FAQs

Start with a tour to get a feel for our staff, our midwives, our birth suites and our vibe!

You can schedule your fun Orientation visit at any time. During this visit, we’ll chat about your pregnancy concerns, what you can expect from us, and what we will expect from you. We’ll go over some pregnancy basics and some tips to help you survive the first trimester. We can also order any needed or desired labs or ultrasounds. You’ll leave with a goody bag, a Mama Natural book and feeling excited about the journey ahead! It’s a great way to get a jump start!

Around 12 weeks, we’ll set up your first private 1:1 with your midwife. During this visit, we’ll review your history and labs, customize your nutrition and supplement plan, and discuss how to optimize your health and help your baby grow! We will consider all the things that make you unique and plan out your custom pregnancy journey to birth. There is plenty of time to ask all those questions, get to know your midwife, and for us to get to know you!

Private 1:1 midwife visits are 1 hour long and scheduled at your first midwife visit, then again at 28, 36, 38, 40, 41, 41 1/2 and 42 weeks. These visits focus on YOU! On average, our clients spend about 6 hours in private visits and 15 hours in the circle prenatally. This is quite a difference from traditional care!

Some of our clients travel 2+ hours to birth here and may choose to substitute televisits for some of the Care Circles. Some have difficult work shifts and just come for their clinical check, a hug and a snack before they need to head back to work. We are always happy to adjust your care to fit your needs.

We can draw any necessary labs right here at Embrace. Typically, we recommend a prenatal panel at your first visit, a glucose test at 28 weeks, and then some final labs like a GBS swab at 37 weeks. Some mothers may need additional tests, while others might choose or need fewer.

For ultrasounds, an early-dating ultrasound can confirm your due date, if you are unsure. We usually recommend a fetal anatomy scan between 19-22 weeks. By then, the baby is fully formed, minimizing any risk and allowing us to get as much information as possible, including determining the baby’s sex if desired. We offer non-diagnostic Ultrasounds in the office if we need them for early pregnancy heartbeat or late pregnancy baby position checks. We also can send you a short ultrasound video of your baby around 14-16 weeks to share with family and friends.

Not usually. For healthy, natural pregnancy, birth and postpartum, we are primary care providers! We order all the needed tests and do all the normal monitoring and checkups as any provider would. If you have a medical condition that requires a specialist, like endocrinologists for thyroid disorders or a psychiatrist for mental health medications, we are happy to write a referral.

Anyone you want! Your birth is all yours- your guests are welcome. We do believe, though, that birth is not a spectator sport. Unmedicated birth takes peace, quiet, focus and support, so be sure to only invite people who fit that category.
As for us, our team always consists of a licensed midwife and a trained assistant, usually our advanced midwifery student. Having 2 trained sets of hands means there is someone for you and your baby!

We think everyone needs a doula! Doulas are such important parts to our birth teams. Having a doula focused on YOU- your physical comfort and your emotions. A doula will remind you of your birth plan, if you start to lose faith, and will support the whole family so your partner can focus on loving YOU.

Your midwife will support, encourage, and empathize, but during labor and birth, we are responsible for your and your baby’s safety. Just like truckers can’t drive and pilots can’t fly when exhausted, your midwife needs to stay sharp to think clearly and respond quickly if needed. We have two lives in our hands, and we take that seriously!

We require doulas for first-time mothers, VBAC mothers, and mothers who have never had an unmedicated birth. A doula will “mother the mother” and keep you feeling comfortable. Embrace Midwifery Care & Birth Center has a list of doulas we love, but you are welcome to hire any doula you love. Some doulas bill Medicaid, some offer discounts, and we usually have a list of newer doulas looking to volunteer for experience. No matter where you find your doula, find her! She’s an important part of your team.

People choose a birth center for many reasons! The most common ones we hear are:
– They live too far from a hospital to feel safe if an emergency arises.
– They don’t have a big enough hot water heater.
– They don’t know how their dogs will react.
– They don’t want their neighbors to hear them laboring.
– They want us to take care of all the details like laundry, cleaning, and birth supplies
-They love our tubs!
-They have children at home they would worry about in labor

While out-of-hospital natural birth is safe for low-risk mothers, emergencies can and do happen. Yes, birth is natural, but nature isn’t always kind! This is why you want a midwife with an excellent education, lots of out-of-hospital experience, and a great safety record. (Ahem…). Licensed, certified professional midwives are the only ones in the US trained specifically to handle out-of-hospital birth emergencies. Over the last 9 years, our practice has needed emergent transfers far less than 1% of the time, but we have EMS just across the street and Johnston Willis Hospital 3 miles away with on-site OBs and anesthesiologists, as well as a Level 3 NICU. If we need to go quickly, we have a detailed transfer plan that we practice regularly. We never expect an emergency, but we are always ready for one.

We always have medications to help your placenta release and to slow your bleeding after birth, antibiotics for GBS-positive clients, IV therapy if you are dehydrated or vomiting, and oxygen in case you or your baby needs a boost. We also have emergency resuscitation equipment for both you and your baby. All of our medicines and supplies are ready at every birth but are only used if needed.

YES, but even better, our standard care for birth is:
Wear what you want
Eat and drink what you want
Push how you want
Intermittent monitoring
Catch your own baby or have your baby placed immediately on your chest
Delayed cord clamping as long as you’d like
Golden hour honored and respected
Breastfeed on demand
No bath for baby
Get back to your own bed ASAP!
We love sweet, gentle birth!

We believe postpartum care is as important as prenatal care, especially for first-time mothers. We see you and your new baby about 24-36 hours after birth to check on both of you and perform newborn screenings if chosen. Most of our clients choose to breastfeed, so there is lots of breastfeeding assistance with each visit, as well as truly checking in to see how you are feeling, emotionally and physically. We see you again around 5-7 days, 10-14 days, and at 6 weeks. No need for pediatric visits until 8 weeks if all is well. During this time, we ensure the entire new family is healthy and thriving.

We love Boobie Babies! Our breastfeeding success rates are phenomenal, with almost 100% breastfeeding at six weeks! If you or your baby needs more TLC or you’re a first-time mama, we can always see you for a problem visit to ensure things are going smoothly or to tweak a technique to make things easier for you and your baby. We also have an IBCLC on staff for any big breastfeeding troubles!

We don’t think it’s expensive- we think it’s the best-kept secret in America! Compared to the cost of an uncomplicated vaginal birth in the hospital with a doctor, most families save thousands. After deductibles, co-pays and items not covered by insurance, many families find midwifery care to be less expensive than filing a claim. In comparison, midwives and birth centers are a small fraction of the cost- even though you get hours and hours more care. A direct line to the midwife on call for labor and emergencies from your 37th week to 2 weeks postpartum adds up to as many as 1,176 hours on call for you, 24/7/365. No where else will you get this value for your healthcare dollar.

More than all that, more than the actual value midwifery is, the value of being seen, heard and cared for…of reducing your risk for a surgical birth by over 25%…of birthing your baby with true informed choice and being supported in those choices…priceless.