home birth:
Women who choose to give birth at home see pregnancy and child birth as a normal, healthy part of a woman’s life. Giving birth in the calm, peaceful atmosphere of your own home has many advantages for both mother and child. The laboring woman is in familiar surroundings and has the ability to move around freely, take showers or baths, and to take walks. She maintains support from her partner and loved ones as well as continued care from her midwife. A gentle birth experience is the best foundation for a baby's physical and emotional well-being. Studies have repeatedly shown that home birth for low-risk mothers with an experienced practitioner results in better outcomes for both mother and baby.
Home birth requirements include good physical and mental health, maintaining low medical risk and a normally progressing pregnancy.
My care includes: complete prenatal, birth and postpartum care for mother and child. Nutritional counseling, and recommendation and assistance in using alternative therapies such herbs and homeopathy, nutrition, meditation, hydrotherapy, exercise, massage and yoga to help achieve and maintain a health pregnancy. Each prenatal visit is an hour long. I see you each month until 30 weeks of pregnancy and then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks. The visits then become weekly until the time of birth.
There will also be a home visit at 36 weeks, where your birth kit and tub will be delivered. When possible, a prenatal gathering with other mothers expecting around your due, will meet for a pot luck lunch in either office location. Postpartum visits will be made to your home over 2 weeks after you have given birth. I will file the birth certificate as well as offer Newborn Metabolic testing, if desired.