Midwifery Care

A Baby 2 Be offers a range of services. We want you to feel empowered about your birthing process. See all services we offer below including free initial consultation, midwifery care, early gender detection, and more.

Consultation

A Baby 2 Be offers a free consultation. We want to make sure we are a good fit for each other, as well as making sure you are eligible for an out-of-hospital birth. We spend about an hour or so talking with you, answering questions, and getting to know each other. If you decide to hire us, you will be given access to our electronic client portal where you can fill out your paperwork, health history, and financial contract.

Prenatal Care

At A Baby 2 Be we see you on the following schedule: Monthly until 28wks, the bi-weekly until 36wks, then weekly until birth. Our appointments are scheduled for a hour so you have plenty of time to ask questions and discuss your pregnancy. The first part of your appointments will be going over the standard “medical” part: blood pressure. pulse, baby’s heartbeat, fundal height, and any lab work. The remaining time is spent on education, questions, recommendations, referrals, and scheduling your next appointment.

At your 36 week appointment we will do a home visit. This visit give us a sense of where your home is , how long it will take us to get there, and see your birthing space. We will bring your “birth kit” and pool if you have chosen to rent one. We will also go over your birth plan as well as make sure all informed consent forms for baby are completed.

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Labor and Birth

At 37 weeks A Baby 2 Be will go “on-call” for your birth. As you start to have signs of being in labor we will be in communication to form a plan and to decided when to have the birth team join you.

Once the birth team arrives for birth we will monitor you and your baby’s wellbeing through assessment of vital signs, fetal heart tones, as well as other indicators that labor is progressing. We assist with labor positions, provide encouragement, as well as space to birth your baby at home. We encourage you to eat and hydrate frequently during labor.

Hydrotherapy, massage, acupressure, essential oils, and quiet space are encouraged to help you achieve your physiological birth. We do carry herbal tinctures and homeopathics if needed to help with labor and birth.

We routinely practice delayed cord clamping as well as natural delivery of the placenta. After delivery of the placenta we will examine you to determine if there are any lacerations and suture with Lidocaine if suturing is needed. We do carry IV fluids, IV antibiotics, Anti-hemorrhage medications if needed, as well as herbal tinctures to handle any complications after the birth.

After birth we encourage skin-to-skin for the first hour. Within that hour we will assist as needed with latching baby for their first feeding. After the “Golden Hour” we perform a through newborn exam, and offer eye ointment and Vitamin-K if desired. We will also perform a baseline CCHD screening (pulse ox).

We clean up everything after the birth, start laundry, and usually depart 2-3 hours after birth.

Postpartum

Postpartum care is the first 6 weeks after birth. We will see you at 48-72 hours, 1 week, 2 week, an optional 4 week, and 6 week visits. During this time you still have 24/7 emergency access to your midwife for you and your baby.

Each postpartum visit will be 1 hour long. We will asses both your and baby’s vitals, breastfeeding, bonding, sleeping, baby’s weight gain, and emotional well-being. We will routinely screen for postpartum mood disorders and make referrals as needed. We will also perform then 2nd CCHD (pulse oximetry) screening on baby at the 48-72 hour visit as well as the first Newborn Metabolic Screening. The second Newborn Metabolic Screening will be done at 2 weeks. If you are needing any follow-up lab work done we will do them at that time. We will also have you sign the Verification of Birth Facts at the 48-72 hour appointment so we can file the birth certificate and request a social security card for your new little one.

We can perform a pap smear at 6 weeks if you want one. We can fit you for a cervical cap, diaphragm, or discuss family planning at your 6 week visit.

Lab Tests and Ultrasounds Schedule

Beginning of care: Hcg/Progesterone (if needed), OB Panel (CBC, ABO & Rh [Blood typing] , Antibodies, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Rubella immunity & HIV), Ferratin (Iron Stores), A1c (average glucose), Urine Culture, Urine gonorrhea/chlamydia

9-10 weeks: Dating Ultrasound (if needed), Genetic testing (out of pocket/billed by lab)

20-22 weeks: Anatomy Scan (Required)

26 weeks: 1 hour Glucose screening, CBC, ABO &Rh (repeat)

36 weeks : 2nd OB Panel, CMP, GBS swab, Urine Culture, Urine gonorrhea/chlamydia

40-42 weeks: Biophysical Profile Ultrasound (as needed)

Newborn: CCHD at birth and at 2-3 days, Metabolic Screen at 2-3 days and 2 weeks