Planned homebirth package

Complete Prenatal, Birth, & Postpartum Care

We begin during your prenatal care with hour-long visits in the comfort of your home or at our welcoming office. Prenatal care is offered once a month until 28 weeks, bi-weekly until 36 weeks and then once a week until birth. These visits aim to establish trust and continuity, provide guidance, and ensure the health of both you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, labor and postpartum. Each hour-long visit will include herbal medicine, diet and nutrition counseling, alternative therapies, birth and postpartum preparation, childbirth education recommendations and any other relevant referrals. In addition to these components a prenatal visit typically includes belly palpation with fundal height measurement to monitor baby’s growth, listening to the baby’s heartbeat via doppler or fetoscope, a blood pressure reading, urine analysis, and ample time for all your questions and concerns. Routine prenatal testing and screening are available. We encourage clients to reach out between visits with any questions or concerns you may have. Below outlines some of what is offered throughout our care:

The Homebirth Package includes:

COMPLETE PRENATAL, BIRTH, & POSTPARTUM CARE

WATERBIRTH TUB

CLIENT HANDOUTS AND EDUCATION

Ongoing phone, email, and text support

Prenatal Care

Initial visit 9+ weeks 
At your first visit we review your health history, lifestyle, and discuss nutrition and movement for a healthy pregnancy. Genetic screening and blood work may be performed if desired. Optional referral for an ultrasound is provided. Depending on your baby's position, build, and due date accuracy we may be able to listen to your their heartbeat as early as 10 -12 weeks.

15 weeks-20 weeks
A physical exam may be performed and prenatal lab work reviewed. You may choose to opt for second trimester genetic screening and Cystic Fibrosis testing between 15-18 weeks. After 12 weeks, we are able to being palpating your uterus and tracking measurements of your baby’s growth.

20 weeks-27 weeks
An anatomical ultrasound referral is given. During the “anatomy scan”, fetal abnormalities as well as the health and function of the placenta are assessed.

28 weeks-35 weeks
Prenatal screening for gestational diabetes and anemia tests are offered, and your blood is evaluated for appropriate blood volume expansion levels. Antibody titer and Rhogam are offered to Rh negative people. Childbirth education classes are suggested and resources are given. We begin to help you gather what you will need for you birth. The Birth Kit should be ordered so that it arrives by 36 weeks and clients will be given a labor and home preparation list to begin gathering supplies.

36 weeks
Prenatal exam and Birth Team meeting. This visit serves as an opportunity for anyone planning on attending your birth (Second assisting midwife, labor support, family members, photographer, etc) to gather in your home, discuss your birth desires, what to expect in labor, how and when to call and address any questions and concerns. The Group Beta Strep (GBS) vaginal culture is offered. Rh antibody titer may be repeated on Rh negative people. Anemia is checked again if indicated. (Outstanding birth fees are due). 

37 weeks until birth
Prenatal exams will be weekly until the birth. If labor hasn’t started by 41 weeks a bi-weekly biophysical profile and fetal non-stress test are recommended.

Birth

Two licensed midwives will be present at your birth. One of us typically arrives first and the assisting midwife will usually come around the time you start to push. We arrive fully prepared with our supplies and equipment. Our goal is to create a comfortable, peaceful, inviting environment to facilitate a smooth safe labor process for you. We monitor you and your baby’s well-being throughout labor and birth. Following the birth, one or both of us will remain with you for 3-6 hours to ensure that you are both healthy and stable. We assist with initial feeding and will continue to provide lactation education, support, and specialist referrals as needed in the coming days and weeks. A few hours after the birth, we will perform a thorough newborn exam to assess your baby’s vitals, weight, measurements, and appearance). Vitamin K and antibiotic eye ointment are available for the baby.  When you are ready, we can check you for lacerations, discuss repair, and suture with numbing medication if needed. We ensure you have eaten, are stable, and provide you with postpartum instructions before we pack up and head out. We can take your placenta with us to process and return by day 3.

Postpartum

In the six weeks following your birth, we will see you for at least 6 in-home visits to ensure both you and the baby are thriving. We are licensed to provide newborn care for the first 6 weeks postpartum, at which point you can transition to care with your pediatrician.

Day 1
Home visit to check on you and baby.  Visit includes lactation support, birth certificate and social security paperwork and instructions are given. We can perform the newborn screening if desired (newborn metabolic blood spot screening) and baby is screened for critical congenital heart disease.

Day 3
Home visit to check on you and baby. Lactation and normal newborn transition monitored (Lactation often transitions from colostrum to mature milk around day 3). We will bring your dehydrated placenta. Newborn records are sent to their pediatrician. We will continue to address and questions and concerns and offer guidance on newborn care if desired.

Week 2
Home visit to check on you and baby. Visit includes continued lactation support and a weight check for baby. We can evaluate the healing progress of stitches, if relevant.

Week 6-8
Office or home visit includes assessment of the health and well-being of you and your baby. We offer a pelvic exam with a Pap smear if due. Family planning options are discussed and pelvic floor healing is assessed if desired.

*Ensuring that every family has access to midwifery care and homebirth is a core value for our practice. Please reach out for details on payment plans, insurance billing, and additional financial assistance options.