Will Water Protect My Pelvic Floor During Birth?

(written by Jessica Dufault PT, DPT)

I talk a lot about protecting your pelvic floor during birth! I'm often asked about the risks for tearing when giving birth in water. In short, water may protect your pelvic floor from more severe tears (like Grade 3 & 4) because it improves the stretchability of the muscles, including the perineum. 

Being in water may naturally reduce your risks for tears.

Also, water may indirectly reduce your risk for tears because there is less risk for:

• Hands on techniques by your provider
• Episiotomy
• Epidural use
• Vacuum or forceps assist

And, water also naturally promotes more upright birth positions, which are known to help reduce risk for tearing. 

To be fair, it's important to let you know there's also some research that indicates there is NO difference in risk for tears when comparing birthing in water to birthing 'on land' 🤷‍♀️. 

There are other non-pelvic floor risks and benefits of a water birth. You can read more here in this article by Evidenced Based Birth.

In conclusion, it could protect your vagina, perineum and pelvic floor. And there are so many other benefits (and no pelvic floor risks) so it's worth your consideration.

Sources:

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol Vol 294, Mar 2024, PG 39-42

Medicine (Baltimore), 2017 Oct; 96 (41); e814

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Rerod Biol 2011 Mar

Chochrane Database Syst Rev 2018; 2018(5): CD000111 

Evidenced Based Birth. The Evidence on: Waterbirth