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What I Offer

Midwife | Prenatal | Well Woman | Birth Doula | Placenta Encapsulation | Postpartum Doula

Professional Midwifery Care

  • Comprehensive prenatal care in my office and your home
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Childbirth education and preparation
  • Home birth, including water birth
  • Postpartum care for mom and baby for 6 weeks
  • Breastfeeding education and support
  • Lending library of books and videos
  • 24 hour on-call midwife
You will recieve continuous care by a midwife once active labor has been established, until your baby is born. The midwife will stay until both the mother and baby are stable, and breastfeeding is established. Your midwife will be in close phone contact with you during the postpartum period and provides home visits at least 24 hours and 3-5 days after the birth. A six week postpartum visit in the midwife's office is also included in your care.


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Prenatal Midwifery Care

Sometimes people desire midwifery care during their pregnancy, but don't intend to have the midwife present for the birth. This may be the case if you're planning an unassisted birth or if you're planning to birth in the hospital, but would like the benefit of midwifery care as well as hospital based care.

If you're planning an unassisted birth, having the attention of a midwife during your pregnancy can help you plan for your birth. A midwife can help you to become educated about pregnancy and birth and to make informed decisions that are appropriate for you and your baby.

Whether you're choosing physical based care becaue of your risk status or for any other reason, a midwifery relationship during pregnancy can help provide you with vitally important healthy information that you won't get at the doctor's office. Personalized attention to your health and wellbeing, nutritional counseling, and empowerment to seek the best care possible will give you the foundation and tools you need for a satisfying pregnancy and birth.


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Well Woman Care

  • Family planning and contraceptive counseling
  • Cervical cap fittings
  • Preconception counseling
  • Annual well woman exams, including pap smears and breast exams

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Birth Doula

Whether you choose to give birth in a hospital, birth center, or your own home, a doula can help you to get the most out of your prenatal care, prepare for your labor and birth, and support you in creating the birth you want. The doula is a relative newcomer in modern maternity care, but she is no stranger to birth and has helped women and their families for millenia in the time surrounding the birth of a new family member.

During your pregnancy you'll meet with your doula several times. We'll talk about your desires and plans for the birth, informed choice, preparation for labor, and more. Then when it's time for the baby to come, your doula will provide you with physical, emotional, and mental support in the setting you choose.

It's been shown that when doulas are present at birth, there is a lower risk of unnecessary intervention and complications. Women who have doulas use less pharmacological pain relief, have shorter labors, and have fewer cesarean, forceps, and vacuum assisted births (Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus [1993]).


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Placenta Encapsulation

Unlike nearly every other mammal on Earth, humans have evolved away from ingesting all or part of their placentas after giving birth. The placenta is rich hormones which when replaced in the body confer significant benefits to the new mother and her baby. Research has documented that some of the beneficial affects of ingesting your placenta include: reduction in the incidence and severity of postpartum depression, reduction of postpartum pain and discomfort, minimization of postpartum bleeding, and increased success in breastfeeding. To prepare for encapsulation, the placenta is slowly dehydrated to avoid destroying valuable hormones, then pulverized and packed into gel- capsules. Placenta can be used throughout the postpartum period and is also reported as being valuable when saved for use during peri- and post-menopause to help relieve common discomforts of the change.

After your baby is born, I'll come to pick up your placenta from the place you gave birth as quickly as possible. Your placenta is carefully handled and labeled from the moment I obtain it. Depending on the size of the placenta, I will present it to you in pill form with instructions for use and a keepsake if possible, approximately 72 hours after I've gotten it from you.

Placenta encapsulation costs $200.
Sunrise Midwifery clients are entitled to a $100 discount for this service.


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Postpartum Doula

They days and weeks following the birth of a baby are joyous and can set the tone of your relationship and family for years to come. Being well supported during this time is important so that you can have time to bond with and care for your new baby, and so that your questions and concerns are addressed appropriately. Traditionally, women have been supported after their baby is born by other women in the family who help with housework, keeping the new mother company, and helping her to learn to care for her baby. But in a society where families are geographically isolated from one-another or are restricted by work schedules, this help is often not available within the family.

The postpartum doula is a not a nanny or a baby nurse. She serves the family by keeping the house, preparing meals, running errands, supporting breastfeeding, and more. Rather than taking care of the baby, she takes care of the mother. A skilled postpartum doula is able to support the mother physically as she heals from her birth, emotionally as she grows into a new mother (even if this is not her first baby), and mentally as she learns to manage this new family.

Postpartum doula service is available at an hourly rate of $30, with a sliding scale based on need. Contact me any time (even if the baby has already been born) for more information.


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