Want a start-to-finish birth experience which feels safe, and gentle, and
Friendly?
Hello Friends!
I’m Corina Hossle, Richmond midwife and founder of Embrace Midwifery Care & Birth Center.
I can’t wait to personally show you around our beautiful water birth center!
Is there anything that feels as good as an genuine hug?
- That feeling of safety, warmth and unconditional love? Of that deep sigh and soul rest? Knowing that you can finally relax and be nurtured and cared for?
- It’s that place of non-judgemental safety that will allow you to make the very best choices for your body, birth and baby.
That’s what we work hard to make sure every single client feels. In fact, you’re not just our client when you birth with us. You’re part of our family.
We exist for loving families who desire a
- • fully present
- • deeply listened to
- • sacred and joyful
Birth
We are the premier water birth center in Richmond, VA offering a home-away-from-home to give birth in safety and comfort and with the support of highly experienced certified, licensed, professional midwives.
Respectful, empowering care matters.
My oldest is now 35.
I was only 20 when I had my first baby — practically a baby myself!
Back then, I lived in a little town in South Dakota. There was no cable or internet — just country doctors and the local library with outdated books.
Uncomfortable, embarrassing practices
Being admitted to a hospital back then was horrible- first a full shave from belly button to bum, then an enema called ‘Triple H’: High, Hot and a H*ll-of-a-Lot. Laboring women were given only ice chips, kept on their backs so the newfangled continuous monitoring would work, and regular vaginal exams were scheduled. Back then, there were no epidurals!
No privacy-just pain
I never felt like I birthed my baby – the doctors delivered me of my baby in a teaching hospital. After a 33 hour labor, I was rolled into an operating room and draped from nipples to toes in sterile drapes. This was the policy for every birth. My baby was big, and born at 42 weeks. I remember a sea of faces in the room, as this was a teaching hospital, and all eyes were on me. I had bruises on my ribs from fundal pressure, and a 4th degree tear from forceps. I hemorrhaged and had my baby immediately taken to the nursery to be bathed and weighed. I didn’t know any better, and even if I did, I had no idea I could go up against the all-knowing doctors. But Colton had been born, all 9#8oz of him, and life would never be the same. Informed Consent and Birth Doulas were not even in my consciousness – yet.
Baby #2 brought with it so much fear.
Somehow, I got pregnant again, four months later. I didn’t want another baby – especially so quickly after that last birth. I was so afraid to have another baby just 13 months after that first experience.
Induced
Doctors induced me for second birth, hoping for a smaller baby. I had my second boy, so full of fear I was clinging to the door frames as they pushed me into the operating room this time. This was a “sunny side up baby”, induced, while lying on my back for 10 hrs. They chose to use forceps again and I still had a big, deep, ugly tear and a hemorrhage. This time they were so aggressive about removing my placenta that they left pieces behind- and I got to return to that operating room 10 days later for an emergency D&C to clean out my uterus. But Chisom, all 8#9oz of him, was born, and life would never be the same.
Postpartum depression
It was just traumatizing. Victimizing. It took me months to heal. I had severe, suicidal post-postpartum depression after that second birth. Back then, I had never heard anyone talk about postpartum depression. It was common to hear “what are you crying for, you have two healthy babies.” There was no support, no meds, no mother’s circles. I had never heard of a midwife or a doula – yet!
With Baby #3 I was determined to have a better experience
I conceived my daughter in 1992. I was working as a surgical tech for an OB/GYN and had more experience and knowledge. I was determined to have a better experience than my previous two. I hired a midwife and planned out a home water birth. And then my husband was transferred! I lost my midwife. Back then, we had no Google. Unless you knew somebody who knew somebody you had no access…most homebirth midwives weren’t listed in the phone book.
Epidural & Induction
I used an OB and my daughter was born in Palm Springs California in a fancy schmancy hospital. My grandfather was dying twelve hours away, so I chose to be induced and once I was induced I chose an epidural. Back then epidurals were used for labor, but when it was time to push they would turn it off. Completely off. So labor could be pain free, but when you began pushing you had no endorphins, no pain management and no time to prepare. I remember a moment of panic, as the sensations crashed over me. I got my breath, and my daughter was born without a tear. The doctor was kind, but he was no midwife. This is as good as birth was going to get for me.
Cierra was 9 pounds 13 ounces, but it was the best birth I had. Life would never be the same.
I’ve experienced…
My three births gave me lots of perspective about how it feels to a woman to be immersed in the medical approach to birth and gives me a lot of empathy and understanding on why women often feel disempowered by it.
I always say my greatest regret in life is that I’ll never get to feel the power of birthing upright, birthing with love and support and respect, or of guiding my own baby from a watery world into my arms. I truly see the MAGIC of when a woman gets in a tub and suddenly feels capable of taking on the world.
Giving women
what I always wanted.
Now I’ve witnessed over 500 mothers and babies have BEAUTIFUL birth stories.
I know your birth story is right now, right here. The way you look at your partner when they are your anchor during the wild waves of labor and the way they look at you as you surf those waves with grace and strength. Birth can and should be a transformative experience — a beautiful way to navigate the journey to parenting this baby. ! It changes the way you see yourself, and the way you and your partner see each other. Having a partner that is present and connected to the birth process with you is life-changing — and we Embrace birth partners in every aspect of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
We help create a family that is confident, whole and connected in a sacred, intimate way.
Meet the team
that believes birth should not be a battle.
Explore how you can give birth with us
I want a water birth!
I want a home birth!
