Midwifery Care
Free Consultation
This is a time for us to meet in person and begin to get to know each other to see if it feels like we would be a good fit for working together. I find it helpful and informative to be in physical space with someone to see how that feels in my body. We will both have the chance to do this during a consultation. We will also discuss your questions regarding homebirth and my practices. Any/all family members who are important members of your pregnancy/birth/parenting journey are welcome to join.
Prenatal
Care
Prenatal care is provided either (or a combination of) in your home and/or mine. Prenatal visits are scheduled once a month until 28 wks of pregnancy, every other week between 28-36 weeks and once a week from 36 wks until your baby is born.
During prenatal care, we (you and me) monitor the health and well-being of you and your baby. We discuss your nutritional and lifestyle picture. I will share educational materials and discuss your questions and concerns. We will probably talk about many things and some might seem off topic to your pregnancy but whatever is present in your life is present in your pregnancy so nothing is off the table for discussion.
I offer all routine prenatal screening tests after discussing the risks and benefits of each and allowing you to make an informed decision about them. Comprehensive prenatal care and personal informed decision making helps ensure that your pregnancy is growing healthily, feeling strong and that homebirth continues to be a good option for you.
We will be getting to know each other and building a relationship that will feel good, healthy and safe for being in your birth space together.
Labor & Birth
As your birth approaches, you can look forward to welcoming your new baby in the comfort of your home!
We work together to ensure that you have a safe experience and are provided with comfort measures to help ease the progression of labor. To achieve this, I provide continuous hands-on assistance, carefully monitoring the wellbeing of you and your baby and offering comforting measures. During your labor, I encourage you to eat, hydrate and move around as you wish.
Another midwife will be brought on to attend and assist at your birth. You will have a chance to meet them at a 36 week “birth team” visit. We will work collaboratively to support you and your family as well as support one another through your birth experience.
Water birth is an option for those who are interested. I can provide you with a tub or you can use one of your own.
After your birth, I stay at your home and continue to support and monitor you and your baby until you are both in stable conditions. There will be lots of time and space for you to bond with your baby and establish newborn feeding. I will facilitate skin to skin contact and hold space for you and your baby to begin to see and know each other.
*Should a situation arise that requires hospital care, I will accompany you and your family to the hospital and remain with you for the duration of your labor/birth.
Postpartum
Postpartum visits are normally scheduled on day 1, day 3, between 1-2 weeks, between 3-4 weeks, between 6-8 weeks, and 4 months (if you desire a 4 month visit). There will be lots of conversations on how the transition is feeling for you. During the postpartum period, I provide:
Routine postpartum assessments, monitoring your health and the (normal) physical changes that occur.
Lactation guidance, providing information and assistance with breastfeeding
Well-Baby care, assessing the growth and health of your baby
I offer all routine postpartum screening tests for you and your baby, including a pap smear at 6 weeks postpartum
Well-Person Care
Well-person care is intended to meet your personal health needs throughout all stages of your reproductive life. During a typical well-person visit I:
Discuss and provide information about various forms of contraception
Provide nutritional counseling
Offer an annual physical exam including a breast exam and pap smear
Offer STD screenings and blood work
Provide educational materials and discuss any questions/concerns you may have
Future Offerings
As MotherSeed grows, I hope to offer lactation and postpartum support services, full-family herbal consultations, and community connection opportunities. Stay tuned as new services are added to my offerings!
“The first time I met Rebecca, she came to meet my husband and I. She asked if we wanted any references or names of other midwives. We liked her so much that we just looked at each other, nodded, and said “No.” She has now been the midwife for all three of my children. I realized at the beginning of my third pregnancy that besides my parents and husband, there was no single person who had been so intimate with my body. I couldn’t possibly imagine going through this experience without her. Truly. It would just seem like something was missing. I have literally trusted her with mine and my children’s lives three times. Her presence, humor, directness, and kindness make one feel better just being around her (pregnant or not!). Everything is going to be o.k., and more importantly, YOU are o.k. just as you are. I am so thankful to have had her in our lives. I couldn’t ask for anything more!”
Midwives
It has been a true honor and blessing to be called to midwifery. I am continuously grateful for and in awe of the ancient lineage of midwifery. I give thanks to all the midwives who have come before me throughout all of human time.
Midwives have been the attendants of birth for most of history. Tradition, necessity, or choice brought people to midwives. The practice of midwifery has been preserved through time and continues in every part of the world. Today, midwives are the specialists in homebirth and experts on normal and natural birth.
A Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) is an independent professional, who is educated, trained, and skilled in caring for the normal processes surrounding reproduction and in recognizing and managing complications that arise and may require physician care. A CPM has met the standards of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) for certification and maintains certification through continual education, peer review, and practice.
Homebirth
In the United States less than 1% of births take place out of the hospital but according to the Center for Disease Control, midwife attended out-of-hospital birth rates have been on the rise since 2001. Out of hospital birth rates vary drastically around the world. Of the industrialized nations the rates vary from 30% in the Netherlands to rates such as the United States’ 1%.
For many healthy people, midwife attended homebirth is a safe birthing option that involves less intervention and provides a more comfortable and supportive birthing environment. Planned homebirth with a trained midwife is as safe an option for healthy low risk people.
Homebirth is a preferred option for many families. Just like each person, the reason for choosing homebirth is unique. Midwife attended homebirth offers:
Individualized Care – Although midwives have a defined scope of practice and follow set protocols we strive to provide care that is specific to the physical and emotional health of each person and family. I understand that health is a holistic and dynamic process and aim to honor each element that contributes to one’s wellbeing.
Informed Choice – I believe that people should be participants and decision makers in their own health care. I provide education on test and procedures and encourage families to inform themselves in order to make the best decision for their specific situation.
Family Oriented – I realize that birth is more than just the birth of a baby. I honor the idea that a new dimension of “family” is born with each birth. I support your decision to include whoever is important for you to have as a part of this event.
Home Based – For many people, giving birth in their own home offers comfort and reassurance. People are familiar with this environment and can be in control of many elements contributing to their birthing environment such as food, lighting, sounds, attendants, location, etc. Homebirth does not require you to travel while in labor; your midwives come to you!
Midwife Supported Labor - Midwives are “hands on” health care providers. I am with clients through their labors, offering comfort measures and support, as well as monitoring their physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing.
Normal and Natural Birth/Low Interventions – At home midwives use natural comfort measures, encourage physical movement & position changes and support people to follow their natural instincts during their birthing process. I aim to not interfere with the natural process of birth. I call on traditional support methods and remedies involving touch, food, communication, breath, and plant medicine to manage a variety of situations that may arise and keep your experience within the range of healthy and normal.
“It’s in no way an exaggeration when I say my life is significantly better because Rebecca was my midwife. I came from a background of fear and misinformation around birth and pregnancy, and as I moved through my own growth process in a not-always-flattering way, Rebecca was always available as a grounding, competent, well-informed, warm, and completely nonjudgemental support. It was clear to me that she was doing exactly what she was meant to do in holding space for others’ transformations and empowering people to make their own choices. She has total confidence in women’s strength and intuition, but also a clear self-awareness and scope of practice that allows her to make the best possible decision for each situation without ego ever entering the picture. She is honest, wise, communicative, generous, open-minded, and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Just thinking about her inspires me to try harder, to be better. I give her 11 out of 10 stars.”
“Patience.
or rather, the sense that one should slow down
and thereby enter into another rhythm;
the profound rhythm of life,
to which the mother has spontaneously become attuned,
and which is also the tempo of the child.”
