#454: Getting Your Hands Wet: Water & Wisdom From Barbara Harper
From Birthing Instincts by Dr. Stuart Fischbein + Midwife Blyss Young
February 25, 2026 · 1h 57m · Episode 454
About this episode
The episode features Barbara Harper discussing the history and physiology of water birth.
Blyss and Stu are joined by guest Barbara Harper, founder of Waterbirth International, an internationally recognized expert on water birth and gentle birth. Join us for a roller coaster of an episode where we dig into the history of water birth, tell stories about how society lost its way in the world of birth, and dive into the physiology of birthing in water. Truly an episode you won’t forget. About Barbara: Barbara Harper is an internationally recognized expert on waterbirth and gentle birth who has dedicated her life to revolutionizing the way we welcome babies into the world. She founded Waterbirth International in 1988 with one goal in mind—to ensure that water birth is an “available option” for all women. During the past five decades, Barbara has worked as an obstetric and pediatric nurse, midwife, midwifery instructor, childbirth educator, hypnosis and doula trainer. Her unique seminars, and Waterbirth Certification Courses have been conducted within hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery and medical schools, and community groups worldwide. Barbara has taught over 30,000 doctors and midwives in 81 countries to date. She has been interviewed by hundreds of TV and radio…
People in this episode
Hosts: Blyss Young, Dr. Stuart Fischbein
Guest: Barbara Harper
Topics covered
- water birth
- gentle birth
- childbirth education
- midwifery
- physiology of birth
Keywords
- water birth
- gentle birth
- childbirth
- midwifery
- physiology
- Barbara Harper
- Waterbirth International
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Waterbirth International
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