Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Studies continue to consistently affirm that planned, attended homebirth is as safe or safer than hospital birth. Our practice, firmly based in the midwifery model of care, allows issues of safety to be appropriately addressed, while uplifting and honoring the wonderfully human and spiritual aspects of birth.
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.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. Questions to ask When Interviewing a Midwife
Experience:
Are you certified or licensed?
Are you a member of any national midwifery organizations?
What is your general philosophy about pregnancy and birth?
Do you have any restrictions during labor? (Food, positions, water, etc.)
What is your education and training as a midwife?
How many years have you been practicing?
Do you work alone or with a partner or assistant? If you work with someone, what is their experience?
Are you a member of your state midwifery organization?
Do you participate in local midwifery peer review?
How many meetings have you attended in the past year?
How many births have you attended as the primary caregiver?
Are you comfortable with waterbirth?
Prenatal Care:
How many births do you attend in a month?
Do you have a maximum, and how do you manage to avoid too many commitments?
How far will you travel?
How often will I see you?
How long is each prenatal visit?
What does a normal prenatal consist of?
Do you come to my house for any prenatal visits?
Do you have a relationship with a hospital based practitioner if I need to transport?
What if you have 2 labors at the same time?
General Labor:
What kind of equipment do you bring to a birth?
How many people are allowed to be at my birth?
When should I call you?
When do you cut the cord?
What if my partner whats to catch the baby?
How much time do you allow for the delivery of the placenta?
Financial Matters:
What are your fees and what do they include?
What payment arrangements do you make?
The Baby:
Have you ever had to resuscitate a baby?
Do you a full newborn exam after the birth?
Do you have a pediatrician you work with or recommend?
Will you help me with breastfeeding?
When do you come to see me after I give birth?
Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?
A. Giving birth at home is a safe and very satisfying choice for families who want the best possible start for themselves and their babies.
We believe that a woman’s body is designed to give birth and that pregnancy and birth are normal processes. Beyond that, we also believe that birth is meant to a be key event in a woman’s life and a joyful and celebratory family event.
Studies continue to consistently affirm that planned, attended homebirth is as safe or safer than hospital birth. Our practice, firmly based in the midwifery model of care, allows issues of safety to be appropriately addressed, while uplifting and honoring the wonderfully human and spiritual aspects of birth.
