Water has long been acknowledged as a comforting place to be during times of physical discomfort as well as giving one a feeling of “weightlessness.”  During labor and birth, both mom and baby feel the support of the water and enjoy its ease. During birth, the differential pressure between inside the uterus and outside the uterus is balanced by mom’s tummy being submerged in water.  The reduced pressure makes birth gentler for both mom and baby.  As a baby’s head emerges, the glottis (back of the baby’s throat) automatically closes so no water enters and then when the baby’s face comes in contact with the air, baby breathes.
For more information, visit www.waterbirth.org.