Warm Water Immersion
Mountainside Medical Center is pleased to offer a dedicated maternity tub for laboring women, used for warm water immersion therapy and pain management. This newly renovated, private tub is also connected to an upgraded birthing suite so patients have the option to move freely between the rooms.
The Benefits of Warm Water Immersion
Warm water immersion can be very effective for comfort and pain relief during labor. Water provides support and buoyancy that enables a laboring woman to relax and take advantage of the weightless feeling it provides.
Warm water immersion in labor can diminish stress hormones (catecholamine) and reduce pain by increasing the body’s production of pain relievers (endorphins). It can ease muscle tension and help women to relax between contractions.
Labor in Water May:
- Provide significant pain relief
- Reduce the need for drugs and interventions, particularly epidurals
- Promote a sense of control and increase satisfaction
- Provide a feeling of weightlessness—relieving tired muscles and stress
- Speed up labor
- Promote relaxation and conserve energy
Is Warm Water Immersion Right for Me?
We encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider to determine if this therapeutic tool is a good fit for you and your baby.
Moms Must Be:
- 37 weeks gestation or more
- Pregnant with one baby (no multiples)
- Healthy with no complications during pregnancy
- Pre- approved for use by healthcare provider
- In early labor & active labor