Midwives are Experts in Normal Birth
Midwifery Care
What is a midwife?
Midwives are well-suited to care for healthy women who expect to have a normal birth. We provide prenatal care during your pregnancy, care during your birthing time, as you welcome your new baby, and postpartum care. We give priority to providing good information to you, involving you in decision-making, and providing flexible and responsive care. We work to avoid unnecessary tests and treatments; and under our care, you are less likely to have a cesarean, an episiotomy, and other unnecessary interventions.
We provide continuous support throughout your birthing time and as you welcome your new baby, which has many benefits for you, your baby, and your family and no known risks. We encourage and provide support for breastfeeding.
Birth is a normal event in a woman’s life. We will treat it as such.
What Care Does a Midwife Provide?
Let’s get acquainted
We meet with every interested client and their spouses to answer questions, dispel myths, and get to know each other. We want to see if we will all make a good birth team. This is a partnership. We schedule an orientation for you to meet with a midwife to get your questions answered, and to be sure we make a good team. There is NO CHARGE for this! We want you to make an informed decision without money being an issue.
Prenatal Care
Your Birthing Time (Labor)
Once your birthing time has become active, we will come to your home or meet you at the birth center. We will monitor you and baby throughout this time. We will either be a quiet presence or provide you with labor support as needed. Some women love to have their backs rubbed or to be talked to through each wave. Others prefer to progress with only their husbands close by. As an individual, you can choose who you would like to be there and what comfort measures you would like used. You have the freedom to walk about, eat when hungry, change positions, take a shower or get in a birth tub. When the baby comes, he or she will be handed directly to you. This is a time you may choose to share with friends and family or it may be a very quiet, intimate experience. We will continue to monitor you and baby throughout the time immediately after birth.
Newborn Exam
Postpartum
We will come to your home between 24-36 hours to check on you and your baby. We will suggest a one week visit with your family doctor and schedule a two week visit with your midwife or postpartum nurse. Should you need a lactation referral, we will schedule that for you.
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6 Week Postpartum Visit
The purpose of this visit is closure. We will have shared an incredible experience. We want to provide a time to get together and share once more. Until next time.
