Immersion in water: Use of a pool by women in labour

Since 1997 women in a consultant-led unit in Inverness have had access to a purpose-designed pool for labour and birth. The number of women using the pool over the last 11 years has steadily increased and midwives have gained more experience and confidence In the use of the pool for labour and birth. This article describes the ongoing evaluation of the pool from September 1997 to December 2008 and identifies how the experience in Inverness varies from other units in the UK.