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Welcome!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been on a mission to change the way babies enter the world. Birth is not just a medical event—it’s a profound, transformative experience for both parents and babies. It shapes how we bond, how we trust, and how we begin life’s journey.

Inspired by my grandmother, Estella Ethel Harper Lemunyon—a dedicated midwife and nurse for 47 years—I’ve devoted my life to nurturing safer, more gentle ways to welcome babies into the world. For over 35 years, I’ve brought this vision to life by working directly with birthing centers, hospitals, and communities across the globe.

Thanks to the support of people like you, I can continue bringing gentle birth practices to areas where they’re needed most. Together, we’re creating a world where every birth is a safe, positive experience, and every family is supported on this incredible journey.

RN, DEM, CKC, BHE, BHT

Expert & Author of Gentle Birth Choices
Founder & Director of Waterbirth International
Visiting professor numerous medical schools
Certified Blissborn Hypnosis Childbirth Educator
Certified Blissborn Hypnosis Childbirth Trainer
Certified Infant Craniosacral Therapist
Certified Prenatal Aquatic Instructor
Certified Kangaroo Care Consultant
Certified Childbirth Educator
Certified Labor Doula

After researching the benefits of water immersion for labor and birth, I founded Waterbirth International in 1988. My own experience using water during pregnancy and labor gave me firsthand insight into the power of this gentle practice. I became an unwavering advocate, working tirelessly to bring waterbirth into hospitals, birth centers, and home births.

Since then, I’ve traveled to over 80 countries, training more than 25,000 midwives, nurses, doctors, and birth professionals. I’ve worked with hospitals, birth centers, and ministries of health to integrate evidence-based waterbirth practices into maternity care worldwide. Together, we’ve shifted protocols, trained teams, and expanded access to options that truly honor the birthing process.

I’ve helped design and consult on state-of-the-art waterbirth suites in hospitals worldwide, developed hospital protocols, and created comprehensive training programs for medical professionals. I’ve worked closely with ministries of health, midwifery organizations, and medical institutions across six continents to bring evidence-based waterbirth practices to the forefront of maternity care.

Through this work, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of water to ease labor, reduce interventions, and create peaceful, gentle beginnings. Waterbirth isn’t just a method—it’s a philosophy of honoring birth as a sacred and physiological process.

My book, Gentle Birth Choices, has helped thousands of parents and professionals embrace a new vision of birth, and my teachings continue to reach birth workers around the globe. But my mission isn’t finished. I remain deeply committed to educating, advocating, and supporting the next generation of birth professionals as we work toward a future where every baby is born with dignity, love, and respect.

Because when we change the way we are born, we change the world.

Barbara's Upcoming Travels

May 22, 2025
European Institute of Perinatal Mental Health Water Birth Course in Spanish  
Madrid, Spain

May 26-27, 2025
Waterbirth Certification Midwives Course in Spanish
Cambrils, Spain

May 30 – June 1, 2025
Midwives Retreat in Spanish
La Bartra, Spain

June 3-4, 2025
Online Waterbirth Workshop in Spanish
Venezuela

June 2025
Personal Health Retreat
France

June 2025
Waterbirth Advocacy 
Dubai, UAE

June 2025
Acıbadem City Hospital Waterbirth workshop
Izmir, Turkey 

July 2025
Shaare Zedek Medical Center Waterbirth Training
Hospital Waterbirth Tours

Jerusalem, Israel
Haifa, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel

August 2025
Aga Khan University Hospital 
Hospital Staff Waterbirth Training

Dar-es-Saalam, Tanzania

September 2025
Western Wisconsin Health System/University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health Waterbirth Training 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

October 2025
University of Buenes Aires Waterbirth Workshop
Buenes Aires, Argentina

October 2025
Ministry of Health Tour
Esceula Renever Waterbirth Training
Santiago, Chile

February 2026
Waterbirth Training Workshop
Costa Rica

Upcoming Teachings & Trainings


Waterbirth Certification Course
May 26-27, 2025
Cambrils, Tarragona, Spain
Taught in English with live Spanish translation

This in-depth two-day certification course will expand your knowledge and skills in water birth, giving you the confidence and tools to provide safe, gentle, and empowering care to birthing families.

For more information and to register, visit wisdominbirth.com.

For any questions or additional information, please email Zeresh directly (in English or Spanish) at wisdominbirth@gmail.com.

turkey training

Waterbirth Training
June 28-29, 2025

Izmir – Acıbadem City Hospital, Turkey

An 18 hour comprehensive water birth training for doctors, midwives and medical students.

For more information and to register, visit
https://www.dogumakademisi.com/tr/profesyoneller/egitimler-ve-hizmetler/suda-ve-suya-dogum-egitimleri/213

Upcoming Retreats with Barbara

Midwives’ Retreat 

May 30, 31 & June 1, 2025
La Bartra, Tarragona, Spain
Taught in English with live Spanish translation

Midwifery is sacred work, but when was the last time you truly took care of yourself?

This retreat is a gift—a chance to slow down, reconnect, and honor the deep calling of birth work. Nestled in the heart of the Prades mountains, this peaceful space will allow you to:

✨ Rest & recharge –
Take a break from the demands of caregiving in a tranquil natural setting.

✨ Grow personally & professionally –
Engage in activities, reflections, and discussions designed to enrich both your practice and well-being.

✨ Celebrate your work –
Honor the incredible gift you offer to families and allow yourself to receive the same care and recognition.

🌸 What’s Included:
✔ 3 days & 2 nights in a serene mountain retreat
✔ Full board with delicious organic vegetarian meals sourced from the retreat’s own garden
✔ Daily workshops, movement, music, and meditation
✔ Yoga & mindfulness practices
✔ Shared accommodations in a peaceful setting
✔ Deep connection with fellow midwives and birth keepers

This is a time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the heart of midwifery while surrounded by nature’s beauty.

Only a few spots left! Sign up today! 
For more information and to register, visit wisdominbirth.com.

For any questions or additional information, please email Zeresh directly (in English or Spanish) at wisdominbirth@gmail.com.

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"When a mother feels safe, supported, and undisturbed, her body produces the perfect balance of hormones to labor efficiently."

- Barbara Harper

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