Prenatal Care

The care before your baby comes is the heart of midwifery care. It is during prenatal visits where we can get to know one another. Visits tend to be about an hour long, feel free to bring your children, family or friends. Our time together is spent talking about normal pregnancy growth and development, nutrition, the discomforts of pregnancy, preparation for your birth and parenting, breastfeeding, family/sibling adjustment, and providing resources for you in the area in which you live. I also spend a lot of time discussing concerns and answering whatever questions you have.

Some time during prenatal visits is also spent discussing the labwork/tests that are available to you in your pregnancy. You decide which tests are right for you and your family and which ones you would rather skip. I believe strongly in informed choice and so I like to help families find the information they need in order to make a decision.

Prenatal care also includes all of the regular clinical assessments: checking your vital signs, measuring your uterus, feeling the baby's position and growth, and listening to the baby's heartbeat.

Labor & Birth

Belief in the normalcy of birth guides my care during your labor and birth. It is the relationship that we have developed over the course of your prenatal care combined with the comfort of being in your own home which creates a wonderful environment so that you can birth your baby as you are so well designed to do. In support of your needs as the laboring mom, I welcome anyone you would like to have with you during your birth experience — family, friends, children, or doulas.

I believe in women's ability to give birth and I believe that a woman knows best how to birth her baby. It is my job to support the natural process of labor through encouraging mobility, the use of water in labor, helping your support people support you, and eating and drinking as you desire. Fathers or partners are encouraged and welcome to catch their own babies. Of course, part of my job is also to recognize when labor is not normal and to do what is needed to keep you and your baby safe, even if that means going to the hospital for extra help. If you have to go to the hospital I will, of course, stay with you.

Your baby will be born into your arms and will stay with you at all times. Breastfeeding is encouraged as soon as possible after the birth. I provide your baby's first care and provide you with information on what to expect from your body and your baby in the first days and weeks after birth. In those first days after the birth, I am still available to you if you have any concerns.

Postpartum Care

Adjusting to life with a newborn is sometimes a challenging time for new families. To support the best possible adjustment to life with your new baby, I provide the following:

3 home visits in the first week to check on breastfeeding, newborn weight gain, and you and your baby's overall wellness
Optional office visits at 2 and 4 weeks
A 6-8 week visit wrapping up your care and providing you with resources for the year to come
24-hour availability to respond to any concerns that you might have

Services Provided by North Star Midwifery

Prenatal Care

Labor & Birth

Postpartum Care