There are short term responses to immersion. When a parturient enters a bath at body temperature, there is immediate pain relief. This pain relief is probably associated with a reduced level of endorphins and catecholamines. Such a modified hormonal balance tends to facilitate the release of oxytocin and cervical dilation. At the same time, blood volume redistribution also tends to stimulate the release of oxytocin through a direct effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
After a certain delay, there is a phase of secondary responses when the activity of the posterior pituitary gland is more or less suppressed by the release of artrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). This delay is in the region of 1-2 hours and is influenced by the possibility to drink or not. Then the contractions get weaker and less efficient ... A possible decrease in efficiency might be anticipated when a woman has been in the bath for more than 2 hours.
-Michel Odent, MD, Journal of Nurse-Midwifery Vol. 42, No. 5, Sept./Oct. 1997
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 45, Nov 5, 1999)
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