If you’re pregnant in Kansas City and thinking about a water birth, here’s what I wish someone had told me upfront. I’m Jessica – a maternity, newborn, and family photographer serving the Kansas City area from my studio in Springfield, MO, and a mom of four.
At newborn sessions, I hear birth stories from moms all the time – and water births come up a lot. Moms tend to feel strongly about this one, so I put together this guide to your real options in Kansas City.
First: Laboring in Water vs. Actually Delivering in Water
There’s an important difference. Laboring in water means you use a tub during labor and get out before your baby is born. Water birth means your baby is actually delivered in the water. They have different options, different rules, and different providers – so it helps to know which one you’re asking about.
Can You Have a Water Birth in Kansas City?
Yes – but if you want your baby actually delivered in water, your main option in the KC metro is a home birth with a midwife. There aren’t freestanding birth centers in the immediate Kansas City metro right now. Your options boil down to:
- Plan a home water birth with a qualified midwife
- Labor in water at a participating hospital and get out for delivery
- Travel outside the immediate metro to a freestanding birth center – Lawrence Birth and Wellness in Lawrence, Kansas (515 Rockledge Road, Lawrence, KS 66049; 785-856-0017) offers water birth at their center
KC-Area Midwives Who Offer Home Water Birth
Midwife KC
Midwife KC offers home-birth midwifery care and confirms water birth is available, with birth pools provided for clients. Contact them directly to ask about their current service area, midwife credentials, what’s included, eligibility, hospital transfer plans, and availability around your due date.
Best for: moms who want a dedicated home-birth practice with water birth built in.
Glory Birth
Glory Birth is a team of home-birth midwives serving the Kansas City area – call 816-944-0777. Their care includes prenatal appointments, birth attendance, and postpartum visits, and water birth is part of what they offer. They generally serve families within about 45 minutes of their location.
Best for: moms who want a midwife team with full prenatal-to-postpartum care.
Sacred Song Homebirth
Sacred Song Homebirth – call 913-735-5259 – is a team of three Certified Professional Midwives: Amber Walla, Erika Cool, and Monica Drake. They specialize in water birth, family-centered birth, and trauma-informed care. Services include complete prenatal care, home birth, complimentary birth-tub rental, labor support, newborn exams and screenings, postpartum care, breastfeeding support, and childbirth education.
Best for: moms who want a trauma-informed, family-centered team with the birth tub included.
Midwife Partners Homebirth
Midwife Partners Homebirth – call 913-544-2560 – brings 47+ years and 2,500+ births of experience. Families may labor in a birth pool and stay in the pool for delivery when water birth is part of the plan. Their package includes prenatal appointments, birth attendance by the midwifery team, and postpartum care, with offices in Overland Park, KS and Lee’s Summit, MO. Birth-pool rental is included.
Best for: moms who want one of the most experienced home-birth teams in the area.
Can You Labor in Water at a Kansas City Hospital?
Several Kansas City hospitals have tubs or hydrotherapy for labor – including AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and Centerpoint Medical Center. But a hospital offering a labor tub does not automatically mean it allows underwater delivery. Ask specifically: can I stay in the water for delivery, or do I need to get out to push? The answer depends on the hospital and your provider.
Questions To Ask Before You Decide
Whether you’re talking to a midwife or a hospital, ask:
- Can my baby actually be delivered in the water, or do I get out to push?
- What credentials do you hold, and how many water births have you attended?
- What situations would require a hospital transfer?
- Is the birth pool or tub included, or do I rent one?
- What supplies will I need to have ready?
- What prenatal and postpartum care is included?
The moms I meet at newborn sessions always say the same thing: interview more than one provider. You should feel comfortable and get clear answers without being pressured.
What If Your Plan Changes?
Babies don’t always follow the birth plan. You may plan a water birth and decide you want to get out. Your provider may recommend a change. You may decide you want pain medication or need to transfer to a hospital. Changing the plan doesn’t mean you failed – a birth plan is there to communicate your preferences, not to lock you in.
Why Kansas City Moms Drive to Springfield for Newborn Photos
After the birth – however it happens – let’s capture those first days. I’m a maternity, newborn, and family photographer based in Springfield, MO, and plenty of my clients make the drive from the Kansas City area for their sessions.
As a mom of four with more than 10 years behind the camera, I handle everything – outfits, planning, and a calm session where your only job is to snuggle your baby. Ashley and Joey told me: “We will continue to use her as our family grows over the years! Jessica is a baby whisperer…” That’s the kind of session I want for you.
Ready To Book?
If you’re in Kansas City and open to the drive to Springfield, I’d love to photograph your new little one. Click here to get in touch – let’s get your newborn session on the calendar.
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