to your baby, trust your instincts. It may be that for YOU in this particular birthing time, water will NOT be a good choice. Or, it could be that even though you feel wary of water birth because of it's supposed risks, your intuition will guide you to get into a birth pool. You are not a statistic, even though informing your intuition with good research is advised. PS: If you are aware of better quality research and statistics for the "against" folder please send it to brooke@sisterbirth.com and I will add it to this roll.

Against

  • Instagram

    1,080 likes, 314 comments - ajoyfulbirth on May 29, 2025: "As I look back, I wish I had researched all of this from day one of pursuing birth work. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know and that was the case for me. In retrospect I am grateful that every woman and baby I have supported with a water birth has been fine… AND I must state the true risks from this point forward. 😘 ✨Share, share, share✨ Women need to be informed as they make their birth plans.".

  • Instagram

  • Instagram

    187 likes, 60 comments - calibratedbirth on October 6, 2025: "A few hours of continuous water immersion during labor can cause a baby to experience a level of oxygen shortage equal to what happens when someone smokes a pack of cigarettes! And that’s not even accounting for what the baby experiences after they’ve been expelled into the water with the triggering of the mammalian diving reflex compounding the hypoxia(or the absence of it from fetal distress which then causes aspiration). Nope, this is JUST from the effects of hydrostatic pressure during labor. It’s even worse when you realize that most women who have water births spend FAR longer than 3 hours in the water during their labors, so this is extremely concerning and it’s absolutely criminal that the vast majority were not informed of how serious water immersion impacts their labor and their baby. If this all sounds ridiculous to you, I want you to explore why. Because the reason for this post is to showcase how our beliefs can be colored by our conditioning. There are so many things in life that are just as bad if not worse for you than things we believe are absolutely vile, yet we tend not to see it because it hasn’t been accepted in our culture in that way. My maternal grandmother smoked cigarettes throughout her whole life since her teens. And all three of her children were born very early and very underweight. But they survived. And if you were to ask her and her doctor at the time, they thought that was a GOOD outcome because her babies were smaller and ‘easier to deliver’. 🥴 It wasn’t till much later that because of the major flip of the general consensus on cigarette smoking during pregnancy, it was finally seen as something that caused very negative outcomes DESPITE the fact that most babies still survived their mother smoking throughout pregnancy. Water birth is no different, and I believe that in 10 years, we’re going to see a major shift on how people view it and the negative outcomes that are the result of it. So if you’re repulsed by the idea of smoke cigarettes during labor because of the damage it would cause to the baby, you might also want to stay out of the water. 💧".

  • Instagram

  • Instagram

    222 likes, 87 comments - mikaela.froese on August 9, 2025: "I think we all know the pros of waterbirth, but no one is really talking about the cons . . I always pictured myself having a waterbirth. But midway through pregnancy, something shifted. I just kept feeling like I shouldn't do it. It made sense practically because of our off grid living situation, it just didn't make sense in my mind right away — but the feeling was strong. And honestly? I’m so glad I listened. Because I see now that it could've totally changed the outcome of our birth. Our boy was born really quickly and I have a sense that he needed to be. There’s a reason people call waterbirth "the midwife’s epidural". It can help in some ways — but it also comes with risk just like a real epidural and even like birth in general, no matter where you're birthing. This post isn’t to say waterbirth is wrong. It’s just me sharing my story and some things to think about — especially if you’re planning to birth without medical support. ✨Swipe through for some of my story — and feel free to share your experience too. Did you have a waterbirth? Plan one? Decide not to? Let’s talk about the whole truth of waterbirth. 👇🏼 . . . #homebirth #waterbirth #freebirth #birthstory #trustyourbody #physiologicalbirth #intuition #birthchoices #naturalbirth #sovereignbirth #birthwisdom".

  • The Risks of Water Birth by @calibratedbirth | Stan

  • Beyond Calm Babies: Exploring … - The Reclaiming Womanhood Podcast - Apple Podcasts

    Copyright © 2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • The Effects of Hydrotherapy on Anxiety, Pain, Neuroendocrine Responses, and Contraction Dynamics During Labor

    Hydrotherapy during labor influences neuroendocrine responses, maternal anxiety, and uterine activity. Immersion in warm water reduces anxiety, as well as levels of vasopressin and oxytocin, while increasing β-endorphins and decreasing cortisol in women experiencing high pain. The intervention also causes plasma volume shifts, which positively correlate with longer uterine contractions, potentially improving uteroplacental perfusion. Despite no significant change in pain levels overall, women with higher baseline pain experienced a greater reduction in pain and cortisol. Uterine contraction frequency decreased during hydrotherapy, possibly linked to hormonal changes like lowered vasopressin and oxytocin levels. These findings suggest that hydrotherapy may help modulate stress hormones and improve physiological processes during labor, contributing to maternal relaxation and potentially facilitating labor progress.

Supportive

  • Birth, Bath, and Beyond: The Science and Safety of Water Immersion During Labor and Birth - PMC

    The 2014 objection to birth in water voiced by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in ACOG Bulletin #594 on immersion in water during labor and birth is nothing new. The ...

  • Birth, Bath, and Beyond: The Science and Safety of Waterbirth | International Childbirth Education Association

    Waterbirth is more than a fad or trend – it is evidence-based practice in hospitals, birth centers, and home birth throughout the world. Relaxing in water during labor eases discomfort […]

  • Breech Water Birth: Perspectives & Controversy | Barbara Harper & Charlotte Sanchez - YouTube

  • Science, Safety, and Spirit of Water Birth | Barbara Harper on Healthy Births, Happy Babies Podcast - YouTube

  • Water birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal and neonatal outcomes - American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology

    This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to conduct a thorough and contemporary assessment of maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with water birth in comparison with land-based birth.

  • Neonatal Outcomes Following Delivery in Water: Evaluation of Safety in a District General Hospital - PMC

    Introduction Giving birth in water has increased in popularity over recent years, with potential benefits in terms of maternal comfort and decreased rates of instrumental delivery. Some concerns have been raised about possible adverse neonatal ...

  • Instagram

    295 likes, 19 comments - mommamadeline on October 10, 2025: "I honestly didn’t want to join this conversation, but after the most recent stuff I’ve been seeing about water birth “not being physiological birth” or “not following God’s design for birth” I had to speak up. Many are saying things like: “If you wouldn’t have strangers at your birth to protect your physiology, why alter it with thermodysregulation and immersion-induced vasopressin suppression? & Why put baby at risk?” Yes, water immersion does affect your hormones and fluid balance, it can lower vasopressin and slightly change circulation. But that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe or unnatural. When water birth is done safely, for low-risk mamas, and with proper temperature control and guidance, studies show no increase in most maternal or newborn complications. Large reviews and studies show that water births, when PROPERLY managed, are just as safe as land births for healthy women. Yes, there are risks that do exist (like cord avulsion or water aspiration), but are rare and linked to improper technique or oversight. Studies: 📖McKinney et al., 2024, Burns et al., 2022, Cardiff University, 2024 There are also plenty of studies that also show the POSITIVE impacts of water birth. I am all for informed consent and letting women decide what’s best for them. We are not robots, by design, therefore we are all going to have different preferences. Some women respond well to water, some don’t. That doesn’t mean being in water is not physiological birth. So here are some practical takeaways for every woman planning their upcoming birth: 👉🏻Ask your provider about their water birth protocols and experience. 👉🏻Make sure the tub temperature is regulated and infection precautions are followed. 👉🏻Understand every birth environment has its own risks, even hospital beds! 👉🏻Most importantly, make informed choices from a place of peace, not fear. At the end of the day when we align with God’s design for birth, whether that’s on land or in water, we can trust that He knew what He was doing when He created our bodies to bring forth life. 🤍".

  • British Journal of Midwifery - Safety of water births: new research

    Approximately 10% of women in the UK give birth in pools, and around 20% use water for pain relief (National Childbirth Trust, 2024). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2023) guidelines state that all women should be offered the opportunity to labour in water for pain relief.

  • Water births do not increase risks for mother or baby

    A new UK study of over 60,000 women finds no increased risk of serious tears or harm to babies compared to births out of water. Read more.

Nuance / Third Way

  • Instagram

  • About the anti-water birth uprising - sisterbirth.com

    Lately I’ve been seeing a real uptick in posts on social media (a place I don’t even spend much time) about water birth and all the reasons it is BAD. Here’s one and here’s another. The reasons listed for avoiding water birth are varied. Some of them make sense to me on some level and others seem absurd. But […]

  • Instagram

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