Water Use During Labor and Birth
This is a great place to start with when deciding on offering water birth services!
Enroll in Course
Water Use During Labor and Birth
Comprehensive Online Training for Hospitals, Birth Centers & Home Birth Practices
Transform the way you support labor and birth with evidence-based, safely implemented water use—across every birth setting.
This in-depth online course is designed for doctors, midwives, nurses, and birth assistants who want to confidently and competently integrate water use during labor and birth into their clinical practice. With over 20 hours of lifetime-access video training, this course goes far beyond theory—providing the real-world tools, policies, and implementation guidance needed to successfully offer hydrotherapy and water birth in hospitals, birth centers, and home birth practices.
Whether you are building a program from the ground up or refining an existing one, this course serves as both a clinical education and implementation blueprint.
What Makes This Course Different
This is not a basic overview or a single-perspective training. It is a complete system for education, risk management, staff training, and policy development—designed to meet the needs of multidisciplinary teams and diverse practice environments.
You’ll gain:
- Lifetime access to 20+ hours of on-demand video instruction
- Downloadable outlines, clinical resources, and checklists
- Sample policies and procedures adaptable to hospitals, birth centers, and home birth practices
- Step-by-step guidance for safe, compliant implementation
- Training content appropriate for physicians, midwives, nurses, and birth assistants
Perfect for individual clinicians, practice owners, educators, and organizations seeking a standardized training solution.
What You’ll Learn
Foundations of Water Use in Labor & Birth
- Physiologic benefits of hydrotherapy during labor
- Current evidence, guidelines, and best practices
- Indications, contraindications, and informed consent
- Risk assessment and client selection across settings
Clinical Application & Hands-On Skills
- Labor support techniques using water immersion
- Monitoring maternal and fetal wellbeing in water
- Infection control, sanitation, and equipment standards
- Managing transitions in and out of the tub
- Emergency procedures and contingency planning
Water Birth-Specific Training
- Criteria for offering water birth
- Neonatal considerations and thermoregulation
- Umbilical cord management and shoulder dystocia considerations
- Documentation and charting best practices
Implementation Across Birth Settings
- Adapting protocols for hospital, birth center, and home birth
- Navigating institutional policies and administrative approval
- Equipment selection, setup, and maintenance
- Interdisciplinary team communication and training
Policies, Procedures & Program Development
- Sample policies and protocols you can customize for your practice
- Staff training and competency checklists
- Quality assurance, incident review, and ongoing education
- Legal, liability, and risk-management considerations
Who This Course Is For
- Obstetricians & Family Practice Physicians
- Certified Nurse-Midwives, CPMs, and LMIDs
- Labor & Delivery Nurses
- Birth Assistants and Doulas working in clinical roles
- Hospital administrators and birth center directors
- Educators training multidisciplinary perinatal teams
This course can be used for:
- Individual professional development
- Group staff training
- Orientation of new team members
- Continuing education and competency validation
- Program launch or expansion
Course Format & Access
- 100% online, self-paced
- 20+ hours of professionally structured video training
- Lifetime access—watch, rewatch, and train new staff anytime
- Downloadable tools, outlines, and templates
- Designed for easy integration into existing education programs
The Outcome
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Confidently support water use during labor and birth
- Implement safe, evidence-based hydrotherapy programs
- Train staff using standardized, professional materials
- Reduce risk while expanding client-centered birth options
- Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and trust
Elevate Your Birth Practice with Confidence
Water use during labor and birth can be a powerful, safe, and deeply supportive option when implemented correctly. This course provides everything you need—education, policies, resources, and practical guidance—to bring water use into your practice with clarity, consistency, and confidence.
Empower your team. Expand your offerings. Set the standard for safe, evidence-based water birth care.
Course Curriculum
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PreviewWhy is This Topic Important? (4:05)
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PreviewHistory and Global Use of Water in Labor and Birth (3:04)
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PreviewCultural and Spiritual Significance of Water (3:07)
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PreviewTrends and Statistics in Water Birth Utilization (2:30)
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StartOverview of Professional Guidelines (ACOG, ACNM, RCM, WHO, etc.) (4:29)
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StartWater Use During Labor and Birth Considerations (20:39)
Your Instructor
Leslie Cornwell, CNM is a certified nurse-midwife, educator, and consultant dedicated to advancing accessible, evidence-based midwifery and women’s health care. With extensive clinical experience across home birth, birth center, and hospital settings, Leslie brings a practical, real-world approach to education that bridges clinical excellence with sustainable practice management.
As the founder of multiple education and consulting platforms—including Empowering Midwifery Education and Midwifery Business Consultation—Leslie has trained and mentored midwives, nurses, physicians, and birth professionals nationwide. Her courses are known for translating complex clinical guidelines, policies, and systems into clear, actionable tools that providers can confidently implement in their own practices.
Leslie is especially passionate about expanding scope, improving clinical confidence, and supporting midwives in building thriving, ethical, and financially sustainable practices. Through her Teachable courses, she combines clinical expertise, policy development, and real-life case application to empower providers at every stage of their professional journey.