Prenatal and Pregnancy Care

All visits during your pregnancy occur in the comforts of your own home and usually take about an hour.  We spend time talking about your feelings, both physical and emotional, and your plans for the pregnancy and birth.  We will discuss nutrition, activity, discomforts, and family relations.  During each visit, I will check your blood pressure, measure the baby's growth, feel the position of the baby, and listen to the baby's heartbeat with a fetoscope or doppler.  I am on-call and available 24/7 for all my clients throughout their pregnancies.

Homebirth and Postpartum Care

During labor, I provide one-to-one care and support and strive to meet the individual needs of the woman and her family.  Some women enjoy hands-on support and guidance while others want solitude and independence.  I can do as much or as little as needed.  I encourage the use of water during labor and am happy to attend waterbirths.  After the birth, the birth assistant and I will stay for 2-3 hours to ensure that mother and baby are stable and that breastfeeding is off to a good start.  During that time I will also do a complete newborn exam.  I will visit the new family a couple of times during the first two weeks and then again at six weeks postpartum.

Wholistic Well-Woman Gynecology

Annual well-woman check-ups are available.  Preconception counseling can be provided.  Any problems you may be experiencing such as menstrual issues or vaginal and urinary infections can be addressed.  Natural remedies can be discussed or pharmaceuticals can be ordered.  Routine lab tests such as a Pap smear can be done. 

Family Planning

A full range of family planning options are available.  I can provide counseling regarding natural family planning or lactational amenorrhea.  Diaphragm fitting services can be provided.  Or if you prefer, hormonal methods of family planning can be discussed.

The Midwives Model of Care

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care 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

The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.

Copyright (c) 1996-2007, Midwifery Task Force, Inc., All Rights Reserved.