Midwifery Care

As community midwives, we provide comprehensive holistic midwifery care throughout the childbearing year. What does this mean? It means that you will have the opportunity to know your care provider on a personal level. Prenatal visits are about an hour long so we can get familiar with you and answer any questions you may have. It means you will be listened to. It means you will give birth in the comfort of your own home, with care providers you know and trust, surrounded by your support people.  But wait, there is more!  We will then tuck you into your own bed to snuggle with your baby and bond as a family.  It also means that your care will continue after the baby is born.  Your midwife will visit you in your home to assist with breastfeeding, postpartum, and newborn care, and again, to hear your questions or concerns and provide you with answers, or refer you to the right place if need be. Most women who choose midwives say they wouldn't want to do it any other way!

Free Initial Visit

Before deciding on your care provider, we recommend meeting with a few to see what feels like the best fit for you. We offer a 30 minute consultation visit at no charge which includes a full explanation of our services, who we are, and what we do. We encourage you to have a list of your questions written down so that we make sure we cover everything!

To schedule this visit, contact us online!

Prenatal Care

Prenatal visits are scheduled monthly until 28 weeks, every two weeks until 36 weeks, and then weekly until your birth. During these hour long visits your midwife is not only evaluating maternal and fetal well-being physically, but also checking in with you mentally and emotionally. Your midwife will provide education throughout your pregnancy and birth, discussing topics such as nutrition, supplements, preparing for birth, and transitioning into parenthood. Your partner, other children, relatives, and friends are welcome to accompany you for any of the visits you desire.

Throughout your care we will discuss the options of routine lab work and ultrasounds, providing you with the pros, cons, alternatives, medical standards, and other information you need to be able to make an informed decision that is right for you and your family. Because of informed choice, and because we work with healthy, low-risk women, there are no "routine" tests-- you choose which are right for you-- could be all, none, or somewhere in between.  Many clients choose to receive concurrent care from a local hospital throughout their pregnancy, for easier access to lab work or for the purpose of establishing a relationship in case of transport. 

From establishing care at your first prenatal visit until your final postpartum visit, your midwife will be on call 24 hours a day for you and your baby.

Home Birth

Safety is always at the forefront of the care provided by Island Mamas Midwifery. For healthy, low-risk women, giving birth at home with a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is as safe or safer than being at a hospital. Birth is a normal life event, and women's bodies are made perfectly to give birth.

Birth is natural, women's bodies know how to birth their babies... and our bodies are influenced by our surroundings. Where can you relax and let go better than at home? No strangers, just your loved ones and the midwives you know and trust to support and guide you.  During your labor and birth, your midwives will be there to support and encourage, make suggestions on position changes or things to facilitate the labor (for example; take a shower, a walk, eat some food, rest, dance, etc.), as well as monitoring the baby's heartbeat regularly with a hand-held device, and monitoring how mom is doing with the labor.

During the birth itself, you can be in whatever position you find most comfortable; on our birth stool, in the tub, on hands and knees, squatting, lying on your side, or even on your back (the least common position of choice!). Your baby will be placed immediately on your chest, skin to skin, and you will immediately begin the bonding process, which then leads to breastfeeding very soon after.  These moments of falling in love with your baby, in your own home, with soft lights, little noise and a calm atmosphere are truly invaluable. We encourage breastfeeding within the first 30 minutes of birth, and will assist that process as needed.

After the birth, we stay to monitor mom and baby, do a complete newborn exam, clean up and make sure mom is fed and comfortable before leaving approximately three to four hours after the birth (longer if necessary). We leave you tucked in bed, as a family, ready to go to sleep, with complete postpartum instructions and our on-call number, and then return the next day for the 1 day postpartum visit.

Postpartum/Newborn Care

We will be back to your home to check on you and your baby a day after the birth, then again three days after the birth. At the 1-day visit we will review and have you sign the birth certificate which we will submit for you. The baby's social security card request is part of the birth certificate and will be sent to you automatically if you've requested it on the birth certificate. We will weigh the baby, assist with breastfeeding if you need it, and make sure that you and the baby are well.

After that, we will see you in our office at 1 week, 2 or 3 weeks, and finally at 6 weeks. Your baby will be offered the "Newborn Screen" (formerly "PKU" test) to check for metabolic disorders. At all of these visits we will answer any questions, make sure that baby is gaining weight and breastfeeding is going well, make sure that you are healing appropriately, answer family planning questions, and have closure to this intimate relationship we have built over the past many months.

Fees

Fees are outlined in the below document. We would be happy to talk with you about what they cover, payment plans or any other questions you have at your consultation.  Please contact us online to set up a consultation.

Island Mamas Midwifery accepts cash, checks, or Venmo payments. We cannot accept payment via insurance and do not bill insurance directly.