Water Births

What are water births?

A water birth means you labor and deliver your baby while immersed in a warm water tub. You can choose to spend your entire labor and birth in the tub, or use the water during labor and move to land for delivery. 

At The Birth Center of New Jersey, you decide how you want to use water during your labor. Your midwife supports your choices while monitoring your and your baby’s safety throughout the experience.

What are the benefits of water births?

Water birth offers several advantages that make labor more comfortable and help your body work with the birth process, including:

Natural pain relief

Warm water and buoyancy can ease contraction pain and reduce your need for medical pain management.

Freedom of movement

Water supports your body weight, making it easier to change positions and find what feels comfortable.

Gentle transition for baby

Your baby moves from the warm, fluid environment of the womb into warm water, creating a smoother entry into the world.

Lower intervention rates

Water births often lead to fewer medical interventions during labor. The pain relief and relaxation water offers mean you may need fewer medications, and the natural progression of labor in water often eliminates the need for interventions to assist delivery.

Are water births safe?

Water births are safe for healthy, low-risk pregnancies when attended by trained professionals. Your midwife monitors you and your baby throughout labor, checking vital signs and fetal heart rate regularly. The water temperature is carefully controlled.

Certain situations make water births inadvisable, including complications during pregnancy, certain medical conditions, or if you’re carrying multiples. 

What happens during a water birth?

You enter the birthing tub when active labor begins and the warm water feels most helpful to you. The water stays at a comfortable 97–100 °F. You move and position yourself however feels right, using buoyancy to find relief during contractions.

Your midwife remains close by, providing continuous support and monitoring while respecting your space and preferences. When your baby arrives, they gently transition from the womb into the warm water, then rise to the surface for their first breath. You lift your baby to your chest for immediate skin-to-skin contact.

If you’re considering water birth for your delivery, call The Birth Center of New Jersey or schedule an appointment online to discuss this option with the experienced midwifery team.