What is a Midwife?
Midwives are highly trained medical professionals who provide care for women who are experiencing normal, uncomplicated pregnancies and births. Midwives focus on the whole woman which includes caring for not only the physical body but also the psychological and social aspects of becoming a parent. Midwives provide education and counseling, prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum care for mother and baby for the first six weeks after birth. Midwives are experts in normal and healthy pregnancy and use their clinical skills to identify and refer women who require specialist care from an obstetrician. Midwives are the main medical care providers for the majority of pregnant women around the world. Midwives have very good outcomes with very low rates of intervention and cesarean.
When should I schedule my first appointment?
Feel free to call as soon as you find out you are pregnant. You can ask any questions you have and we can discuss things that you can do to have a healthy pregnancy. If you need a pregnancy test, we provide those free of charge. You first appointment is typically scheduled between 10-12 weeks when we can hear the fetal heart. If you are further along when you start care, that is fine too
What happens at a prenatal visit?
Each prenatal visit is an hour dedicated just to you. I love getting to know you and your family during the visit. I will answer any questions or concerns that you have. I will give you information at each visit that will help you to have a healthy pregnancy and prepare for your birth and start to parenthood. I will check your blood pressure, pulse, weight, baby’s heart rate, and feel your belly to assess baby’s size and position to make sure that everything is normal and healthy. A couple times during your pregnancy we will check your labs. You are welcome to have your friends, family, and children participate in your visit.
Do you do ultrasounds?
I can refer you to a great ultrasound provider if you want or need an ultrasound. An early ultrasound can be helpful if you are not sure when you became pregnant. An anatomy ultrasound between 16-20 weeks can check for any problems and show you the sex of your baby. Ultrasound is optional; it is not necessary to provide quality prenatal care.
Who will be at my birth?
Every birth is always attended by the midwife and one or two assistants. The assistant may be another midwife or someone who has been trained to assist at birth including neonatal resuscitation and emergency procedures. You are welcome to invite whichever support people you want to your birth. We will involve your partner, children, family, or doula in whatever way you have decided is best.
How do I know if I am low-risk and can use a midwife?
Call me! I can talk with you and ask you some questions to assess whether you are low risk and can use a midwife. Most healthy women qualify as low-risk.
What happens if something goes wrong?
The midwife’s job is to monitor the mother and her baby for normalcy and to transfer you to an appropriate hospital or physician if there are signs of an impending problem. Nearly all problems develop over time and there is time to detect the problem and attempt to remedy it or transfer you to a hospital. Midwives are trained and carry equipment to handle common complications such as hemorrhage and neonatal resuscitation.
Isn’t birth messy? I don’t want me home to get dirty.
We will leave you home as clean as we found it. We will use coverings and disposable pads to collect all of the mess. We take out the trash, start the laundry, and pack up all of our things before we leave.
I want to have a home birth but my husband or partner isn’t so sure.
Call me for a consult. I would be happy to talk to both of you and explain the benefits and risks of a home birth with a midwife so that you can make an informed decision together. In many cases, they just don’t have enough information to understand what a great choice it is.
Will you really come to my workplace for my prenatal visits?
Yes! I understand that you are busy and leaving work, traveling, and waiting in a waiting room is not a good use of your time. If you would like to have you appointments at your workplace, all you need is a private or semi-private room where we can talk. I bring a yoga mat for you to lay on to check on your baby if there is not a sofa in the room.
