Why More Families in DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia Are Choosing to Birth in the Tub

By Hadassah

If you’ve ever dreamed of laboring like a serene goddess in a warm tub instead of under fluorescent lights in a hospital room, you’re not alone.

I’m Hadassah Bellot, a licensed traditional midwife serving families throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, and I’ve attended hundreds of water births—both at home and in birth centers. Water birth is growing in popularity—especially among Black families in the DMV—because it offers a gentler, more empowering, and more connected birth experience, right from the comfort of home. As a Black midwife in the DMV, I see firsthand how important autonomy, dignity, and ancestral wisdom are in birth. Water birth lets us reclaim that. It’s not just about comfort—it’s about restoring power to the birthing person in a system that too often ignores our voices.

And yes, we bring the tub. (Unless you have a jacuzzi… in which case, I’m already jealous.) Water birth is one of the most beautiful, empowering, and peaceful ways to welcome a baby earthside. Let’s dive in (pun 100% intended) to what makes it special .

🛁 What Is a Water Birth?

A water birth involves laboring—and often delivering—in a warm pool of water. No, your baby will not drown. Newborns have a reflex that prevents them from inhaling water until they are exposed to air.

Woman giving birth in a birth pool while being supported by her doula or midwife

🌊 Why Choose Water Birth at Home?

1. Pain Relief You Can Feel

Warm water soothes tired muscles, softens contractions, and helps you relax—leading to less pain and often faster progress. Research backs it up: water immersion reduces labor pain and interventions (Shaw-Battista et al., 2017).

2. Freedom to Move Naturally

You can squat, float, lean, or sway. The tub becomes your sanctuary, not your prison. Your body leads the way—not machines or hospital policies.

3. A Gentle Entrance for Baby

Babies born in water often arrive peacefully, without the bright lights and sudden cold of traditional delivery rooms. It’s a soft, womb-like welcome.

4. Private, Peaceful, and Intimate

Water birth gives you privacy and control, something especially important to families who've experienced systemic trauma or dismissal in medical settings.

5. Led by a Licensed Professional Midwife

I bring clinical training, intuition, and experience to every birth. I’m a licensed midwife, trained to manage the normal and prepared for the unexpected. A skilled birth assistant is also present to ensure a safe and supported experience for both you and your baby.

🤎 Why Black Families in the DMV Are Choosing Water Birth

As a Black midwife, I know how essential it is to create safe, sacred, and culturally affirming spaces during birth. Water birth allows for autonomy, dignity, and connection—key components of a healing and empowering birth experience.

Whether you're planning a VBAC, first baby, or fifth, water birth at home gives you options that honor both tradition and evidence-based care.

📚 Quick Citations for the Curious

Shaw-Battista, J., et al. (2017). Systematic review of hydrotherapy in labor. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health.
Nutter, E., et al. (2014). Waterbirth: An integrative analysis of peer-reviewed literature. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health.

💛 Ready to Birth in the Water?

If you’re in D.C., Maryland, or Northern Virginia, and are looking for a Black, licensed midwife who offers home water births, traditional midwifery, VBAC support, and person-centered care, I’d love to connect.

Let's talk about your vision for a peaceful, powerful, water birth at home.

👉🏽 Schedule a free consulation
📍Serving the DMV: Washington, D.C. | Maryland | Northern Virginia
🔍 Black midwife DMV, home birth DC, water birth Maryland, licensed midwife Virginia, traditional midwifery support

The Magic of Water Birth at Home