New Life Midwifery & Birth Center offers Complete Maternity care – from the time you first find out you are pregnant to 7 weeks postpartum – including basic care of the baby for the first 4 days, lactation consulting and baby weight checks up to 7 weeks. Our services include:
- Complete Prenatal care including: Lab work, an average of 13 prenatal visits at a minimum of 25 minutes each, Ultrasound, Pregnancy and Childbirth education, and nutritional counseling;
- Home or birth center births;
- Personal care with a midwife who is present continuously throughout active labor, delivery, and at least 3 hours postpartum (we always have 1 midwife and a second birth attendant at every birth);
- Complete newborn exam;
- At least 3 Postpartum visits (24hrs in your home, 2 weeks, 6-7 weeks, and more often as needed);
- Available by phone around the clock to answer questions or offer guidance. We provide our cell phone numbers to our clients;
- Portable birth tub rentals for home birth;
- Billing of insurance and Denali Kid Care;
- Childbirth education classes;
- Breastfeeding teaching and support.
Common Questions about Our Services
What if something goes wrong?
What if I hemorrhage?
How messy is a home birth?
What happens if I “risk out” of your care?
What if something goes wrong?
Evidence suggests that out of hospital births with qualified midwives are as safe, if not safer, than hospital births. However, an emergency can happen regardless of where you give birth. Because we screen women carefully, and only keep as clients those who are low risk, we rarely have emergencies. We are always prepared for emergency situations and there will always be two birth attendants qualified to handle an emergency at the birth. We carry all the essentials for routine births as well as emergency equipment. These are all available whether you have a home or birthcenter birth. These include, but are not limited to:
- Doppler and fetoscope
- Medication to control hemorrhage: Pitocin, Methergine (IM, oral)
- Oxygen tank(s) and gauge(s) with adult and pediatric masks
- Resuscitation equipment for baby and mom, including bag and mask
- Tubing suction devices, such as delee traps
- Instruments: scissors, hemostats, needle holders, etc.
- Blood pressure cuff/stethoscope for an adult
- Amnihooks and amnicots to break the water if necessary
- Suturing equipment and lidocaine
- Catheterization equipment
- IV equipment and fluids
- Baby scale, tape measure
- Baby medications such as Vitamin K and eye ointment
- Tubes for the laboratory examination of cord blood or blood type test kits
- Herbs for labor, delivery and postpartum
- Miscellaneous items, such as a mirror and flashlight
- Extra birth supplies: sterile/non sterile gloves, Betadine, sterile and non-sterile gauze pads, K-Y jelly, bulb syringe, cord clamps, alcohol pads, perineal oil, and ammonia amps.
What if I hemorrhage?
Hemorrhage is uncommon at natural births attended by qualified midwives. We screen out women who are at risk for hemorrhage, such as heavy smokers, those with unhealthy diets throughout pregnancy, and those with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. We encourage you to deliver the placenta in your own time with, our watchful care. Many doctors rush this period and do uterine compressions while pulling on the cord, which may cause the uterus to hemorrhage. Furthermore, we encourage our moms to breastfeed immediately after birth. Breastfeeding releases hormones which cause the uterus to contract, which in turn minimizes bleeding. Although it is rare, some mothers will hemorrhage at an out of hospital birth. We use many procedures to stop the hemorrhage. We may use Pitocin or hand compressions, among other things. Pitocin, Methergine and Misoprostol are the drugs used in the hospital to control hemorrhage and we have each of these drugs ready at our births for emergency use. We are also prepared to start IVs, give oxygen and prepare for emergency transport if needed.
How messy is a home birth?
Birth can be a messy process, but we do a great job of making sure that your home remains clean and free of stains. We will cover the bed or birthplace with plastic as well as the floor around the bed or birth area. We also use chucks pads, absorbent plastic backed pads, wherever you may be sitting or standing. These pads can easily be held beneath you if you have to move around and are disposable. If you use our portable birth pool, it will have a disposable liner. After the birth, we simply pump the water from the pool with our water pump, throw away the liner, and disinfect the pool with a bleach solution. Episiotomies are rarely performed at home births therefore reducing the amount of additional blood. We always clean up after the birth including throwing the dirty linens into the washing machine! We will leave your house cleaner than when you went into labor!
What happens if I “risk out” of your care?
We work hard to keep you low risk through thorough screening, nutritional counseling, and holistic, preventative care. However, if you become high risk during your pregnancy, we consult with one of our back-up CNMs or Doctors, depending on what you are comfortable with or what your insurance will accept. If you are transferred to the hospital during labor, a midwife will stay with you and support you as a doula, or birth advocate, until you deliver. In the past, we have been able to do “co-care” with doctors for women who are too high risk for out of hospital delivery, but still want the wonderful benefits of midwifery care. This depends on the doctor and the situation.