~ On call availability for your birth from 37- 42+ weeks of pregnancy.
~ Phone support through early labor.
~ In home midwife support from active labor until several hours after baby’s birth.
~ Intermittent monitoring of both mother and baby’s well-being throughout labor.
~ Birth team consisting of midwives or skilled birth attendants (kitchen fairies optional)
~ Encouragement of the intuitive impulse, movement and position mother feels is best throughout labor and birth.
~ Birth tubs available for hydrotherapy in labor and water birth.
~ Support for the involvement of fathers and other support persons mother has invited to participate.
~ Attunement to, and respect for, mother/baby normal.
~ Respect for mothers wishes and the physiological, emotional, and experiential safety of both mother and baby.
~ Use of out of hospital emergency management tools and protocols as appropriate.
~ Continued support (either in-person or via phone as appropriate) in the event of transport to hospital environment, C*VID policies pending.
Immediate Postpartum
~ Honor for the undisturbed physiological process of birth including the sacred pause, breast crawl and skin-to-skin contact.
~ Honor for the golden hour.
~ Support in initiating and establishing breast feeding.
~ Encouragement of family participation (as requested) for cord severing ritual or facilitation of lotus birth.
~ Guided assessment of the perineal condition and discussion of the best course of management.
~ Guided assessment or midwife facilitation of newborn exam.