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
• On-line and in person childbirth classes, as well as breastfeeding support.  Pre-recorded versions are available for those who 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
  • NIPS (Non-invasive prenatal screening – 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 that 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 home visits and lactation support if needed with our Midwives and Emily Maize, our lactation counselor.  Appointments available for 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.