Midwifery Services 

Prenatal Care 

The midwifery model of care is based on the belief that pregnancy and birth is a normal event in a woman's life.

Midwives work on promoting health to minimize problems. During pregnancy, we encourage you to eat a balanced diet, become informed, participate actively in your prenatal care, and get adequate sleep and exercise. Throughout your pregnancy, labor, and birth, you and your support person are an integral part of our team. While guidance is available to you at all times, you will be expected to assume the primary responsibility in the maintenance of your health and your babies health. 

Midwifery visits begin when you call to let us know you're pregnant. Visits occur at our offices in Clarkston and Birmingham and are monthly until 32 weeks, then every other week until 36 weeks. At 36 weeks we begin to see you weekly until delivery. A home visit is done at 36 weeks so that we can meet anyone who might be at your birth and become familiar with your house. Appointments are approximately 1 hour long and include physical assessment of mother and baby (blood pressure, urinalysis, baby's position, growth, and heart rate, etc.). It is a supportive environment where we spend time providing childbirth education, nutrition information, and discussing your concerns and wishes for the birth. We can accommodate longer appointments if needed and encourage you to discuss any concerns with us between appointments via phone or email. 

Labor and Birth

We are on-call and available 24 hours a day. During early labor we will be in contact with you by phone. Once active labor is established or when you feel the need for more support we will come to you. During labor we will monitor your vital signs and the baby's heart rate.  We observe for any complications in both mom and baby. We will provide both physical and emotional support throughout your labor and birth. The most important emotional support is that provided by your partner, family and/or friends. You are welcome to have whomever you wish present at your birth. You are encouraged to birth however you choose, as long as there are no concerns with the well being of mom or baby.  Waterbirth is available for those that desire it. 

Some of the equipment we bring to births include: oxygen and resuscitation equipment, herbs and homeopathic remedies, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, sterile instruments (for clamping and cutting baby's umbilical cord), a fetoscope and doppler to listen to baby's heart rate during labor, baby scale, general support items such as massage and aromatherapy  oils, and a birth tub if desired. 

PostPartum Care 

Your postpartum care begins the moment your baby arrives.

In the first few hours following the birth we arrange to keep you and your baby together in a quiet and respectful environment with the people of your choice supporting you. Shortly after birth we will assist you with breastfeeding and pamper you and your baby with a relaxing herbal bath.  We perform a full newborn exam and assess the wellbeing of the mother. We generally stay about 3 hours after birth and call you 12 hours later. We encourage you to contact us if questions come up between that time period.  We will then visit you in your house at 24 hours, and somewhere between day 3-5. Careful evaluations of both the mother and baby are done. We will assess the firmness of your uterus, check your vital signs, assure proper healing of any tears, observe for any breastfeeding difficulties, and assess the general health of the newborn, including heart and lungs, skin color, activity level, and umbilical cord healing. We will also perform the newborn screening test.

Depending on your needs, we will see you again between 1 and 2 weeks, and finally at week 6.  We encourage you to stay in touch with us even after you reach the 6 week mark. 
 

Please call to schedule a free consultation!  

     Midwife's Psalm

I have a midwife, I shall not want.

She has me lie back on soft cushions,

she leads me to walk during labor,

she empowers me to birth.

She will not rupture my membranes just for times' sake.

Yea, though I labor in my own home for hours or even days

I will fear no intervention, for she is with me:

Her heart and her hands, they support me.

She prepares a table beside me in the presence of my family.

She anoints my perineum with oil; my water flows.

Surely a precious babe will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will remember this birth with joy forever. 

~ adapted by Janie Young