Homebirth

Prenatal Care

Prenatal appointments take place in our office in Nashville, where partners and children are always welcome and encouraged to participate, and then in your home at 36 weeks. We spend time at each appointment discussing you and your baby, addressing questions and concerns, sharing guidance and resources for your physical and emotional wellbeing, providing education to support your family’s preparation for the birth, checking on you and your baby’s vitals, doing lab tests as appropriate, and discussing any upcoming available tests or tools offered to you in your prenatal care.

Prenatal Care includes:

  • Initial 1.5 hour prenatal visit at 12 weeks or earlier

  • Monthly 1 hour visits through 28 weeks

  • Bi-monthly 1 hour visits from 28-36 weeks

  • Weekly 1 hour visits starting at 37 weeks until birth

  • Physical Exam and option for Pap in the first trimester

  • Lab work at the initial appointment, 28 weeks, and 36 weeks, or more if indicated

  • Ultrasound referral in the 1st trimester and between 18 and 22 weeks, or more if indicated

  • In-office or home NST, or referral when necessary

  • Unlimited support by email or phone throughout your pregnancy

  • 24/7 on-call time beginning at 37 weeks of pregnancy

Photo by Jennifer Vines

Labor + Birth

Photos by Alexis Beatty

We are in close contact as labor starts, and then join you in your home when you enter active labor. Throughout this time, your midwife and midwife assistant will check your vitals and listen to your baby’s heartbeat to make sure you and baby are doing well, provide guidance when needed, and work collaboratively with your doula and other support people to keep your labor space calm and promote oxytocin flow. You will have the option of free tub rental for labor or water birth, and/or a birth stool to utilize for land birth. We bring all the supplies, equipment, medications and tools required to manage common birth complications and emergencies, as you would see at a birth center.

Immediately after your birth, your midwife will continue to check on your and baby’s vitals to make sure you are both acclimating, support your bonding, assist with your baby’s first latch whether you plan to nurse/bodyfeed or bottle-feed, support birth of the placenta, ensure you eat a nutritious meal, and check for any tears. When needed, your midwife will administer lidocaine and suture lacerations with your consent. After a solid hour, your midwife and midwife assistant will do a full head-to-toe newborn exam for your baby right next to you in your bed, and will offer vitamin K and erythromycin. Before we leave, we will assist in starting the first load of laundry and cleaning the birth space. You will be given thorough postpartum instructions for your care and your baby’s care until the next time we see you at your first postpartum visit. We stay 2-3 hours after your birth, or until you and baby are both stable and your family is tucked in for a good rest.

Labor + Birth Care includes:

  • Licensed midwife and midwife assistant on call

  • Free birth tub rental as supplies are available

  • Antibiotics when appropriate

  • Maternal/birther hemorrhage treatment when necessary, including IV fluids, standard medications to manage bleeding, herbs to help prevent bleeding, and oxygen

  • Neonatal Resuscitation tools including oxygen, CPAP, suction, and a team with up to date NRP certification from the American Academy of Pediatrics

  • Lidocaine and suturing supplies when needed

  • Vitamin K and erythromycin for baby

  • Transfer of care to hospital for you and/or your baby should need for higher intervention develop

  • Clean up of your birth setting and your laundry started

Taylor Cheyenne Photography

Postpartum Care

Postpartum appointments take place in your home so that you can prioritize rest and recovery while caring for your newborn, with the option of coming into the office for your six week visit for final labs and a pap smear if needed. We will continue to check your vitals at every visit, and we will also focus on your mental health and overall wellbeing during this transition. At each visit we will discuss your day to day, provide education and resources for postpartum and the newborn period, and answer questions. We will also now be checking up on your baby on the outside! Each time we visit we will assess their vitals, weight, and feeding with you, providing guidance when needed on how to care for yourself and your newborn. Just like our prenatal appointments, partners, children, and supportive family members are welcome and wanted at your postpartum visits.

Postpartum Care includes:

  • A visit between 24 and 48 hours after birth, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum

  • Metabolic screening for baby and filing of birth certificate at the first postpartum visit

  • Records faxed to your pediatrician

  • Newborn hearing screen at 1 week postpartum and referral for further assessment when needed

  • Monitoring of your vitals including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and uterine healing to make sure you are recovering without complications

  • Monitoring of your baby’s vitals, including weighs at each visit to assess their growth and wellbeing

  • Guidance with lactation or bottle feeding and referral to a lactation specialist when necessary

  • Postpartum mood complications screening

  • Counseling on family planning options and child spacing

  • Option for Pap smear and labs drawn at your 6 week visit

Taylor Cheyenne Photography

Photo by client family member