Prenatal

Welcome to your pregnancy.  This is the beginning of a powerful journey of growth and transformation.  Deciding who will accompany you on this journey is the first of many choices you will make along your way.  Working with a midwife means that you will have personalized and respectful care from highly trained professionals.  We are available to you 24 hours a day through the pregnancy and for the first six weeks postpartum.

As your midwives, we seek to nurture your sense of self-determination by providing information, offering options, and encouraging you to follow your vision for your pregnancy, birth and parenting.  We see your health as a combination of physical, mental and spiritual well-being.  We use clinical skills, intellect and intuition as our tools.

Your prenatal visits are a time to honor your changing body, your growing baby, and your experience of pregnancy.  We gain insight into your life and develop a mutual trust and understanding.  We see you regularly throughout your pregnancy for hour-long visits.  During these visits, we provide complete clinical care, nutritional counseling and offer a library of resources.  There is time to discuss feelings and concerns and to answer all of your questions.

Outside of prenatal visits we are available 24 hours/day.

Birth

Giving birth is a peak life experience.   It can be tremendously empowering.

At home, you’re in a setting that is familiar and comfortable, surrounded by people you have chosen.  In this safe environment, you are able to be fully guided by your instincts; we support your vision of your birth and encourage your natural process.  When we arrive at your home, we mold ourselves to your needs.  If you want privacy, we give you space.  If you want active support, we interact, encourage and offer guidance.

We bring skills, experience and expertise in normal birth.  We help you to keep your energy up, to deal with pain, and to encourage labor to progress so that your birth will unfold naturally.  We carry in our birth bags herbs, homeopathics, and conventional medicines to handle emergencies should they arise.

In 2005, the British Medical Journal published a study evaluating the safety of homebirths in North America involving certified professional midwives.  The authors concluded:

Planned home births for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rtes of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States….Mothers’ satisfaction with care was high, with over 97% reporting that they werer extremely or very satisfied.

Johnson, K.C., Daviss, B. (2005).  Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives:  large prospective study in North America.  British Medical Journal, 330 (7507):  1416, June 18, 2005.

Postpartum

The postpartum period is a magical time when the bond between you and your baby is forming and transforming.  You’re getting to know yourself as a mother while learning the nuances and cues of your baby.

During the first few hours, we’ll monitor you and your baby while preserving the sacredness of your space.  We will stay with you until you and your baby are nursing, comfortable and ready to rest.

We’ll then be returning to your house the next day and regularly over the first few weeks, to provide clinical care for you and your baby.  We’ll talk about your birth and the many feelings of the postpartum period.  Adapting to the rhythms of your life can be joyful and challenging.  We honor this time of change and development with our continued support and care.