What a homebirth midwife does

Because I am so used to being involved in providing homebirth care, sometimes it is hard for me to think back to the times when I really didn't understand a thing about what homebirth was about. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter and preparing for my first homebirth that I thought I shouldn't bother my midwife if I was having preterm contractions! I went to the hospital instead and just told her about it at our next prenatal visit. I am sure she was exasperated with me, but I have clients do just the same sort of thing. So in order to clear up any confusion, I thought I would write a little post about it. Remember, I don't require much...this is what I offer.

Here is what I do as a homebirth midwife, your midwife may offer different services...

• complete prenatal care
  
• nutritional counseling
• a little massage, craniosacral work, and myofascial release
• well-woman care
• newborn exam
  
• provide emotional/physical/and informational support
  
• referrals to local resources
• proof of pregnancy letters
• Placenta encapsulation and prints
  
• sign and file birth certificates
• blood tests, paps, GBS, and newborn metabolic (PKU) testing
• Clean-up after the birth (for the most part) including the starting the laundry
• In-home postpartum visits
  
• good old-fashioned mama love

What I DON'T do:

• Ultrasound
• C-section
  
• Tell you what position to get in to push
• Count while your pushing
• Clean your windows or your car