Shasta Midwives Home Birth Service
Offering prenatal, home birth service and postpartum care in Siskiyou County
Shasta Midwives Home Birth Service
What to expect from your midwife caregiver?
Safety and Security
With an emphasis on normalcy, we reduce risks by avoiding unnecessary interventions. Reduced infection rates by avoiding hospital germs. One to one care and treatment as needed to facilitate a safe birth.
Appropriate Monitoring
Regular, thorough check-ups for you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, during labor, and after the birth. Recommendations for diagnostic technology when appropriate. Plan with you for the unexpected and rare emergency. Referrals to other specialists or to a different birth setting if needed. Expertise in normal, natural childbirth.
Up to Date Training and Emergency Equipment
We are cross trained and experienced in handling emergencies that might arise during labor or birth. We are Neonatal Resuscitation Certified and Electric Fetal Monitor Certified. We carry emergency equipment, so we can perform all of the same assessments and procedures that would be done in the hospital, with a few exceptions, as follows: We do not use a fetal scalp electrode screwed into the baby's head to monitor the baby's heart rate; we do not perform amnioinfusion; we do not perform vacuum extraction or cesarean section or hysterectomy; and we do not perform intubation of the baby. We carry the same equipment to resuscitate the baby that is as that is available in the hospital, except that ours is operated by hand instead of by machine. We carry the standard medications used to provide safe maternity care and we are licensed to do so. In case of an emergency transport to the hospital, we have a doctor with OB hospital privileges willing to accept our client.
Respectful Treatment
Gentle, nurturing care that respects you, your family and your beliefs. Respect for your informed decisions about medical recommendations.Support of your birth plan, including surrounding yourself with the people you choose. Freedom to eat, drink, move or soak in the tub. Freedom to assume any position that helps you during labor and birth.
Personal Attention
Prenatal visits that allow plenty of time. Visits often last one hour and are arranged at convenient times for you and your family, at our home or yours. Visits often include meaningful discussions to explore and help resolve fears and concerns.
Plenty of Information
We offer all standard tests during the appropriate time table. To help you make informed choices, we have non-rushed in depth question and answer time about all tests, procedures or treatments. If we don't know the answers, we will discover them together by searching through the latest research. We use evidence based practice to find our answers.
Sample of topics we cover during a prenatal visit:
Childbirth education
Introduction to breastfeeding and support
Nutrition
Suggestions for healthy lifestyle choices
Newborn care
Emotional adjustment to pregnancy and becoming a mother
Relaxation exercises
Safe herbs to take while pregnant or breast feeding
Homeopathics
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"Having a highly trained obstetrical surgeon attend a normal birth is analogous to having a pediatric surgeon babysit a healthy 2-year-old."
--Marsden Wagner, MD