SERVICES

All services are individualized to your experiences and needs. You can schedule a free interview on most Tuesdays or Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Antepartum care

The majority of prenatal visits take place at my home office, 3530 Lucia Crest in Madison (map here). At least one visit takes place in your home at 36 weeks gestation. Visits are one hour in length and follow a standard prenatal schedule: once a month until your 7th month, every two weeks in your 7th and 8th months, and then every week until birth. I am on 24–hour call for you seven days a week. However, only urgent calls will be returned after 7pm and on weekends.

During our time together we discuss all the areas of physical and emotional health and well-being, including relationships, food and supplement choices, stress levels and physical activity. Prevention measures and ensuring your whole well-being are key to feeling strong in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum.

We monitor your baby’s heart rate using a doppler prior to 20 weeks gestation and a fetoscope thereafter, due to its enhanced assessment information in the second half of pregnancy. We pay close attention to your baby’s growth and position. We track your blood pressure. We thoroughly discuss standard pregnancy, labor, and newborn screens and procedures, as well as alternatives, and you will be asked to make fully informed health care choices. I perform all laboratory tests in my office or your home. A lending library of home birth videos, dvds, and books is made available to you. You are invited to regular prenatal gatherings the first Thursday of each month at Happy Bambino, 2045 Atwood Ave. in Madison, from 7pm - 8:15pm. The gatherings provide an opportunity to meet other families in the homebirthing community, as well as several of my birth assistants.

Intrapartum care

Each labor is a complex cascade of physical and emotional sensations that has its own unique rhythm and expression. My assistant and I individualize our roles around you and your baby's needs. I come to your home when you (or your partner) request my presence, or as indicated by events of labor. We continuously assess your own and your baby's well-being, offering emotional and physical support as needed. Unless there is a complication, l encourage you and your partner to receive your baby together and hold your baby skin-to-skin. The umbilical cord will be cut only after there is no longer a pulse in the cord and often after the delivery of the placenta. If infant support is required in any way, we perform necessary functions in your presence with the umbilical cord intact. We assist with breastfeeding if needed, and when you and your baby seem ready, I perfom a thorough newborn exam. I examine you for tearing. I stitch lacerations if necessary. We assess your and your baby's vital signs and stay at your home until you and your baby are stable and comfortable. I will remind you of postpartum self-cares and assessments and remain on call for you around the clock for questions and concerns.

At all times, we communicate as clearly and consistently as possible. If hospital services are required, we drive together in our cars, calling ahead to inform the receiving unit of our needs. If circumstances are emergent or require extra assistance, we will access 911 services. Most area EMTs know me through their training in home-to-hospital transports. Though unplanned, transfer to hospital is typically a smooth transition. We arrive with a gratitude for hospital resources that are truly needed and are well-received by staff.

Birth Pool

In the absence of signs of potential complications, the use of water for labor and/or birth has been shown to be a safe and effective option. The pool is available to all clients. My assistants and I are experienced in waterbirth at home.

Postpartum

I return to your home 24 - 36 hours after birth and again three days postpartum. During these visits, we review your birth experiences together and assess you and your baby’s ongoing recovery. We track breastfeedings, baby’s weight and vital signs, skin color, umbilical cord site, and elimination and sleep patterns. We assess your sleep status, physical healing process, and support level. We initiate any needs for referrals or assistance. I offer you a custom birth summary where we can place your baby’s footprints, if you desire. I file a legal birth certificate worksheet for your baby and perform both the newborn metabolic screen and hearing screen in your home. We may talk on the phone several times during the first two weeks.

Many parents choose to take their newborn to a physician at 2 weeks postpartum. Prior to that visit, I fax a birth and postpartum summary to your physician . If you have not seen another provider by 2 weeks postpartum, I return to your home at that time to assess your baby´s weight and feeding pattern, as well as your overall postpartum adjustment. Our final postpartum visit occurs at 4–6 weeks, when we check your baby's weight and feedings again and review your support network, physical and emotional status, and look ahead to the next few months.

After birth, you are invited to attend a monthly postpartum peer group meeting the 4th Friday of each month at Happy Bambino from 10:30am - noon. You can reconnect with homebirthing families from prenatal gatherings and meet new moms and babies, while enjoying a wealth of breastfeeding and parenting support. I invite you also to join a postpartum planned home birth grouplist, a community–based cyber- space for all manner of parenting issues, information, and questions.