"Birth is not only about making babies. It's about making mothers~ strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and believe in their inner strength."
Barbara Katz Rothman
Why Hire A Midwife?
More women than ever are choosing midwives as their care professionals.
Why? Home Birth is a safe and satisfying option for low-risk pregnancies. With the care of licensed midwives, home birth families receive many comfort options such as water birth, free movement, minimal interventions, and gentile monitoring. Mothers and babies enjoy all the benefits of the Midwifery Model of Care* in the comfort of their own home.
Exceptional Prenatal Care
At each visit we address these important indicators to ensure your and your baby are maintain optimal health in pregnancy:
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Babys movement, heartbeat and position
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Uterine growth
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Integrated birth preparation
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Nutrition and supplements
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Exercise
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Emotional health
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Fears
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Social support
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Physical comfort
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Blood pressure
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Urinalysis
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Stress reduction
Prenatal care with a Licensed midwife is the first of many things that set us apart from standard care. During our prenatal visits, we really get to know one another. The visits are about an hour long. We discuss many things such as diet, exercise, relaxation, emotional health, birth, parenting, and breastfeeding. We provide you with information and support for your unique pregnancy. Whenever possible, we offer a variety of natural and nutritional alternatives to medications should any discomforts or issues come up during your pregnancy. We take the necessary time to explain testing options or interventions and are committed to making sure you have all the information and time you need to make informed choices. We are here to support you and we recognize that you are the central decision-maker for your family. Throughout your pregnancy, we discuss the birth process and your individual desires and needs so that you feel prepared for your birth.
PRENATAL SCHEDULE
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Free consultation/interview
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Monthly visits up to 28 weeks
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Bi-weekly visits from 28-36 weeks
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Weekly visits from 36 weeks until birth
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Phone, text and email availability as needed
What To Expect During a Homebirth
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During labor, we will encourage you to walk around your home environment and change positions to increase comfort and advance labor. We will stay with you throughout active labor, offering encouragement and guidance. Often women enjoy water, juice, and snacks during their labor. Many women find that a shower or warm bath are comfortable places to labor. We have helped people give birth standing, squatting, reclining, lying on their side, seated on a birthing stool, supported on their hands and knees and submerged in water. You will find whatever position works best for you.
The excessive use of high-tech equipment used in hospitals often shifts the focus from the laboring mother to machines. Overemphasis on technology has not been shown to increase safety for healthy, low-risk mothers and babies. Your comfort will not prevent us from closely monitoring vital signs to ensure that you and your baby are progressing safely through labor.
In the home setting, babies are welcomed with joy and respect, and parents receive personal individualized support. When your baby is born, they will go right on your chest. We do all our newborn examinations beside you in bed when you and baby are ready. Afterward, we will clean up from the birth and assist with nursing and ensure that mother and baby are stable and adjusting well. This is usually completed within 2-6 hours of the birth.
Because our clients are healthy, birth-educated, we encounter few complications. Nonetheless, we are fully trained to evaluate labor and birth and to carry out emergency medical procedures as needed. We never delay necessary medical care. The majority of our hospital transfers are not urgent but are due to lengthy labors or caution. When a family transfers to the hospital in labor, we accompany them to brief the doctors and nurses about the situation, the family's wishes and to serve as a doula throughout labor and birth. We then continue our planned postpartum care schedule.
Phenomenal Postpartum Support
Our intimate care and support continue well into the fourth trimester. In-home postpartum support helps to ensure your family is transitioning well and thriving. At our visits we take time to discuss your birth, monitor your physical and emotional well being, support system, nutrition, weighing the baby and making sure they are thriving. We integrate nurturing postpartum treatments into these visits. We come to you so that you do not need to leave the comfort of your home nest. We provide six scheduled postpartum home visits for mother and baby to be sure your family is thriving. These visits include support with breastfeeding, assessment of mom's physical and emotional health as well as baby's feeding, health, and growth. Natural family planning and a pap smear are available at the last visit if desired. We are always available by phone for urgent concerns if they should come up.
MIDWIFERY SERVICES INCLUDE
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Complete Prenatal care
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Labor support from the onset of active labor
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Two midwives present for birth
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Immediate postpartum support until mom and baby are settled
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Collaborative care with physicians if needed or desired
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Access to birth tubs
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Education and access to referrals and resources as needed
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Complete postpartum care
POSTPARTUM SCHEDULE
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Free consultation/ interview (for those who plan to birth out of their home but wish to receive our outstanding postpartum care)
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1 day home visit
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3-5 day home visit
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7-10 day home visit
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3 week home or office visit
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6+week closure visit
Midwives Model of Care™
The Midwives Model of Care™ is a fundamentally different approach to pregnancy and childbirth than contemporary obstetrics. Midwifery care is uniquely nurturing, hands-on care before, during, and after birth. Midwives are health care professionals specializing in pregnancy and childbirth who develop a trusting relationship with their clients, which results in confident, supported labor and birth. While there are different types of midwives practicing in various settings, all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns. The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events.
The Midwives Model of Care includes:
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Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
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Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
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Minimizing technological interventions and
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Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this model has been proven to reduce to incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
(Midwives Model of Care definition is Copyrighted © by the Midwifery Task Force, all rights reserved)
