Lydia & Phil's Amazing Waterbirth

Lydia gives birth to her beautiful baby girl in water, with the support of her partner Phil, her mum and her sister.

The benefits of water birth: Water birth during the first stages of childbirth — while the cervix dilates and contractions pick up in frequency and intensity, before pushing baby out — may:

- Decrease labor pain or your need for anesthesia
- Decrease the duration of labor
- Give you a greater sense of control
- Conserve your energy
- Reduce perineal trauma
- Reduce the likelihood of an episiotomy (though this practice is rarer these days, no matter how or where you deliver)

Even if you decide not to stay in a birthing tub for long — whether it's because you're uncomfortable or your hospital doesn't allow it — you may find it's relaxing to begin labor in the water.