Home Birth care from a midwife adapts to the needs of each family.
Prenatal Care for a planned home birth with Madeleine takes place either on a routine schedule (monthly until 28 weeks, every other week from 28-36 weeks, and weekly from 36 weeks to birth) or on a task-based schedule (6-8 goal-oriented visits during your pregnancy).
Visits last about an hour, and include:
Visits last about an hour, and include:
- Monitoring your vital signs and your general health
- Monitoring your baby's growth, heart rate, and position
- Lab testing performed on-site or off-site
- Screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
- Referrals for ultrasounds as indicated
- Education on staying healthy during pregnancy
- Education on preparing yourself and your family for a home birth
- Access to all health records
- Urgent support 24/7 via phone call
When Madeleine attends your Home Birth, she offers:
Your midwife will typically depart when you and your baby are stable and ready to rest. Usually this is 2-3 hours after the birth.
If a transport to hospital-based care is necessary before or after the birth, your midwife will accompany you and provide report and your complete records to the receiving care team. Your midwife will remain with you until after you have given birth, when you and your baby are stable and ready to rest.
- Evidence-based healthcare.
- Client-led assessments including vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, and temperature) and internal exams.
A note: Your midwife may offer you internal exams in labor to assess for cervical change, however this is not a routine or mandatory part of your care. Internal exams are offered as one of many tools to help assess labor progress, and internal procedures are only some of the tools your midwife may offer to assist with a safe birth at home. - Listening to your baby's heart rate, movements, and position
- Assisting you with changes you request in labor, comfort measures, and labor support
- Catching your baby or helping you or your support person catch your baby
- Facilitating the birth of the placenta
- Monitoring your postpartum bleeding and resolving any excess bleeding
- Providing sutures if indicated
- Helping your baby breathe if necessary
- Assistance with breastfeeding
- Performing a full head-to-toe newborn exam
- Offering newborn medications including Erythromycin Opthalmic Ointment and Injectable Vitamin K
- Providing thorough postpartum and newborn care instructions
Your midwife will typically depart when you and your baby are stable and ready to rest. Usually this is 2-3 hours after the birth.
If a transport to hospital-based care is necessary before or after the birth, your midwife will accompany you and provide report and your complete records to the receiving care team. Your midwife will remain with you until after you have given birth, when you and your baby are stable and ready to rest.
Postpartum Care from Madeleine takes place on the following schedule:
At these visits, your midwife will:
At your final postpartum visit, you will be offered a full physical exam (including pelvic exam), information on family planning or contraception, and other lab testing as indicated or requested.
- 24 hours after birth
- 72 hours after birth
- 1 week after birth
- 2 weeks after birth
- 4 weeks after birth
- 6 weeks after birth
At these visits, your midwife will:
- Monitor your vital signs and recovery from birth
- Monitor your baby's vital signs and perform a full newborn exam
- Assist with breastfeeding
- Discuss your transition to having a newborn in your home
- Screen for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
- Offer the newborn metabolic screen for your baby
- Offer the critical congenital heart defect (CCHD) screen for your baby
- Facilitate a hearing screen for your baby through your pediatrician or local hospital
- Provide information on obtaining a birth certificate and social security number for your newborn
At your final postpartum visit, you will be offered a full physical exam (including pelvic exam), information on family planning or contraception, and other lab testing as indicated or requested.