Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum

Routine Pregnancy Care

• Free “meet the midwife” visit before starting care
  • This is a chance to look around, ask questions, and learn about our care by talking to one of our midwives
• Routine prenatal visits – individualized and generally 30-60 minutes long depending on needs
• Time to ask questions, share information, and become comfortable and familiar with your midwives and the environment where you will give birth
• Detailed nutrition history and assessment, nutrition suggestions/ideas
• Live online childbirth classes, as well as postpartum wellness and breastfeeding classes.  These classes are free of charge for all our clients and at minimal cost to those not receiving care at our center. Pre-recorded versions are available for those that are unable to attend live.

Additional Services (billed separately)

• Initial confirmation of pregnancy visit –
  • Review of history and physical exam
  • Early ultrasound for pregnancy dating/viability
• Labs, which can be drawn in-house
  • Routine prenatal blood work
  • NIPT (Non-invasive prenatal testing – fetal DNA from maternal blood testing) if desired
• Any additional testing such as fetal movement testing, amniotic fluid index (ultrasound) if concerns arise
• Any visits which are outside routine care for problems or complications

Birth Services: What to expect at the Birth Center

• Labor and give birth in one of our three lovely birthing suites. You can pre-select which room you desire for birth and use that room if it is available
• Bring your own pictures or any special decorations to make the suite your own
• Freedom to move about in the suite and utilize any of the vast array of birthing supplies available to you
• Walk outside on our landscaped path, or in the lovely adjacent neighborhood as desired
• Lovely birthing tubs in each birthing suite for labor and/or birth with unending hot water
• Labor support
• Family involvement as you choose
• Our kitchen is available for your use and stocked with high energy snacks and hydrating juice and coconut water for you and your support team
• Minimal intervention – no continuous fetal monitoring occurs in a birth center
• Safe intermittent monitoring of your baby’s well-being
• Immediate contact – skin to skin- with your baby is the norm and is encouraged and supported
• Delayed umbilical cord clamping
• Immediate breastfeeding support and assistance

Post-Partum

• You can leave the birth center when you are ready and stable – generally, a minimum stay of 4 hours is anticipated, with an average stay of 6-8 hours after birth
• Wonderful food is provided to you and your partner or primary support person – high protein, nutritious and delicious – following your birth. We love to feed our families!
• Breastfeeding support during your stay and after
• Postpartum visits
  • Home visits 24-48 hrs after birth, and 3-4 days after birth; more visits if needed.
  • Office visit at 2 weeks
  • Office visit at 6 weeks for close of care
• Additional specialized lactation support if needed with our own Debbie Alba, CNM IBCLC –she also accepts appointments with babies not born at our center

• Initial newborn assessment/exam at birth
• All required newborn procedures offered
• Newborn well-child visits through the first 2 weeks including all newborn care, exams, screening tests, and lactation support.
  • Additional newborn care and support provided as needed
• Newborn hearing screens
  • We are part of the state of Oregon hearing testing program and offer hearing testing for all babies born at the center
  • Hearing testing is also available for other babies in the community at a nominal cash fee.