ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization states that “a health technology is the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives”. Water immersion has long been used to help with the sensations of labor and birth. Despite this evidence, water immersion is controversial in some settings, with concern expressed that there is insufficient research to quantify maternal or perinatal benefits. Water immersion during labor is highly valued by women for pain management and for the control, comfort, and privacy it provides. The technocratic restrictions on the availability of water immersion for labor and birth can take the form of institutional policies, accreditation requirements, or waivers that women are required to sign. Water immersion pivots the focus from obstetric risk management practices to respectful midwifery care focused on the woman’s needs.
