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Water Birth Education

Evidence-based practices are the answer to our childbirth crisis in America. Scientifically sound studies provide the clearest information. 

We post studies and articles that interest expectant parents, Care Providers and Administrators alike.

Expectant Parents can learn what questions to ask a potential Care Provider and how to speak with a local hospital about Waterbirth. Learn about the Midwifery Model of Care, Waterbirth and Natural Birth in general.

Care Providers can share literature with patients and download studies of interest. 

We aspire to be a trusted resource for our customers.

On this page, you'll find the following information:

  1. Information for expecting mothers.
  2. Information for Midwives
  3. Information for Hospitals & Birthing Centers
  4. Downloadable Resources

Information for Expecting Mothers

If you’re considering Waterbirth and would like some more information, you’ve come to the right place. The majority of Waterbirths in the US are attended by a Midwife. A beautiful, empowering birth begins with a Midwife and finding one that you connect with is critical. The comprehensive, exceptional care given by a Midwife is due to the Midwives Model of Care™.

Per the Midwives Alliance of North America: ”Midwives Model of Care™ Is Woman-Centered and is a fundamentally different approach to pregnancy and childbirth than contemporary obstetrics. Midwifery care is a uniquely nurturing, hands-on care before, during, and after birth. Midwives are health care professionals specializing in pregnancy and childbirth who develop a trusting relationship with their clients, which results in confident, supported labor and birth. While there are different types of midwives practicing in various settings, all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns. The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events.”

Where you birth depends on you and often on the services in your community. Waterbirth can be found at some Hospitals, most Birth Centers, or at home. It all depends on what you desire, what is available in your community and your own financial constraints. There are homebirth studies that report equivalent safety and better outcomes than hospitalized birth. Most critical is finding a Care Provider that will support you at your chosen birth location.

If your heart is set on a Waterbirth and you are delivering in a hospital that has a rare occasion of natural birth and has never heard of Waterbirth, you are likely in for an uphill battle. Ironically, most Waterbirth hospitals started out just this way. Ask for what you want and be prepared with Waterbirth studies to back up your claims. For these types of situations, we highly recommend hiring a Doula to assist you and if needed, advocate for you during birth. For more in-depth information on Doulas, please visit Dona International. Studies show that women that employ a Doula have a better perceived birth experience.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information specific to Waterbirth.

Information for Midwives

If you're looking to add Waterbirth to your offering or you are a seasoned Waterbirth Provider, you've come to the right place. We carry structurally engineered Birth Pools that are durable and cost-effective. Some of our Birth Pools are warranted for 40 births and are able to get many more. We are privileged to work with Midwives on a daily basis and are always happy to provide complementary information whenever possible.

If you have a question about setting up a Waterbirth Program and would like operational details, we are happy to help. While some Midwives rent out their Birth Pools to each patient, others prefer to have their patients' provide their own Birth Pool. We carry Birth Pool Liners and Accessories and can tailor a Kit for your customers.

We aim to provide as much information as possible. We have posted Specification Sheets on all our Inflatable Birth Pools as well as a “what do I need” for those just getting started. We also post the latest Waterbirth Studies for your referral and when available a downloadable pdf for your use.

Longevity of an inflatable Birth Pool depends on storage and handling. Storing your Birth Pool at room temperature is a good practice and keeps the Birth Pool from getting brittle during cold weather and stretchy during hot weather. A durable storage container is recommended to keep your birth pool puncture-free.   

Information for Hospitals & Birthing Centers

Are you considering Waterbirth at your facility? The primary benefit of providing Waterbirth is pain relief leading to patient satisfaction. The second benefit is an undisturbed birth with lower medical intervention including reduced c-section rates. Lastly, there is a competitive edge to providing Waterbirth. More and more women are asking for it and they will go where it is offered.

Critics of Waterbirth claim that there is a lack of Waterbirth Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). While that is true, having a researcher determine a woman’s method of delivery poses a challenge for setting up a trial. There is, however, data available. Two US databases of recorded births that demonstrate Waterbirth safety exist in the US. The first is the Midwives Alliance of North America’s Statistics Registry. MANA Dataset 2.0, covering 2004-2009, includes comprehensive data on 24,000 births, 30% of which were Waterbirths. The second database is the Perinatal Data Registry compiled by the American Association of Birth Centers. Of the recorded 15,000 births recorded 2007-2010, 4,000 births were Waterbirths. There were no fatalities or neonate problems associated with Waterbirth in either of the data sets. Additionally, AABC found a lower hospital transfer rate for neonates born in water. Both these databases have been scrutinized and have upcoming research papers bound for publication.

Besides these two powerful databases, we can provide you with International Waterbirth studies and relevant articles about Waterbirth. We have links to PDFs and published information whenever copyright law allows. If a copy is not available for distribution, you will still find it in our Bibliography.

Setting up a Waterbirth program takes some planning. Taking into consideration the room size and layout will help determine if permanent acrylic birth pools are an option or whether an inflatable birth pool program can be employed. Creating Protocols and guidelines for your staff is critical and is often accompanied by Waterbirth Certification of Care Providers at a minimum and often training of your entire staff. We offer complimentary assistance with Acrylic Birth Pool Specifications, Inflatable Birth Pool Specifications, Room Layout Advise and Protocols. For training, we work in partnership with Waterbirth International and can give you a referral.

Often, the toughest element to instituting Waterbirth at a facility is satisfying an Infection Control Dept. We can provide sanitation recommendations and all of our products are designed with infection control in mind.  Please contact us with any questions as we are happy to help you facilitate Waterbirth.

Downloadable Resources

General Birth Data

Birth Center Resources

Home Birth Resources

Midwife Resources

Waterbirth Resources

Professional Inflatable Pool Information