Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center Now Offers Water Birth for an Empowering Birth Experience

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2025

Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center Now Offers Water Birth for an Empowering Birth
Experience

Bryn Mawr, PA — Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center (Lifecycle) is excited to announce the
addition of water birth services to its comprehensive range of birth options. Lifecycle is
dedicated to empowering parents in their prenatal, labor and delivery journey through
evidence-based, midwifery-led care designed to put their clients first. Hydrotherapy during labor
provides immense benefits, and with the addition of birthing tubs, Lifecycle is proud to extend
hydrotherapy’s benefits through the final stages of birth. Expectant parents at Lifecycle’s Birth
Center can now include water birth as part of their personalized birthing plan.

Water birth, the practice of giving birth immersed in water, has been gaining popularity due to its
numerous benefits and growing evidence as a safe, effective birthing option. Water immersion
during labor offers gentle buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and warmth that provides powerful
pain relief for people experiencing unmedicated labor.

“We’re thrilled to offer water birth as an option to our clients,” said Jessi Schwarz, CNM, Clinical
Director at Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center. “Waterbirth is a wonderful option for many
expectant parents, providing a calming and supportive environment for baby’s smooth transition
into the world. It aligns perfectly with our philosophy of providing individualized care that
empowers parents throughout their birthing journey.”

The new birthing tubs now allow expectant parents to stay in the tub through birth, extending the
benefits of hydrotherapy through the most intense stages of birth. The birthing tubs are placed
so the Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) have access to all sides of the tub. The tubs are
spacious and deep to allow for freedom of movement, and offer a seat for relaxation and
support as needed. The depth allows for the baby to be safely delivered underwater and gently
brought to the surface for the first breath of air. With the addition of water birth services,
Lifecycle’s Birth Center further enhances its commitment to supporting parents’ birthing choices
and offering safe, effective, patient-centered care.

“My water birth was everything I imagined. It was the only time I felt relaxed between
contractions during labor,” said Marley Ghizzone, a Lifecycle client who had a water birth at
Lifecycle in March. “The tub at Lifecycle was luxurious. When I stepped into the tub, I had the
space to melt. There was room to maneuver as well as anchor when pushing. The water was
calming and exactly where I needed to be. I’m truly and deeply appreciative for this birthing
experience with Lifecycle.”

Lifecycle’s team of Certified Nurse Midwives are trained in water birth techniques, including how
to safely monitor both birthing person and baby during the labor, and how to manage both
routine and complicated births that occur in the tub. Midwives have long championed water birth
as an important option for birthing people, especially those hoping for unmedicated, physiologic
birth. In 2014, both the American College of Nurse Midwives and the American Association of
Birth Centers released statements evaluating water birth as a safe, effective option for delivery
that does not pose any increased maternal or fetal risk. This position was affirmed in a recent
systematic review published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that
concluded water birth is a reasonable choice for both mother and baby. This most recent article
summarized the findings of 52 publications which found that water birth is a safe option when
practiced by experienced providers in a facility equipped to do so.

Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center is dedicated to providing a range of birth options to support
and empower clients in their healthcare decisions. The addition of water birth services is just
one of many ways the Birth Center is enhancing its offerings to create an inclusive, nurturing
space for all types of birth experiences. Water birth has now grown to represent 15% of
Lifecycle’s births in just a few months, proving that parents want more options for their birth.

“As midwives, our goal is to get to know our clients so that we can understand and honor their
values and preferences about their birth and to guide them through safe and effective prenatal,
labor and delivery care,” said Schwarz.

For more information on water birth and hydrotherapy in labor at Lifecycle, or to schedule a
consultation or tour of the birthing suites, please visit www.lifecyclewellness.org or call (610)
525-6086.

About Lifecycle Wellness & Birth Center
Lifecycle Wellness & Birth Center is the largest and oldest continuously operating free-standing
birth center in the US. Our team of Certified Nurse Midwives and Certified Nurse Practitioners
provide empowering maternity and gynecological care to clients in a trusting and caring
environment. Lifecycle’s midwifery model of care aims to achieve better birth and reproductive
health outcomes through a deeper partnership with our clients.

Media Contact:
Nikki Graham
Director of Programs and Community Engagement
Lifecycle Wellness & Birth Center
610-525-6086, ext. 138
[email protected]
www.lifecyclewellness.org