Your Homebirth
Can you imagine the blissful joy of welcoming your baby in the familiar comfort of your own home? Surrounded by those you love. Cozy and warm after a shower, you are lovingly tucked into a freshly made bed and your precious little one snuggled beside you; warm tea and a plate of nourishing food awaiting you. As you nibble and snuggle, your home is transformed back into its pre-birth comfort and lived-in beauty by your birth attendants. We leave you now to rest in your bed with your beloved and this new little one who is the perfect expression of the love between you. Blissful?
Willow River Midwifery embraces gentle, holistic, whole person care that is based in the practice of wisdom sharing, nurturance and empowerment through choice. We walk with you on this journey of transformation as you enter your birthing space empowered and forever changed.
Your Care Includes
Complimentary Home Birth Consultation
The consult visit can take place in person, over the phone, or online if you prefer a video call. We can ask each other questions and decide if we’re a good fit for one another in this pregnancy. If we decide to work together, we will send you our Welcome To Care package and we will work together to prepare for your first prenatal visit. We support home births, water births, and additionally can offer monitrice care or recommend a doula. Please look through the FAQs on this site before your consultation.
Initial Prenatal Visit
This visit takes place in the first trimester (or later, if you’re transferring care from another provider/facility). At this visit, we go over the Informed Choice documents and talk through laboratory, ultrasound and genetic tests and screens that are offered in pregnancy. Together, we’ll choose which of those tests and screens to run in order to have the best picture of your overall health. We’ll have time to talk, get to know one another better and ask any additional questions. We'll also discuss other complimentary care, and additional services we offer within the practice. We’ll also take a set of vital signs and if you are 8 weeks along or further, we’ll listen for baby’s heartbeat.
Prenatal Care and Planning
Through clinic or home visits, we see each other often throughout your pregnancy:
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Every 4 weeks until 28 weeks
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Every 2 weeks from 28 to 38 weeks
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Every week from 38 weeks until birth
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More visits as needed and desired.
Each week, our visits are led by your needs and interests. We provide a range of vetted resources to our clients to support them in their decision making and home birth planning.
Labor & Birth Support
When labor begins, give us a call! We’ll talk over the phone and decide together when it’s time for someone from the team to come. Your midwife and her team will arrive quietly, introducing themselves to your birthspace. Your midwives will stay until a few hours after your babe is born, making sure that you both are stable, fed, healthy and well.
Postpartum, Lactation, and Well-Baby Care
Check-ins for you and baby will happen sometime between 24-36 hours after birth in your own space. We visit again sometime between 3-4 days postpartum, between 1-2 weeks postpartum and again around 6 weeks postpartum. We can connect you with in home lactation consultants to support your breastfeeding experience.
Additional Postpartum Visits
We are available for additional visits in the first 6 weeks and if you need more support. Our team is available by phone or email, or video call for questions you may have, but don't need to see us in person.