At the start of labor, the mother contacts the on-call midwife at her birthing facility. Upon admission, the expecting family settles into their choice of available birth rooms at the center.

One of the midwife’s most important roles is as a source of support for the mother and family through education about the birthing process. The midwife carefully evaluates the vital signs of the mother as well as the baby’s heart rate with a handheld doppler throughout labor. When checking for progress is appropriate, a vaginal exam is done with the mother’s permission.

Our mothers are active participants in the unfolding of labor and birth. They are encouraged to eat, drink, and change positions regularly. Mothers may choose to relax in the warm birthing tub or shower, or they may use the birthing stool or birthing ball during labor.  Some moms spend time in the bed provided in the suite, quietly relaxing through contractions and resting their muscles and/or receiving a massage from their partner.

Well-prepared family members offer additional support to the laboring woman in the suite, or are welcome to gather in our Family Lounge, watching movies, cooking, or just staying close so that they may greet the new baby upon his or her arrival.

Our midwives deliver using a variety of positions, always with the goal of facilitating the birth and preventing the need for stitches. The midwife is aided in the birth by a highly-trained assistant who will typically arrive just before the second stage (the pushing phase) of labor.

Upon delivery, the new baby is placed on the mother’s chest for warmth and bonding. There is no rush to cut the cord or to whisk the baby out of the room for procedures, as a complete newborn exam is performed along with basic newborn care in the birthing suite. All the emergency equipment for the baby is in the birth room next to the mother.