Skip to options

Water Therapy / Birth

In a nutshell

Hydrotherapy is the use of water to alleviate pain. Water therapy is used a lot of times during labor and birth to help ease the pain of contractions. In addition to pain relief, water makes us feel “weightless”, making it easier to get in more comfortable positions. Most providers and birth locations offer hydrotherapy during labor, whether it be the shower or tub. Some providers are also comfortable allowing babies to be born in the water (also called a waterbirth).

Dig deeper

How do you relax after a long, hard day? Are you someone who prefers to take a nice warm shower or bath? A lot of people look forward to this! That’s because hydrotherapy is shown to promote relaxation, help us recover from surgery and workouts, help improve strength and range of motion, and helps reduce pain. All of these things are also beneficial during labor.

Options

Labor in Water

Want more?

Sign up to read the whole topic and its 1 other option, then build and share your visual birth plan with your care team.

Sign up

Already have an account? Sign in

Learn more about Motherboard