FAQ's
- What is a midwife?
- What does midwifery care look like?
- What if I develop a complication?
- Is home birth safe?
- Can I have a a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) at home?
- Can I have a waterbirth?
- I'm scared of the clean up. Will my house get very messy during the birth?
What is a midwife?
As long as women have been having babies, there have been midwives. Midwives are trained professionals, with expertise in normal pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care. Certified Professional Midwives are certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and must complete substantial education and apprenticeship requirements as well as take a comprehensive written exam. The midwifery model of care focuses on educating and empowering the woman, and maintaining a healthy pregnancy through prevention. The midwife works with each woman and her family to identify their unique needs, and offers information based on the woman's individual needs.What does midwifery care look like?
At each appointment, we generally check your urine, listen to the baby's heart tones, measure the growing uterus, feel your baby for position and growth, and assess blood pressure. But the most important part of the appointment it building a trusting relationship. We will discuss any complaints or symptoms, evaluate nutrition, rest/sleep, stress, and problem solve together. You will always have plenty of time to ask questions. Appointments typically last about 1 hour.
What if I develop a complication?
Some minor complications can be dealt with through nutrition counseling, or referral to alternative practitioners such as an acupuncturist, naturopath, or chiropractor. If necessary, we will refer you to a physician for a consultation. If a major complication arises, we will transfer your care to a physician and will continue to offer educational and emotional support during this process.
Is home birth safe?
Only you know where the right place is for you to give birth. The safest place is where you FEEL the safest. There is extensive research demonstrating the safety of out-of-hospital birth. I have included a sample of the major research below including links to the full studies. Feel free to contact me for further research.
CPM 2000 Study - British Medical Journal
- Included all births with Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in 2000 (5,418 women)
- 12.1% transferred to a hospital and 3.4% were considered urgent
- Cesarean rate was 3.4% (compared to over 30% nationally), episiotomy rate 2.1%, use of forceps 1%, and vacuum-assisted delivery 6%
- intrapartum and neonatal mortality was equal to that of low-risk women in the hospital
- Conclusion: "Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States."
- 2889 planned home births compared to 4,752 planned hospital births (all low-risk with midwives)
- Similar neonatal mortality rates (slightly lower at home though not statistically significant)
- Newborns at home less likely to need resuscitation or oxygen therapy beyond 24 hours
- Less likely to have meconium aspiration
- Women who delivered at home were significantly less likely to have a third or fourth degree tear or a postpartum hemorrhage
- The interpretation of the study was: "Planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician."
- 30% of women in the Netherlands birth at home and 60% start out planning a home birth
- study included over 400,000 women
- the Netherlands collects excellent data
- Neonatal mortality and morbidity were equal to births in the hospital
- Transports for complications still had outcomes equal to those same complications originating in the hospital