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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2025

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 caming 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 bothroutine 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
ngraham@lifecyclewellness.org
www.lifecyclewellness.org