Many women have discovered the benefits of laboring and birthing in water. The use of water in labor helps a woman enter into a relaxed, deeply centered, instinctive state of mind. This enhanced state of relaxation helps women let go and focus inward.

There are several options for the use of water in labor and birth. These include the shower, bathtub, hot tub, or birthing pool. Some women love the shower pulsating on their back, and others ease into the warm water of the birth tub and experience instant relief. Unless you have a large bath tub, a birth tub provides the greatest space and comfort to the laboring woman. Birth tubs are available for rent.

If you are interested in renting a birth tub I recommend Waterbirth International, a local company, or Aquadoula. Some women choose to buy an inflatable pool, which works nice, too. Here are some inexpensive inflatable tubs that I recommend:

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