HOME OR BIRTH CENTER - YOU CHOOSE
You may choose to give birth in your home or in our licensed birth center. In either setting the midwife and her assistant evaluate your early labor, spend active labor with you, and you maintain optimum control of your environment. We evaluate your vital signs and the baby's well-being regularly as well as providing support to facilitate your comfort and sense of security and safety while ensuring normal progression of your labor, birth and immediate postpartum.
Families may participate as much as you and they wish—the choice of support people is entirely up to you. You will never be separated from your newborn baby. After birth, mothers and babies are observed together to ensure normal recovery and adaptation. Mothers delivering at the birth center may go home as soon as two hours after birth; the typical length of stay is under four hours.
Your midwife, in either setting, will remain with you until you are completely comfortable without her. Should transfer to a hospital be indicated during labor, we consult with the receiving hospital personnel, accompany you to the hospital and assist in making the plan of care there. We provide support and advocacy during the time you are in the hospital, resuming your postpartum care upon discharge.
Care and support after birth
Close contact with you and your newborn in the days and weeks following birth is designed to support your emotional and physical adjustments to parenthood. We visit each family at home 24 to 48 hours after birth and then again at the office at approximately one, three and six weeks . Breastfeeding support and monitoring of your baby’s growth are provided and we are always available to address questions during this important time in your life.