Better birth begins with

No, Certified Professional Midwives are licensed to provide complete care during the childbearing year. However, there are times when seeing a doctor may become necessary.

We offer elective ultrasounds in our office and are able to order ultrasounds at several other facilities as well, depending on which place is more convenient for our clients. We do recommend an anatomy scan around twenty weeks of gestation and occasionally recommend ultrasounds to confirm the baby’s position, rule out multiple gestation, or at the request of our clients. There are a few other potential reasons to get an ultrasound which we will discuss with you during your care. Breast screening ultrasounds for early breast cancer detection also available.

We are able to process labs and bloodwork. We inform clients of any tests before administered in order for them to choose what is best for them and their baby.

We do not provide pain medication at the birth center. If a mother desires narcotic relief we will transfer her to the hospital for it. There are risks associated with anesthesia that necessitate close observation and immediate availability of an operating room, therefore giving narcotics outside of the hospital is not a safe option.  Read more about the risks of common pain relief protocols in childbirth, here and here.

We do provide many natural techniques for coping with pain at your birth. These including massage, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy and our favorite…water! We have two deep immersion birth pools available in our birth suites, and offer rentals for home births.

If you choose to have your baby at the birth center, you will not need to do any clean up at all. Birth is not nearly as messy as many people imagine and we do a good job of keeping any mess contained. At a home birth, we keep one garbage bag designated for trash and one for laundry. Before we leave your home we have all trash in the bag and ready to be placed on your curb, and we throw a load of laundry in the washer. (We don't stay to fold and put it away – sorry, dad!) If you plan on having several friends or family members attend the birth, we suggest a designated person to help with tidying up kitchen and waiting space so this is not left for mom or dad after everyone leaves.

Your main role during the birth is to simply be present with your partner. She will be doing a lot of hard work and will want to know that you are nearby throughout the process. Some women have specific expectations of their partners, so ask her what she has in mind, but remember that it may all change once she is actually experiencing labor. The things we most often see men do for their partners are offer her a drink, rub her back, hold her hand, and/or place a cool rag on her neck or forehead. They can also do the honor of "catching" when baby comes out.

Anyone both parents agree to have present is welcome, as long as the individual is supportive of your out of hospital birth decision. Some families want their older children to attend the birth as well. We are perfectly fine with this, but ask that you have a designated adult who will be there to supervise the children at the place of birth.

We offer weekly free group tours and consultations. During this session you are given a tour of our facility with a thorough overview of our care model and practices including, statistics, protocols, scheduling, services, cost, and billing. You also get to meet some of our staff including a midwife who will take the time to answer all of your questions. We do ask that if you schedule a consultation 28 weeks gestation or beyond, please bring a copy of your medical records with you.

We also offer private 45 minute consultations for those that cannot make a group tour date or who desire privacy for asking questions. We charge a $75 fee for this service which can be put toward your total midwifery care fee.