Water birth: the newest form of safe, gentle, joyous birth

This paper underscores the serious problems facing institutionalized obstetrics in the United States (demonstrated by alarming cesarean rates) and provides information about a new, safe, gentle birth alternative that uses water during labor and delivery. Pioneered by doctors, nurses, and midwives to lower cesarean rates and increase possibilities for natural childbirth, water birth assists the mother in achieving deep relaxation during labor and thereby alleviates much of the pain and stress of birth for both mother and baby. Water birth may be a safe, helpful, and easy to implement method of improving obstetrical statistics in the U.S. and should be investigated by those health care providers concerned with promoting humanistic childbirth practices.