Midwifery & Homebirth Services
Midwifery
Holistic care with concern for physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being
Father-assisted births
NO episiotomies
Labor support
Referrals for
Childbirth Education classes
Osteopathic Medicine
Physician consultation
Photography and Videography
Labor doula
Chiropractic care
Support groups, postpartum doulas
Midwifery Services Include:
Comprehensive prenatal care with nutritional counseling,
Midwifery care including water birth,
home birth in your home or mine
Risk screening and evaluation
Laboratory testing and ultrasound referral
Lending library including books and DVD's.
Informed Consent and Birth Planning
Complete New Born assessment
Breastfeeding support
Tennessee Birth Certificate (for babies born in Tennessee)
Tennessee Newborn Screening
Initial Consultation
Usually we are contacted by telephone. After answering any questions you have, if you are interested in more information, we would like to meet with you to discuss the details of how you would like to give birth and your past birth experiences. We will go over important details, and answer any further questions you have. This meeting requires no commitment. If you would like to begin your plans for a home birth, we will then schedule your first prenatal visit.
Prenatal Care
Most of your prenatal care will take place at our office. I have a convenient place to have your children with you. Visits are once a month until 28-30 weeks and then every other week until 36 weeks. We generally spend about an hour together at each meeting since there is much to discuss as we collaborate in the plan for your complete care. At 36 weeks, we will meet at your home for a prenatal visit, so some logistical work, and a discussion of your vision for your birth. Next, we return to office appointments–weekly–until your baby is born. Families are welcome at all visits and we strive to be available at times that are convenient for you, while also balancing the needs of our own families.
During your prenatal care, we will be available by phone and/or email to answer questions and discuss any issues that come up between meetings.
Labor and Birth
Once your labor is active, or you feel the need, we will come to your home to keep a close eye on you and your baby throughout the birthing process. Besides vitals on both of you, we will be available to make suggestions designed to keep your labor and birth normal and safe. We will stay with you from start to finish. Once your baby is born, we continue to observe both of you carefully. This includes a thorough evaluation and assessment over the course of several hours postpartum. When you are settled, the baby has nursed well, and you both are stable, we will leave you with your new addition to your famlly. Waterbirth, children at birth, or different positions are all options of your choosing.
Postpartum Care
We will stay on call and available to you over the course of the next several weeks. At 24-48 hours postpartum, we will return to your home to evaluate both you and the baby. At this time we offer the state-required newborn metabolic screening for your baby. If things are going well, we will meet again at two weeks. Other visits are sometimes added to this schedule as necessary. We recommend that the baby be seen with a pediatrician sometime during the first week of life. The final postpartum visit, at six weeks, occurs at our office.