Water Birth

A tub of warm water is an amazing tool during labor and birth, whether the baby is actually born in the water or not. At our Birth Center, nearly all birthing people will give birth in the tub, while others will enjoy the benefits of laboring in the tub before exiting for delivery. Either way, the water’s buoyancy provides pain relief for the birthing parent and many other benefits.

How Water Birth Works

The baby has been in amniotic fluid for up to ten months. Being brought into the world in warm water provides a slower and possibly less stressful transition for the newborn. There is no danger of drowning because the infant’s lungs are already filled with fluid that will absorbed once exposed to air. Once the infant is exposed to air, they will begin to breath.

It’s actually an amazing experience for everyone involved to see the baby’s head come out into the water. The transition is so gentle, so instinctual, that some babies do not yet seem to know they have been born. This slow transition is very beneficial not only for the infant, but for the birthing parent, their partner and the team attending the birth.

Our Birth Center has the deepest tub available, able to accommodate two adults in total submersion. The health of the birthing parent and baby are monitored in the same way as a non-water birth, with auditory ultrasound monitors submerged in the tub.

Book your free tour of our center today. Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com, call 831.717.4723, or book online 24/7. 

Benefits of Water Birth

There are many benefits of laboring in water and water birth according to peer-reviewed studies. The National Institutes of Health published its findings on water birth, concluding, “[Birthing parents] increasingly are seeking settings for birth that honor their ability to give birth without intervention. Water birth increases their chances of attaining the goal of a natural birth without intervention.” 

Benefits include:

·      Lower pain scores than non-water birth

·      Less use of pain medication

·      Shorter labor times

·      Higher rate of vaginal birth

·      Relief of stress and anxiety

·      The water’s buoyancy lessens the birthing parent bodyweight, allowing freedom of movement and different body positioning

·      Lower blood pressure for the mother

·      Buoyancy promotes improved blood circulation, resulting in more efficient contractions and more oxygen for the baby

·      Warm water can make the perineum more elastic, reducing the severity of tears

·      Less use of episiotomy

·      Eases the stress of transition for the newborn

 Water birth is suitable in most, but not all, instances. Water birth should only be carried under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider.

In the interest of providing you with a midwife you know during your labor and birth, this practice limits the number of clients in care per month in order to provide you with the best and most attentive care possible. Schedule your free tour of our center. Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com, call 831.717.4723, or book online 24/7. 

INSURANCE

  • Insurance billing available for Anthem, Aetna, Cigna and Multiplan; please call to verify eligibility. Payment plans and financing also available

  • Credit card and HSA card payments accepted.

  • Ask us about our Birth Package, which includes prenatal care, labor care, postpartum care, and state-of-the-art birthing rooms with a water birth tub.

ACCREDITATION

The Monterey Birth & Wellness Center is one of only 18 accredited birth centers in California, and the only one in central California. Accreditation is a mark of quality and expertise achieved by relatively few freestanding birth centers in the U.S.A. Learn more about the standards for accreditation at the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers website.

Service Area

Providing midwifery care to Monterey County and some areas of San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties: Seaside, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Salinas, Prunedale, Spreckels, Soledad, Gonzales, King City, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Moss Landing, Castroville, Watsonville, Freedom, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel and Capitola.