Frequently Asked Questions
What is the midwifery model of care?
Midwifery differs from obstetrics in that midwives monitor mothers physical, psychological, and social well-being throughout the childbearing year. The title Midwife means “with woman” and defines the role we midwives fill. We sit at the feet of mothers, tasked with watching and quietly guiding women through the process of growing and bringing new life into the world.
What is a CPM?
The Certified Professional Midwife is a nationally recognized credential. The CPM is a professional, independent practitioner who has met the requirements of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
Certified Professional Midwives obtain their credential by qualifying for the NARM Exam either through an apprenticeship model, graduating a midwifery school, or more commonly, both. The CPM is the only midwifery credential requiring out of hospital experience.
How often are appointments, and what are appointments like?
Our appointments take place every 4 weeks from the onset of care until about 28 weeks, then bi-weekly until 36 weeks gestation. You will have a home visit at 36 weeks and then appointments will continue weekly until delivery. You will also have 2 postpartum visits at home as well as one postpartum visit in the office. Your initial appointment will be 1.5 hours and subsequent appointments last an hour.
During appointments we will discuss nutrition, supplements, check urine and blood pressure, measure your baby’s growth and check position and listen to baby’s heart with a fetoscope. There is usually ample time after the clinical aspects are done for us to chat and get to know one another. We will spend a great deal of time discussing your plans for your birth, your overall wellbeing and your postpartum care.
Do you offer payment plans? Do you take insurance?
These questions are answered in detail on our Financials page.
Do you require bloodwork, ultrasounds, cervical checks, etc?
This is your birth and your baby and I firmly believe you should make your decisions based on your understanding of risks vs benefits as well as your own philosophical, religious, and spiritual beliefs. Requiring certain testing can take your autonomy away, but refusing some can take MY autonomy away. Initial bloodwork is required, as we want to protect ourselves as well as you and your baby. All other testing will be thoroughly discussed during appointments. Most testing is available in office during regular prenatal appointments (Bloodwork, Gestational Diabetes Screening, Urinalysis, GBS Screening) but ultrasounds are referred out and must be scheduled separately.
Are my children or other family members welcome at appointments?
Absolutely! Children and families are always welcome in the office during appointments. We believe that pregnancy and birth is a precious time for the entire family and we not only love seeing children involved during the pregnancy, we also love seeing them involved in the birth of their new sibling! That being said, it is completely normal and understandable to want to come to the office alone or with just your spouse/partner.
Do you offer water births?
Absolutely! About half of our clients choose to use hydrotherapy during their labor and birth. We have pools you can use, you will be responsible for purchasing a liner as well as the hose and any adapters needed.
What would risk me out of a homebirth?
Each situation is different and each mom is different. This is definitely a conversation we will have at your consultation. Certain situations will definitely be too much of a risk for home birth with our practice, but the goal is to work together to achieve excellent health for you and baby so as to create the optimal environment for not only a healthy birth, but also a healthy life moving forward for you and your family.
Do you allow delayed cord clamping?
Clamping and cutting the cord is the last thing on our minds when your baby is freshly born. Baby will go immediately skin to skin on moms chest after being born and typically will spend an hour or more there bonding with mom while your birth team monitors mom and baby to be sure that baby is transitioning well and mom is stable. Usually we let the parents take the lead on asking for the cord to be cut. When you are ready, we will prepare the cord and then the cord can be cut, usually by dad, mom, or a sibling.
What do you use for pain management during labor?
There are many ways to ease the pain of labor. The number one way to experience less pain is to be prepared for the labor with knowledge. I recommend all moms take a Childbirth Education Class during their pregnancy.
Utilizing a doula is also something we highly recommend most especially for first time moms (or moms who have never experienced labor before.) There are mountains of research on the benefits of doulas at births, and we love nothing more than to work with doulas to help you achieve the best possible experience.
Other ways we manage pain is through movement, we encourage moms to move frequently during labor, as well as rest. Resting can seem impossible, but can also be the one thing that a mom needs in order to push through the hard parts.
We also utilize massage, TENS units, and last but not least HYDROTHERAPY aka the birth pool! Warm water has been shown to not only reduce pain, but also to reduce tearing in first time moms. The comfort a birth pool can provide cannot be understated.