April 2025
Midwife Expert News
Spring is in the air • Crete conference • New studies and data
This spring, I’m happy to share some updates, insights and resources to help support birthing professionals, families and our wider community. From professional development, important dates to inspiring articles, I hope this offers some valuable knowledge and encouragement
Thank you for being part of the MidwifeExpert community
Dianne and the Midwife Expert Team
Water Birth – Benefits, Risks and Controversies
Julia Górny , Alicja Kapciak , Katarzyna Naja , Jakub Zwardoń , Artur Hawajski , NataliaJankowska , Oliwia Kamieniecka , Adrianna Świerzyńska , Weronika Mazur , Natalia Pawelec.
Quality in Sport. 2025;37:57158. eISSN 2450-3118. https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.37.57158 https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/57158
Abstract Introduction: Water birth, involving immersion in water during childbirth, has gained popularity for its potential benefits, such as pain relief and comfort. While widely practiced in some countries, concerns regarding its safety, particularly for neonates, remain. This paper explores the maternal and fetal benefits and risks associated with water birth, as well as the epidemiological trends, medical protocols, and legal considerations.
Aim of Study:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcomes of water immersion and water birth, focusing on the safety, efficacy, and factors influencing its adoption in different populations.
Material and methods: A comprehensive review of the literature on water birth including its benefits, risks and controversies was performed using the PubMed database. Results and
Conclusions: Water immersion during labor is associated with significant maternal benefits, including reduced pain and anxiety, shorter labor, and fewer pharmacological interventions. Water birth, however, carries potential risks, such as neonatal respiratory complications and infections, although studies generally report no significant differences in neonatal outcomes compared to land birth. Epidemiological trends show higher water birthrates among women aged 30–39, while socioeconomic factors, such as deprivation, are linked to lower rates. Water birth has been shown to reduce the incidence of severe perineal tears and postpartum hemorrhage. While promising, the practice requires careful adherence to medical protocols to ensure safety, with further research needed to fully establish its long-term benefits and risks.
Comment – this may have been accepted before POOL study was available worldwide.
Received: 19.12.2024. Revised: 20.01.2025. Accepted: 21.01.2025 Published: 22.01.2025
Classical Midwifery Conference in Crete, September 2025
Multiple Presentations by Dianne Garland
Book now
Brio Innovative Journal of Novel Research (BIJNR)
Jul - Dec 2024 Issue:2 Volume: 1
“Revolutionizing Childbirth: The Role of Nurses in Supporting Water Births and Natural Labor” Avaniben Vinodbhai Patel1, Dr. Payal Sharma2 1PhD Research Scholar, 2Research Supervisor Index Nursing College, Malwanchal University, Indore M.P Abstract: Childbirth is one of the most significant experiences in a woman's life. Over the years, birthing practices have evolved from traditional home births to highly medicalized hospital deliveries. However, with growing interest in holistic and patient-centred care, many women are choosing alternative birthing methods such as water birth and natural labour. Water births, where labour and delivery occur in a tub of warm water, and natural labour, which minimizes medical interventions, are increasingly being embraced for their potential benefits, including pain relief, shorter labour duration, and improved maternal satisfaction. Nurses and midwives play a crucial role in supporting these birthing practices. Their responsibilities include patient education, monitoring maternal and foetal well-being, providing emotional and physical support, ensuring safety, and managing emergencies when necessary. While water births and natural labour have been associated with numerous benefits, they also pose certain challenges, including infection risks, lack of standardized protocols, and limited accessibility. This review article provides an in-depth exploration of water birth and natural labour, emphasizing the nurse’s role in facilitating safe and effective alternative birthing practices. The discussion highlights global trends, research-based evidence, challenges, and future directions for integrating these methods into mainstream maternal care.
Aurora Sinai is the only hospital to offer waterbirth experience in Southeast Wisconsin, USA February 2025
A new feature at Aurora Sinai Medical Center gives labouring moms an option for pain relief and relaxation that isn’t found in any other hospital in South-eastern Wisconsin.
In June 2024, Aurora Sinai’s waterbirth suite was officially opened to the public, another patient-centred labour and delivery offering designed to further customize the birthing experience.
Birth by Land or by Water: Implementing Waterbirth at Parkview Randallia Kim et al 2024
Researchers analysed data on women without pregnancy complications who used a birthing pool during labour. POOL study 2024. Some women got out of the pool due to medical complications during labour or because they wanted pain relief that cannot be given in water.
Among women without labour complications, compared with leaving the pool to give birth, giving birth in the pool led to:
- no increase in serious tears (from vagina to anus)
- no increase in baby deaths, neonatal admissions with breathing support, or infections requiring antibiotics among babies.
The study could reassure women and healthcare professionals about the safety of water births. Clinicians could discuss these findings with pregnant women considering using a birthing pool during labour.
The Effect of Hydrotherapy Application on Pain During Birth and Postpartum Fatigue and Comfort
J Eval Clin Pract
2025 Apr 1;31(3):e70060. doi: 10.1111/jep.70060
Zeynep Cambaz Midwife 1,✉, Ayça Şolt Kırca 2,✉
1 Tekirdag Corlu District State Hopital, Tekirdag, Turkey
2 Midwifery Department Kirklareli, Kirklareli University School of Health Science, Kirklareli, Turkey
Correspondence: Zeynep Cambaz Midwife (zynpcmbz@gmail.com), Ayça Şolt Kırca (aycasolt@hotmail.com)
Corresponding author.
PMCID: PMC11959213 PMID: 40165542
Background
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hydrotherapy applied during labour on pain felt at birth, postpartum fatigue and comfort, and person‐centred maternity care.
Conclusion
It was determined that hydrotherapy application shortened labour time, had a positive effect on newborn Apgar scores, relieved pain felt during birth, reduced postpartum fatigue, increased postpartum comfort and had a positive effect on person‐centred maternal care.
Spiritual midwifery: lessons for our future.
Dr Alys Einion, Jenny Hall and Dianne Garland.TPMW. March 2025
Visiting Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu offered some meaningful perspectives on birth and its connection to nature. The power and continuous flow of Iguazu Falls reinforced ideas about how birth seeks to follow its own natural course. Machu Picchu, with its deep historical and spiritual significance, promoted thoughts around wisdom and balance needed in midwifery through the ages—blending knowledge, intuition, and respect for traditions and cultures. These breath-taking landscapes serve as reminders that birth is both a physical process and a deeply rooted, universal experience.
Get In Touch
We would love to hear from you regarding any subjects mentioned here, suggestions for future news or anything else in the world of midwifery.