Midwives are healthcare providers who focus on pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, and postpartum health. They’re known for their holistic and natural approach to birth, making them a popular choice for those wanting a non-medicated birth or home birth. They’re a great option for low-risk pregnancies or when there are only mild complications. Midwives offer a range of services depending on their training and certifications such as: · Prenatal checkups and routine pregnancy monitoring · Ultrasounds and prenatal blood tests · Support during birth and newborn care · Postpartum care and advice · Education on nutrition, breastfeeding, and fertility · Birth control and family planning · Pap tests and breast exams · Screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other vaginal issues · And more

American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) or the American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc. (ACNM) (click here) confirms that not only is homebirth safe for low risk clients who choose to birth at home with midwives, but there are also positive health benefits both for the birthing client & their baby. The position statement mentions, "Large observational studies have demonstrated excellent perinatal outcomes for planned home births. Planned home birth is also credited with reduced use of medical interventions that are associated with perinatal morbidity for both women and their infants. The safety of home birth is optimized by assessing appropriateness of the woman and family for planned home birth, attendance by a qualified maternity care provider, and integrated systems that support collaborative care." ACNM (2016) I encourage you to do all of the research on the safety of homebirth to make an informed choice.

A doula and a midwife offer different types or services, even though both may support the childbirth experience. Midwives have medical training and during prenatal visits and the birth process, the focus is on having a safe and healthy dyad (mom and baby). Doula's focus more on the needs of the mother, by offering mental, physical, and emotional support. Below are a few things your doula will not do: · Make medical decisions on your behalf. Your provider wants to hear from you. · Take over your partner's role or anyone else you may choose to be at your birth. · Make medical judgments or clinical recommendations. · Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure checks, fetal assessments, vaginal exams, etc.

At Ubuntu Midwifery, finding the right midwife is a personalized and important process that ensures you receive the best care tailored to your unique needs. Here are some steps to help you choose the right midwife: 1. Research and Referrals: Start by gathering recommendations from friends, family, or healthcare providers who have had positive experiences with midwifery services. Additionally, look into reviews and testimonials about Ubuntu Midwifery and/ the midwives. 2. Check Credentials: Ensure that the midwives are certified and have the necessary qualifications. 3. Schedule Consultations: Book initial consultations with potential midwives at Ubuntu Midwifery and other local midwives. This gives you an opportunity to ask questions, discuss your needs and preferences, and gauge their approach to care. They should demonstrate flexibility and interest in your birth plan. It takes time to develop relationships, of course, and you won’t have complete trust in one day. You should, however, feel that these midwives want to take care of you and respect the way you are approaching your pregnancy and birth. 4. Evaluate Communication Style: It’s crucial that you feel comfortable communicating with your midwife. The right midwife should listen to your concerns, provide clear and informative answers, and respect your choices and preferences. How does it feel when you are talking to the midwives? Do you feel comfortable, like you can be yourself? Do you feel seen and understood? Are they listening to you? The right midwives will feel welcoming, understanding, and interested in you. 5. Assess Compatibility: Ensure that their philosophy of care aligns with your birth plan and expectations. The energy should be received on both ends. I emphasize a supportive and holistic approach to childbirth and postpartum care. 6. Continuous Support: Consider the level of support you will receive during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. You will receive comprehensive and continuous care, including childbirth education and lactation services, ensuring you’re supported throughout your journey. Finding the right midwife is a critical step in your maternity care, and at Ubuntu Midwifery, we are committed to providing compassionate and professional services to meet your needs.

An initial prenatal visit is typically done around 8-12 weeks, which includes discussing your medical & pregnancy history, drawing labs if needed, going over informed choice documents & what you desire for your pregnancy & birth. The subsequent prenatal visits schedule will be every 4 weeks until 28 weeks of pregnancy. At or around 28 weeks, all visits will be every 2 weeks until 36 weeks of pregnancy. At or around 36 weeks the visits will be at your home to complete third trimester labs and cultures, check out your birth space, make suggestions, finalize a back-up/transfer plan, discuss supplies to gather, meet family and/ doula, revisit your birth preferences, etc., and then starting at 37 weeks we will have weekly prenatal visits in our office or in your home until birth. During prenatal visits we will chat, drink a cup of tea, discuss your nutrition/ exercise/ emotional status, any aches/ pains you may be experiencing (& ways to treat them). Prenatal visits also includes drawing labs and other routine testing, checking vitals, and monitoring baby’s growth & heart rate. If you already have kids, they are more than welcome to come along to play and ask questions. You will be provided with resources or referrals for programs/services/providers/etc as needed. We will also discuss what to expect in the coming weeks and how to best prepare for your birth at home. The midwifery team is on call beginning at 37 weeks. We provide attentive care during your labor, birth, immediate postpartum and a comprehensive head-to-toe newborn examination. We will monitor and assess you & the baby to ensure everything is normal and transport appropriately if homebirth is no longer a safe option. Waterbirth or water immersion during labor is absolutely an option for those who desire it. Birth tubs are available for rent, or you can purchase your own. We stay roughly around 2-4 hours postpartum during the transition to ensure you and baby are doing well and breastfeeding is successful. The first postpartum home visit will occur within 24-48 hours after the birth (this visit will include the Newborn screening test, Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) screening, follow up of the birthing person and newborn). Another home visit within the first to second week postpartum (this will include follow up newborn weight, the birthing person, and newborn care). The visit date will depend on when the pediatricians appointment is scheduled (newborn information will be provided to the pediatrician). A follow up Telehealth visit can be provided after the final 1-2 week postpartum visit. During these visits we check on your emotional & physical well-being, as well as your baby, to ensure they are adjusting well to life outside the womb. Plan for well-baby care with a primary care provider by 5 days to 1 week postpartum. Please be advised if you transfer care while in labor or prior, we may continue with your postpartum visits at home. These visits will vary depending on the day of discharge. Newborn care will have to continue with a pediatrician. During the 6-week postpartum visit in the office. We will hold space for your birth story, assess physical healing, a pap test if desired, check in for emotional well-being, discuss plans for future pregnancies or options to prevent pregnancy, examine the baby, & talk about any issues or difficulties you may be experiencing.

Please obtain your records from your current provider. It’s great to just have a copy for yourself, so let them know you’d like a copy of your records (any ultrasounds, lab work, prior labor and delivery report, and current prenatal chart) are all helpful to have. You can also have them faxed directly to me at 272-254-4788. Please download the record release form.

Our all-inclusive midwifery fee is base on many factors such as insurance, Medicaid, or cash pay. I am an out of network provider with insurance companies, however I am happy to get you in touch with a professional billing specialist to see if you are eligible for reimbursement or an approval with your insurance. The retainer fee, birth kit, birth assistant, and birth pool purchase or rental options are to be covered by the client. I want my care to be accessible for those who want it. I don’t want for cost to be a barrier to accessing my care. With that being said, I offer discounts for early pay, cash pay, co-care, etc. Do not be afraid to reach out based on cost, we can usually find a way to make it work together! For those looking for holistic midwifery prenatal, postpartum, wellness GYN care, and lactation consults. I offer appointments every week. Sliding scale options are available for those who are currently uninsured, unemployed, or on Medicaid. A healthcare financing option is also available through Med Loan Finance at: Please reach out with any questions!

My statistics includes births at a birth center which includes three transfers to the hospital. The most common reason for a hospital transfer is maternal exhaustion. My current transfer rate is 2%. I am happy to share my statistics with you. I believe in full transparency & encourage you to ask any provider you are interviewing for their transfer rate, cesarean rate, etc.

As a homebirth midwife my goal is NOT for you to have a home birth. The goal is for both you and baby to be healthy and safe. I will not wait for an emergency to happen. If there are any red flags indicating that it may not be safe to continue at home, we will collectively make the decision to transfer to the hospital for a healthy outcome. Depending on the circumstances, I could join you in the hospital and take the role of a support person or monitrice (a trained professional who provides support to birthing people throughout pregnancy, labor, and/ postpartum). I highly recommend hiring a doula for your birth journey, especially for first time parents. Doulas are able to join in the hospital in cases I will be unable to stay. We can talk this through in more detail in person if you have further questions. The most common reason for transport is maternal exhaustion. I cannot stress enough the importance of resting in early labor, especially for first time birthers. While I encourage natural birth to any and everyone who desires one, sometimes an epidural and rest is a wonderful tool to have a safe healthy and safe birth.