Have you ever wanted more from your childbirth?
Would you like care for women by women?
Would you like your care to be more mother and baby or family centered?
If you answered yes, midwifery care may be just what you are looking for!
When coming to Feels Like Home Birth Suites, you will be seen by a midwife each time. There aren’t any nurses to weigh you, there aren’t any receptionists to check you in, just one-on-one care with the midwife from the moment you walk through the door until the moment you leave.
Prenatals:
Prenatals usually last for 30 minutes. The first one will be an hour as there is much to cover. We will talk about your medical history, your previous births and any other information that we find relevant to your history.
At each visit you will be responsible for collecting a urine sample, which you will test, and weighing yourself. We will then take your blood pressure, and pulse.
During your visit we will ask you how you are doing physically and how you are feeling. We listen to your concerns and answer questions you may have. We will measure your growing uterus, palpate what position the baby is in, and listen for heart tones.
Your visits will be scheduled every 4 weeks until your 28th week, when your visits will change to every two weeks.
When you reach your 36th week we will see you every week. These visits are done in the birth suite. We may do a home visit at your 36th week appointment and your 24 hour postpartum visit.
Labs:
We draw labs at our office for most insurances or private pay. For some insurances we will send you to a providing lab. Typically you will have blood drawn at your second prenatal visit.
Sonograms and other testing are only done if necessary or upon request. Many clients like a 20 week ultrasound to check on the baby’s development.
The Birth
When your birth day does arrive, you are the one that will make the decision when to call us and discuss if this is labor and when we will come out to you, what position you will birth your baby in, who is there with you, what to eat and when and where your baby will be birthed (whether in water, on a birthing stool or even in the comfort of your own bed.)
This is the birth of YOUR baby, we are here to support you in achieving the birth you want. We encourage family bonding and help to facilitate it. We will take care of cleaning up and changing your linens (if needed). If having a homebirth we leave your home clean, the way we found it.
When you are ready, we will perform the newborn exam right there next to you. We usually will stay 2-3 hours after the birth. After this time we may be contacted by phone with any concerns or questions you feel you need us for.
You will receive immediate postpartum care for around 4 hours after the birth. We will be there to make sure that you and your family have something to eat (you provide the food, we prepare it), to help you with the baby in those first few hours, and to just make sure that your first hours go smoothly after we leave.
Postpartum visits are scheduled at 24-36 hours, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks or as often as needed for breastfeeding help. The second newborn exam is done on your two week visit.