The stitches heal after three weeks. When a woman gives birth underwater, her tissues are softened and more elastic and therefore less likely to tear. And even if they do tear, they are usually minor surface tears. Better for the baby too During a normal delivery, a newborn baby is forced to move from a comfortable watery womb to an alien environment. In water birth, the baby gently travels from the amnio fluids of the womb to a warm birthing water tub.
Water thus provides for a gentle birth.
No, a baby does not drown due to the water birth method. When the baby is in the uterus, it has no contact with outside air and has no need to use its lungs. It gets oxygen from the umbilical cord. A baby breathes only when the skin comes in contact with air. Therefore, water birth is safe for the baby too.