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Midwives have come to play several different roles in the United States. The most widely recognized are the Certified Nurse Midwives who, with exception, have hospital based practices. These midwives work under the supervision of a physician and carry malpractice insurance.

Independent Midwives (lay, direct entry midwives also called CPMs) are not Nurse Midwives. We attend homebirths or birth center births. Independent Midwives provide care for women throughout pregnancy, birth and for at least six weeks postpartum. Some Independent Midwives attend accredited programs for their training. Others go through apprenticeships with senior midwives.

Independent midwives work hard to establish a solid relationship with mothers and families during pregnancy, often spending an hour or more at each prenatal. We believe that building this relationship early allows the birth and transition into motherhood an easier one. We encourage mothers prenatally to focus on nutrition, exercise, among other things, to aid in the prevention of complications during pregnancy, birth or postpartum. If there are signs or symptoms of anything unusually, a Midwife will work hard with the mothers and families to turn the problem around. If the issue goes beyond the scope of her practice, she will refer the mother to someone else, all the time staying with the mother to give her emotional support.

Midwives believe in Informed Consent. We believe that women desire choices. As Midwives, we strive to provide information to women about the full range of choices they have about their births and their babies. We believe it is the mother's right to know all of her choices, the pros and cons of each choice and we believe that it is ultimately up to the mother and her family to make the final choice. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming that amount of choices one can make as a parent, such as: ultrasound, glucose testing, vitamin K shots, to name a few (and the baby has not even been born yet). We strive to be as objective as possible and give as much information as we can to make those decisions easier.

Midwives above all, believe in women and their ability to give birth without the aid of the long list of interventions available at hospitals. Although there are no guarantees in birth, as there are none in life, we believe that by assisting women in their homes, with their families and /or friends around to support them, we can help bring babies into this world in a very safe and nurturing environment, one that empowers the mother and family and begins the new family relationships in a positive way thereby beginning a healthy, positive relationship with the child throughout her or his life. At the same time, we are on the look out for situations that may require the assistance of the hospital staff. If that is the case, Midwives discuss this with the mother before suggesting a transport.

IndependentMidwives base their practice on the trusting relationship that forms during prenatal care. Parents and midwives get to know each other better during each prenatal, a bond usually forms that carries them through the birth and postparum together.

Why choose a homebirth?

Women and families choose homebirth for many different reasons though some of the reasons I hear most are for the experience of giving birth in a familiar, comfortable surrounding; a place where confidence is encouraged, a place where women can give birth on their own time frame, in the position of their choice, in the room of their choice with the people of their choice. Home is a place where a baby can be born and stay on the mom's body in a peaceful environment, a place where the germs and microbes are ones that are particular to your family and that mom and baby already have resistance to. I believe that by bringing a child into a safe, non-violent atmosphere, the child will begin life trusting his or her people.

Homebirth is an individual choice. No one can convince a mother to have a homebirth if she dosen't feel safe, just as no one can convince a homebirth mother to have a hospital birth if she dosen't feel safe. It seems more and more parents are beginning to question the proceedures of hospital birth settings though, and giving more thought to homebirth. With good reason. Cesarean rates are skyrocketing. The induction rate is ridiculous. People are beginning to realize that hospitals don't necessarily have their best interests in mind. People who do not work directly with birth are often the ones calling the shots.

Home is a place where the parents call the shots. If the mother is hungry she eats. If she has to pee, she needs no one to untangle her IV cord, her monitor cords etc, needs no permission to take off the monitor. The midwife is checking fetal heart tones frequently. But there is not continuous monitoring unless something unusual is dectected. The mother can choose to birth in water, on her bed, in the bathroom, often a place no one expected the birth to be. She can squat, be on hands and knees, lying on her side, or any other postition she desires. Baby goes right onto the mothers chest where the midwife checks the baby over to make sure all is well. There is no rush after the birth to cut the cord, we usually wait at least an hour. The best part about homebirth to me is that after the baby is born and everyone is settling in, mom and baby are in their own bed, in their own home with their own food, family, and friends. Mother and baby are in a place that is comfortable and farmiliar.

Safety of homebirth. Please go to this website to view articles about homebirth safety. The website is Gentle Birth Choices and they did an excellent job in gathering information.

For specific questions regarding the specific care that Midwives provide, what we bring to a birth etc. please go to the Services page.

Homebirth

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