Prenatal Care with a Midwife
Prenatal care with a Midwife follows The Midwives Model of Care which includes:
Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
Minimizing technological interventions
Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
As your Midwife, I spend an hour or more talking to you about your physical self and needs as well as your emotional needs. Getting to know you on a personal level during your pregnancy helps me provide the individualized care that you will need at your birth. Many clients have said that they felt like their prenatal visits were comparable to therapy because they were able to talk openly and freely about everything that was going on with them. Your family, your job, your support system, all of it affects you and your health, so why leave it out?
First Prenatal Visit
The initial prenatal visit is often one of the longest. During this first visit, a detailed family and personal medical history will be taken. We will calculate your baby’s due date, which will serve as a reference point in future visits as the baby’s growth is assessed. During your first prenatal visit, I can perform a complete physical examination if desired. All prenatal visits include checking your vitals, palpating your belly for baby's position, measuring your fundal height, and listening to baby's heartbeat
Routine visits
Subsequent visits include discussion of your experience of pregnancy and brainstorming ways to make it a more positive experience. Pregnancy brings a lot of changes, many of which can be new to you. While most pregnancies are normal and progress without problems or complications, the hormonal influences and physical changes that occur in your body while growing a baby can be quite surprising. At each visit we will measure your blood pressure, pulse, the size of the uterus, listen to the baby's heartbeat and check their size and position. If anything out of the ordinary presents, we can discuss your options and desires for followup with further testing.
Home Visit
At 36 weeks I will come to your home for your visit. In addition to performing the assessments that are done in a routine visit, I also offer a test at 36 weeks for Group B Strep.
At this visit we will discuss all your plans and preferences for your homebirth. Similar to developing a "birth plan", we will go over a long list of topics with everyone on your birth team so we can come to a greater understanding of exactly how to serve you. We will go over supplies gathered, the environment you plan to birth in, and any logistical concerns. If you are planning a waterbirth, we will discuss where to put the tub, go over how to set it up, when to fill it and help you feel confident with the equipment. We will also discuss a transport and emergency care plan. While most complications that arise at a planned homebirth are handled immediately, there can be non emergent and necessary reasons to transfer you or your baby to a hospital for more specialized care. With careful monitoring and focusing on the prevention of problems, my transfer rate is very low, but its important to go over the ins and outs so that any necessary transfer can be made seamlessly. In the event of a transfer I will accompany you, or provide an advocate to accompany you to the hospital so it is important for me to know what your preferences are in that environment as well.
After your home visit we will meet weekly until the baby is born. Meeting more frequently helps me to keep a close eye on you and the baby and answer any last minute questions and concerns.
My services are appropriate for women who desire a natural approach to pregnancy and birth. I believe that our bodies are finely tuned to do the work of growing and birthing healthy babies. I believe my role in your care is partner, counselor and facilitator, rather than authority figure. I expect my clients to take active roles in this partnership. This includes a commitment to facilitating your best health as well as a desire for learning and self-awareness & exploration into the journey of birth and parenting.
