March 2026
Midwife Expert News
New Book Available Now• UK and International Visits • New studies and data
Welcome to the MidwifeExpert Spring Newsletter
Spring is here and with it comes a burst of exciting news. I'm thrilled to celebrate the launch of my new book, Waterbirth for the 21st Century: Love, Skills and Knowledge. It’s a blend of evidence, experience and heartfelt guidance and is now available on Amazon (link below).
This issue also shares moments from my recent teaching visits in the UK and abroad, including Istanbul, São Paulo and Crete. Each trip reflects the same commitment to strengthening skills, confidence and compassionate care around waterbirth.
You’ll also find details of several important new studies that are shaping current conversations in maternity care, perfect for anyone wanting to stay connected to the latest evidence.
Thank you for being part of MidwifeExpert as we step into a new season together.
Dianne Garland
New Book Available Now
It’s been a long time coming but Waterbirth for the 21st Century- Love, Skills and Knowledge is finally here. For those who have been enquiring, I want to thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy it. I’m so pleased to be able to share it with you all.
And once again, huge thanks to all those who contributed.
“Waterbirth for the 21st Century – Love, Skills and Knowledge, a comprehensive guide for midwives and maternity professionals. Blending history, global research and practical clinical insight, it offers evidence-based guidance and real-world experiences to strengthen confident, safe and skilled waterbirth practice.
Global research, clinical experience, practical guidance, inspiring stories.”
Istanbul, Turkey 2025
The end of 2025 brought the wonderful opportunity to teach in Istanbul at the invitation of Dr. Turabi Yerli and Özlem Karabulut. Their hospitality, professionalism and dedication to advancing waterbirth education made the visit both memorable and deeply rewarding. The teaching sessions were lively, thoughtful and filled with genuine commitment to improving care- a true reflection of their passion for supporting birthing families. During the study session, I was also invited to speak with Turkish television- a really lovely opportunity to share insights about waterbirth and highlight the enthusiasm of everyone involved.
Istanbul itself was a joy to experience: vibrant, welcoming and full of warmth. The kindness of the people, the energy of the city and the rich blend of history and modern life created the perfect backdrop for learning and connection.
My sincere thanks to Dr. Yerli and Özlem for their generosity and for bringing together such an engaged group of professionals. I very much hope to return in the future and continue this meaningful collaboration.
Zeynep Kamil hospital presentation and TV interview
South Tees NHS Trust February 2026
I had the pleasure of teaching at South Tees NHS Trust in February 2026, where the session was engaging, thoughtful and supported by a highly committed team. It was great to work with such dedicated professionals.
Classical Midwifery Conference in Crete, September 2025
Left to right- me, Janet Dirmayer, Dianne Bjarnson, Angelina Martinez, Marianne Little John, Amy Medwin, Jan Trittan and Carol Gautschi. Over 40 years experience each!
Dr Hakan Coker and Nese Karabekir from Turkey
Speaking at the Sia Parto Conference, São Paulo
Travelling from the UK to Brazil is no small journey, but speaking at the Sia Parto conference in São Paulo certainly made it worthwhile. The event was incredibly rewarding, with thoughtful discussions, warm engagement and a shared commitment to improving care for birthing families. We covered a mixture of topics- breech birth, care of home birth families, legal work supporting health professionals and so much more.
My sincere thanks to Diego and to everyone who attended for creating such a welcoming and inspiring atmosphere.
While in Brazil, I also had the opportunity to visit Casa Angela Birth Centre in São Paulo. It was a real privilege to see first-hand how this centre operates. The skilled team and clear dedication to respectful, physiological birth were truly impressive. My heartfelt thanks to all involved for their time, openness, and hospitality.
Brazil’s warmth, (both in climate and spirit!) made this visit unforgettable and I hope to return again in the future.
National Back Exchange Sessions
I was pleased to be invited back recently to teach an engaging session for the National Back Exchange in Birmingham. The group brought such thoughtful questions and rich discussion, making it thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. I also taught some online sessions.
Maternity and Midwifery Festival
At this London event I spoke about ‘Educating for Waterbirth in the 21st Century’ and was also delighted to take early pre‑registrations for my forthcoming book. I’m deeply grateful for the enthusiasm and encouragement shown. As always, my sincere thanks to everyone who attended, contributed and supported these sessions—your commitment to learning and improving practice continues to inspire me.
Recent Studies and Articles
The soothing touch of water: Maternal comfort and neonatal outcomes in hydrotherapy – assisted labor. Birth 24/2/26 Birth. Elmas,B et al
Sexual and reproductive health care. Vol 47 March 2026. Womens satisfaction and experiences with water birth compared with conventional birth. Hummel,E et al.
J.NM health Vol 13. No.3 Sept-Dec 2025. We must be aware about water birth : an overview. Swati Jaiswal. Emailed about some of the findings – still awaiting reply.
NICE guideline NG235 Intrapartum care. 14/11/25. Read Appendix d – benefits and risk of birth out of water and waterbirth.
J Eval Clin Pract 2025 Dec;31(8):e70318. doi: 10.1111/jep.70318. Midwives' Views and Experiences of Practice to Delivered in Water: A Qualitative Study
Case Report: Severe Neonatal Legionella pneumophila Pneumonia: Insights from Clinical Management and Epidemiological Investigation. Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Qasem et al. International Journal of Infectious Diseases Online 1 October 2025, 108098
The effect of showering during labour on perceived labour pain, parenting behaviour and birth memory: a RCT clinical trial. International journal of nursing practice. 2025 :31 Kulac,V et al.
Water birthing gains ground as experts call for shift away from intervention-heavy childbirth. Nov.8th 2025 Hyderabad India.
Hospital Waterbirth for Low-Risk Birthing People: Findings of a Randomized Controlled Trial MALLOY,E et al AJOG Global Reports 14/8/25 100558
8/8/25 Death of baby girl during “freebirthing” was preventable. Melbourne Australia.Coroners report after baby died in December 2022.Recommend that government health authorities update their guidelines on water birth safety.
Get In Touch
We would love to hear from you regarding any subjects mentioned here, suggestions for future news or anything else in the world of midwifery.