What is a midwife? 

Midwives are what I like to believe to be birth guardians. They specializing in pregnancy & childbirth. They develop a trusting relationship with the ones on their path, which results in confident, supported labor & birth. While there are different types of midwives practicing in various settings, all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care & education, watch over labor & birth, address complications, & care for newborns. Many midwives also provide preconception care & routine well-body reproductive care throughout the life cycle.

The Midwifery Model of Care is a fundamentally different approach to pregnancy & childbirth than contemporary obstetrics.

Our model of care includes:

• Monitoring the physical, psychological & social well-being of the birthing parent throughout the childbearing cycle
• Providing the birth parent & family with individualized education, counseling, & prenatal care, continuous hands-on  or hands -off care (depending on the birthing person’s preference) during labor & delivery, & postpartum support
• Minimizing technological interventions
• Identifying & referring individuals who require obstetrical attention.

Is homebirth safe?

Homebirth is a safe option for pregnant people whose pregnancies are without complications & are full-term at the start of labor when monitored & attended by professional midwives. For some babies & parents who are at higher risk for complications, a hospital birth is a safer option. 

Can I have a water birth?

Yes! Waterbirth is a lovely option for those who desire it.  Many families choose to have birth tubs for comfort in labor, regardless of whether the family plans to have the baby in or out of the water. 

Does insurance cover midwifery care?

Possibly, but not well. Often, health shares companies will reimburse for midwifery services with stipulations.  Most people will have to pay out-of-pocket then send to be reimbursed. We offer payment plans and cash pay discounts.

Can I have friends & family at my birth?

Yes! We truly appreciate the presence of loved ones who bring positivity & their love for you into your birthing space. We can also offer support for setting boundaries when you desire privacy.

What about the mess?

We aim to leave the house as clean as it was when we arrived! During your pregnancy we will give you a link to a website where you will order a “birth kit” which includes all the disposable supplies for your birth. Many of these supplies are meant to keep your house clean during the birth. While you have family bonding time with your new baby, we quietly tidy up.

Can I have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)?Most likely. Trying for a home VBAC has a high success rate – up to 87% – but there are some additional risk during labor, and some people are better candidates for home VBAC than others. Cesarean birth or other uterine surgeries leave a scar on the uterus, leaving some of the tissue weaker and slightly more prone to separating during labor. This is known as uterine rupture. The risk of uterine rupture is 0.2% if you have had one prior c-section, wait at least one year for your uterus to heal before becoming pregnant, have a low transverse incision, and your reason for the c-section does not necessitate another – like breech or failed labor induction. Additional c-sections, infections during healing, smoking, and possible anatomical reasons for c-section (ex: contracted pelvis) can increase your risk of uterine rupture.

We can discuss your prior birth experience and desire for VBAC during a free consultation. Unfortunately due to Louisiana  midwifery laws, we are only able to offer home VBAC in Mississippi. 

What do you do after the baby is born?

While every birth is a little different (depending on if you, your partner, your child, or your midwife catches your baby), at a typical birth we will wait for you to take your baby and bring them onto your stomach or chest, and we will keep a close eye on your bleeding and your baby’s adjustment to life outside the womb. After the placenta is born and the baby’s cord is done pulsing, we ask you if you are ready to cut the cord and who is going to be the one to do it, and we help clamp and cut the cord. Then we give you some space for family time, staying close by with an ear out for your needs and checking on you periodically. Whenever your baby is interested in nursing, we offer help with positioning and latch if you would like it. After a thorough newborn exam when your family is feeling comfortable and ready for a nap and we’re satisfied that you and baby are healthy and stable, we leave. Then your midwives will return in about 24-36 hours for your first postpartum visit.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Midwives are trained to handle certain complications at home and to know when a transport to the hospital may be necessary. One of the most common complications we handle at home is excessive bleeding from the uterus immediately after the baby is born, and we carry the same medications used in hospitals to stop the bleeding. The second most common complication in a homebirth is a baby who needs some help to take his or her first breaths. Every midwife at your birth is certified in neonatal resuscitation. Again, in this scenario, we follow the same standards as the hospital. Our most common reason for transporting a pregnant person to the hospital happens during a very long labor where the birth parent nears clinical exhaustion. In this case, the hospital can provide epidural and pitocin, which are the best tools to support sleep and enable a safe delivery.

Do I need to see a doctor for my prenatal care?

No, unless you would like to. Midwives provide the same clinical components as doctors during prenatal care, such as listening to the baby and taking your blood pressure. We get to know you and your health, and address all your questions. While it is not necessary to also receive prenatal care with a doctor, some families may feel more comfortable establishing a relationship with an obstetrician in addition to their midwife for backup or better insurance coverage of lab work and ultrasounds. There are also some instances when your midwife requests you follow up with a physician, such as antibiotic treatment of a UTI. 

Who will attend my birth?

During the beginning of your labor, you will be with your midwife and anyone you invite to your birth. If your midwife is at your home for longer than 24 hours, we will switch out so you have a fresh, well rested midwife attending to you. 

A student midwife may be present during your care and birth. We value and respect your desire to know who will be at your birth and strive to make sure you have a chance to meet your entire birth team before labor time.

What equipment do you bring with you to births?

Midwives are legally licensed to carry equipment and medications to safely manage normal deliveries at home, and we bring the same equipment to home births . Some of the equipment we bring includes:

• Monitoring equipment for you and your baby, including a doppler, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, thermometer, and infant stethoscope.
• Supplies for the newborn exam and any newborn procedures that you choose, including a scale, measuring tape, erythromycin ointment, and vitamin K.
• Antihemorrhagic drugs to stop excessive postpartum bleeding.
• Resuscitation equipment for baby and birth parent: a bag and mask resuscitator and oxygen.
• Suturing equipment to do repairs if any tearing occurred, and lidocaine to numb for suturing.

What about ultrasounds and lab work?

We provide lab services: blood draws, urine tests, and infection swabs during regular appointments or in between if any concerns arise. We also provide referrals to medical imaging professionals in order to obtain ultrasounds as needed or desired. We are able to refer you to other professionals for additional testing if it becomes necessary. 

What are the benefits of homebirth?

The latest research on planned home birth, released in 2014 by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), found that among 17,000 families:

• Better outcomes for babies: 97% of babies were carried to full-term, and weighed an average of eight pounds at birth. Only 1% of babies were transferred to the hospital after birth, most for non-urgent conditions.
• Low rates of intervention: Only 4.5% of the 17,000 study participants required oxytocin augmentation and/or epidural analgesia. This is much lower than average for the United States, where 26% have oxytocin augmentation and 67% have epidurals.
• Low rates of cesarean birth: The 2014 MANA study also found that of the 17,000 planned home births, only 5.7% ended up birthing their babies via cesarean. This is compared to the national average of approximately 31% for full-term pregnancies.
• High VBAC success rate: For low-risk individuals, the chance of having a vaginal birth after cesarean ranges from 68-87% when birthing outside the hospital.

Other benefits of choosing home birth with midwives:

• Individualized care: All decisions about your care are made together with you. We will have thorough conversation about your needs, preferences, and values, your individual health, and the evidence regarding the options available to you. We respect you as the expert of your own body and your baby’s primary care provider.
• Continuity of care: Your midwife will follow you throughout the course of your prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. At every point in your parenting journey, you will see the familiar, comfortable, friendly face of your very own midwife.
• Evidence-based care: We stay current on the research around pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding so that we can provide up-to-date information to assist you in your decision-making.
• Your own environment: For many families, the comfort and security of your own home cannot be matched. You choose who attends your birth and who cares for you. You choose what to eat and drink. Walk, dance or sleep uninterrupted – it’s your birth!
• Incredible postpartum care: From the first minutes of your baby’s life to your six week postpartum checkup, We provides attentive, personal support and education necessary for your baby’s growth, help your family bond with your newborn, develop long-lasting breastfeeding or chestfeeding relationships, and heal your body in the postpartum.

In celebration 🎉 of Journey #2’s trip for Medical clearance next week…

Ask me ANYTHING about Surrogacy!

There’s no question too personal, and nothing outside the realm of what I will answer.

• I want to know what YOU want to know.

• I want to spread awareness & information.

• I want to answer your questions & possibly help you get started on a journey if you would like.

• Ever wondered but didn’t want to pry… Ask away… I’ll answer…

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• Why did I choose to become surrogate?

• Do we get paid?

• Is the baby genetically related to me?

• How could I ‘give’ it up?

• Did I know the intended parents before matching with them?

• Do I have to travel?

Nothing is too personal, so please, ask away.

From Facebook, Kari asks,

Is it emotionally difficult to give up baby to their parents after birth?

Do you breastfeed at all?

How do you feel surrogacy affects/differs in postpartum?

Good questions Kari!

Is it emotionally difficult to give up baby to their parents after birth?

As far as for me, it is one of the best feelings ever to watch the IPs (intended parents) meet their lil one for the first time and to help them establish that bond. To see the joy of not just a new life brought into this world but a new family being born. When they go home. It’s like the completion of an amazing journey. A fulfillment that can’t be measured.

We fostered for years and as Shay says when anybody ask her about it, “We are just babysitting the lil one for a few months until they meet up with their parents. The only difference is the lil one is inside mommy’s tummy instead of out and about here at the time. “

As far as the saying “give the baby up” I feel it’s not giving the baby up when in reality they were not mine to begin with. To me it feels similar to when I help a family though midwifery or fostering. It’s just on such an even more fulfilling and deeper level.

As far as my own kids reaction to the process they were excited. All 3 kids we have here at home were all totally fine with it. I was open about the process and clear I was just helping the baby grow so his parents could have him. They were all bigger kids at the time of delivery. They were, 14, 12, &10. They did researched on the whole process. It was very educational for them. We are open and honest with them about it all. They did get to meet him afterwards and thought he was the cutest. There are also some books to help explain it to kids. Mine were old enough and felt like it was totally a awesome thing to do. They were very understanding and compassionate.

With my previous journey we still keep in touch. Not only did their family grow but so did ours. Our two families will forever be bonded. We all formed not just amazing lasting friendships through the process but became like family. However, each case and person is different. Some IPs and surrogates may not want that kind of connection afterwards. Communication is discussed during matching. That way all parties are comfortable and their personalities mesh well. Everyone is on the same page as far as expectations and needs.

Do you breastfeed at all?

It really depends on the IPs and the surrogate. Every situation is different. If they decide to breastfeed the surrogate is paid and packaging and shipping is covered.

I didn’t get to with my last journey. They were out of country, with out of country shipping, IP decided not to go that direction. They were only here a very short time before heading back home.

Each journey is different. We haven’t discussed it yet for this next journey. I like to discuss it as if I would with a midwifery client. I lay out all the facts and then it’s up to them. They have that choice. I feel like it’s their path to evaluate the facts and make an informed decision based on their life and knowledge. I feel that just like I make the decision to breastfeed with my kids, its their right just like it was mine with my kids, to decide for themselves and their family.

How do you feel surrogacy affects/differs in postpartum?

As far as the effects on my body with the group decision of not breastfeeding, It was different. With us not breastfeeding 🤱 I didn’t have that immediate connection afterward. That golden hour for baby and my body. My body didn’t understand for the first little bit. Even though my mind knew and was ok with it. My mind understood it was not just my decision alone. It took my body a week or so to make that connection.

After that it was a normal postpartum recovery. But I mean what is normal anyway? Just a setting on the dryer? 🤷🏻‍♀️😁 Each pregnancy and birth is different. You know each birthing persons situation, body and mind set towards recovery is different. Depending on how they recover and the time they put into it. Resting is key, you know. Taking that time and space to allow your body to fully heal. The benefit here is in my case all my kids at home after the birth were not babies. They were half grown and didn’t need my 24/7 attention. This allowed me time to rest and recover. To give my body the space it needed to physically heal. But as far as recovery goes it was pretty basic C-section recovery. 😬😉💜