Services

CPMs provide care during the childbearing year: Prenatally, during labor/birth, and postpartum. 

Services offered include:

• • 24/7 on-call availability of a midwife through the entirety of pregnancy, labor and birth, and until 6 weeks postpartum

  • Referral to outside sources/providers as needed or indicated

  • Use of universal precautions and HIPAA compliance

  • Maintenance of your prenatal and perinatal records

Prenatal care

Our prenatal visits last 30-60+ minutes. During our time together, we build trust, have unrushed shared decision-making conversations, and focus on education so that you feel empowered while you take charge of your health and your experience.

• • Initial prenatal visit

  • Routine prenatal visits (monthly until 28 weeks gestation, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, and then weekly until birth)

  • Labs/screenings can be collected by your midwife as individually or routinely recommended (in accordance with current American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologist guidelines).

  • Referrals can be provided for routine or otherwise indicated ultrasounds.

  • Routine health assessments for you (blood pressure, pulse, discussions about emotional wellness, discomforts of pregnancy, nutrition counseling, and more) and your baby (monitoring of heart rate, fetal movement, position in the womb, and their growth)

Labor/birth

• • Midwife’s support and ongoing assessment of you and your baby’s health in labor (including fetal monitoring and routine assessment of vital signs upon midwife's arrival).

  • A trained birth assistant or a second midwife plan to be at all home births.

  • Midwife's plan to supervise the birth of your baby and the placenta, and assess you and your baby’s well-being in the immediate postpartum period (including APGAR scoring, cord management and inspection of vessels, inspection of placenta for completeness, inspection of perineum and vagina for lacerations – stabilizing if necessary). 

  • In the hours following birth, your midwife can perform a comprehensive, head-to-toe newborn exam.

  • Midwife will instruct you, your partner, and other present support persons of the special care and precautions for both the mother/childbearing client and the newborn in the immediate postpartum period prior to discharge after birthing at home.

Postpartum

Community midwives spend more time face-to-face with our clients in the postpartum period. There is no "see you at 6 weeks!" right after you give birth - we are dedicated to supporting you closely and lovingly as you make this important transition.

• • Routine health assessments for you (vitals, emotional wellness, discomforts/concerns, nutrition, bleeding, physical recovery from birth, etc) and your baby (vitals, weight checks, screening for jaundice, etc) and feeding/lactation support.

  • Midwife's evaluatation of you and your baby’s well-being within 24-36 hours of birth.

  • Birth certificate completed and filed in accordance with the Department of Public Health.

  • Routine home visits on day 3 or 4 and at 1-2 weeks postpartum.

  • Routine office visits at 3-4 weeks and 6 weeks postpartum.

  • Standard newborn screenings and prophylactics are offered by the midwife. This includes:

    • The newborn metabolic screening ("heel poke" test)

    • Vitamin K injection

    • Antibiotic eye ointment for the newborn

    • Congenital heart defect screening

    • Newborn hearing screening or referral