Many sources for birthing tubs exist (see list at end), but I have seen wonderful waterbirths with either option. The main requirements are that you be comfortable and that it be completely cleanable (use bleach to sanitize the tub before you use it). The water should ideally cover your abdomen completely, should be able to be warmed to approximately body temperature, and should be able to be quickly drained should the need arise (an auxillary pump, available at most home hardware stores, can be kept on hand for emergency use - be sure to work out the power source ahead of time!). Be sure also to have PLENTY of towels, and a dryer or heating pad to warm them.

Water is a wonderful resource for labor; we call it "the midwife's epidural" because it is such an effective pain reliever. Countless women, and those midwives and doctors with the courage to attend them, can attest to its safety and effectiveness for gentle birthing. As Dr. Michael J. Rosenthal, Medical Director of the Family Birthing Center in Upland, California has said,

"The use of warm water for labor and birth might be viewed as radical and new in the human experience. However, from a long historical perspective, the use of most obstetric intrerventions such as epidurals and forceps, are also very recent. No other intervention can be said to be so free of risk. If the bath had been used earlier in this century, we might never have passed through the era of "Twilight sleep" sedation that often caused depressed babies and removed women from conscious participation in birth."

Many women enjoy soaking in the tub during labor, and the health benifits to mother and baby are considerable. The water equalizes the pressure on the baby, allowing optimal blood and oxygen flow to the placenta and sometimes allowing minor malpresentations (such as a misaligned, or asynclitic, head) to self-correct. The mother benefits from reduced stress, lowered blood pressure, decreased muscle tension (including pelvic floor muscles), and increased endorphin production (endorphins are natural pain reducers produced in the body during labor). But Gail Winters-Johnson, CPM, points out that birth underwater is not "natural childbirth"; (of course, neither is hospital birth - we do not naturally seek out unfamiliar environments, well-lit rooms, restricted movement and numerous attendants for our births.)

Humans do not ordinarily give birth underwater. Even with a planned waterbirth, women will frequently choose to leave the tub when they are ready to push. Be sure to have a palatte or bed prepared should you decide at the last minute to get out of the water.

One word of caution: While it is true that the baby has virtually no risk of drowning, and that the cord can supply oxygen for some time without the baby drawing a breath, I don't recommend the practice of leaving the baby underwater for more than the time it takes to gently bring it to your chest. You wouldn't leave a newborn untouched on a bed for several minutes, would you? Babies (and moms) need immediate physical and emotional contact.

Good luck to you and your little one!

For anyone wishing to learn more about the benifits of water and natural birth, I strongly recommend Dr. Michel Odent's book "Birth Reborn," published in 1985 by Pantheon Books, New York.

SOURCES

Global Maternal/Child Health Association - rent and sell portable pool kits - call (503) 682-3600; waterbirth@aol.com.

Tubs To Go - aqua-doula rental and sales; call 1-800-882-7864; tubman@wa.net.

A variety of inflatable family-sized swimming pools are available at discount stores and toy stores, though they may be seasonal. Plan ahead!

See a home waterbirth photo diary here on the Pregnancy Today site here!