Listed below are some of the services provided:
Holistic midwifery and women’s healthcare and wellness
Preconception counseling
Prenatal care for a healthy pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum
Waterbirth
Lactation support
Alternative remedies such as herbal remedies and homeopathy
Pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting education
Family planning, birth control and fertility awareness educationnn
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Prenatal Care
All prenatal appointments are held in our office with the exception of one home visit at 36 weeks. The initial prenatal appointment is typically scheduled around 10-11 weeks and last about 60-90 minutes. After that, we meet approximately every 4 weeks until about 28 weeks, then every two weeks from 28 weeks to 36 weeks, and weekly until baby is born. On average, we meet about 11-13 times prenatally. To ensure that all of your questions and concerns are addressed, each subsequent prenatal visit last approximately 30-45 minutes. At each visit, our care is thorough and personalized, we focus on nutrition, stress management, so that you have the healthiest and most well rounded pregnancy experience possible. We aslo make the appropriate clinical assessment, obtain lab specimens standard to pregnancy, give referrals as needed, address all of your questions and concerns and create an individual birth plan. We do accept later transfer when possible.
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Attendance to labor and birth
How labor begins can vary from birth-to-birth. You can expect thorough, clear communication with us as we discuss and decide together when we should arrive. You can count on us to enter your home - your birth space - quietly and reverently.
We will then assess your progress by asking a few questions, and through observation. From there we will:
get you as comfortable as possible
make you feel reassured and safe knowing that your team is right there for you
unload our bags and set up the room
address any questions or concerns you and your partner might have
guide you through the more intense contractions to help you stay calm and focused
encourage you to listen to your body and remind you that the power to birth your baby resides within you
offer suggestions to help you find the most comfortable positions during labor, and pushing
intermittent monitoring of your vitals, and baby's heart tones
After your baby is born, we will:
assess how baby is adjusting to living outside the womb
facilitate bonding by encouraging skin-to-skin snuggles
help you get baby to the breast and nurse
monitor your vital signs and bleeding
get you something to drink and eat
check baby’s weight & length after nursing is done
help you get up and go to the bathroom
begin packing up our bags and tidy up the room
and when you’re in bed, snug as a bug in a rug, we’ll give you a big hug and let you rest.
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Waterbirth
Labor tubs create a semi-concealed retreat for the laboring mom. For many, this is more comfortable than laboring out in the open in view of the birth team and aids in relaxation. Relaxation is crucial to an easier and less painful labor. Warm water helps to soothe tight and tired muscles, providing significant pain relief.
Relaxation is crucial to an easier and less painful labor. Warm water helps to soothe tight and tired muscles, providing significant pain relief.The buoyancy of the water helps the laboring mother conserve her energy as she doesn’t have to support her full weight, this makes any position changes easier. The freedom and ease of movement in and of itself can decrease the sensation of pain. Between contractions, many women enjoy relaxing while allowing their bodies to float. Increased relaxation allows women to dilate more quickly resulting in a shorter labor on average and reduces medical interventions including c-sections, episiotomies, and the need for stitches. It can also help to lower blood pressure.
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Postpartum Care
Our team remains with you for 2-3 hours following delivery, making sure that mom and baby are adjusting well. The new family is supported with bonding as a new unit, the new mother receive assistance with breastfeeding support, and has the opportunity to eat, drink and rest.
Before we leave, we make sure that all assessments are done and that the new parents receive information on what is normal and would prompt a phone call to the midwife. We also make a plan to follow up by phone at least once or twice until we return the next day for a postpartum visit. This first visit is typically done by 24-36 hours after delivery and a second visit is done by 36-84 hours. A final postpartum visit is done by 4-8 weeks postpartum with a focus on well women health and family planning. Our postpartum recovery visits are done at home.
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Newborn Care
We consider the immediate postpartum time to be one of the most important time of the childbirth experience. We call it the "Golden Hour". From the moment of birth, you and your baby are not separated. We check you and your baby closely but routine exams and procedures wil wait until baby is done. These can be done with baby in your arms or close to you.
Standard newborn procedures:
Initial newborn exam
Vitamin K (injectable or oral)
Erythromycin eye ointment
Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening
Newborn Metabolic Screening (PKU) (on day 1 or 2)
Newborn Hearing Test (referred out)