Factors influencing the use of birth pools in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of women, midwives and medical staff.
Sarah Milosevic, Sue Channon, Billie Hunter and 5 others
PMID 31610360WHAT IT FOUND
Women and staff described pool access as dependent on pool availability, guideline restrictions, and support from midwives and senior staff.
Midwifery-led units were generally easier; obstetric-led units were more restrictive.
Key findings
01Pool availability, room allocation and lack of waterproof fetal monitoring equipment restricted access to water immersion.
02Women and midwives described eligibility criteria and unit culture, especially obstetric-led settings, as restrictive and sometimes not evidence based.
03Support from midwives and senior staff, plus antenatal promotion, shaped whether women felt able to use a pool.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 106 of 354 registered participants contributed to the online groups. 83.5% of participating women had used a pool or bath, and 63.3% had given birth in water, so women who did not use water were underrepresented. Online recruitment may have excluded people with low digital literacy, and two-stage registration or technical problems may have reduced participation. Only 14 medical staff were interviewed, and interviews may not capture the interactive discussion-group experience. The study reports perceptions and barriers, not outcomes or safety effects.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institute for Health Research HTA programme. The Royal College of Midwives made a financial contribution to support one author's appointment.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that waterbirth improves outcomes or is safe for all women. It is a qualitative study of experiences and barriers. Also, 83.5% of participating women had used a pool or bath, so women who did not use one were underrepresented.