Our Philosophy of Care

Midwives Model of Care

Personal, Practical and Professional

• Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
• Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
• Minimizing technological interventions
• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section

Midwives Code of Conduct

Sympathetic, Sincere and Social

Respectful Treatment

• Gentle, nurturing care that respects you, your family, and your beliefs
• Respect for your informed decisions about medical tests, recommendations and interventions
• Willingness to support your birth plan, including any family members and friends you may want present at the birth
• Freedom to move, eat, bathe - to do what helps you during labor and birth; your midwife doesn’t “prohibit” or “allow”, but patiently supports and guides you as needed
• Respect for the birth process as it unfolds uniquely each time. Although amazing, being pregnant and giving birth are actually normal life processes for which a woman’s body is well-designed. Each woman’s experience is unique

Personal Attention

• Prenatal visits that allow plenty of time for questions and answers
• Meaningful discussions to explore and help resolve fears and concerns you or your family may have
• Caring attention to develop a trusting and nurturing relationship with you and your family that can help you to labor and give birth naturally and safely

Plenty of Information

• Plenty of information about pregnancy, birth and the newborn, and about breastfeeding and newborn care
• Commitment to create with you a customized “birth plan” that best represents your needs and desires
• Suggestions about ways you can take good care of yourself and your baby
• Encouragement and practical suggestions for you to have good nutrition and make healthy lifestyle choices
• Full information about any recommended tests, procedures or treatments so you can make informed choices about your care

Respectful Treatment

• Regular and thorough check-ups for you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, during labor, and after the birth, to make sure both of you are healthy and doing well
• Unobtrusive monitoring of labor, allowing you the greatest degree of freedom
• Recommendations for diagnostic technology when appropriate
• Planning with you for the unexpected and for the rare emergency
• Referrals to other health care specialists or to a different birth setting if needed
• Expertise in normal, natural childbirth. Because they are experts in normal pregnancy and birth, midwives are experienced in the variations of normal birth and recognize the early signs of conditions that are not “normal”, including medical conditions or complications that may occasionally arise during pregnancy or the birth process

Confidence in Your Body

• Help with discovering your own body’s ability to give birth, in its own way and in its own time
• No routine treatments or arbitrary timetables that can interfere with your body’s healthy process of laboring and giving birth
• Truly individualized care and planning
• Support for doing the work of giving birth. Rather than someone else “delivering” the baby, you are empowered to give birth to your own baby yourself

Natural Techniques for Comfort

• Help you cope with the discomfort of labor. Midwives have found that encouragement, massage, relaxation, laboring in water, changing positions, and other approaches are often very effective
• Encourage the progress of labor and help you give birth to your baby gently and lovingly
• Help you avoid risks (to yourself and to your baby) that are associated with many standard medical techniques and hospital protocols

A Care Provider Who Stays With You

• Attentive, sensitive care and emotional support in tune with your needs throughout labor. Research has shown that having at least one “sympathetic female companion” with you all through labor and delivery reduces the chance of complications and the likelihood of an unnecessary cesarean section. The Midwives Model of Care means that your midwife stays with you and “mothers the mother”
• Postpartum care and help with breastfeeding. After your baby is born, the midwife will stay with you until breastfeeding is established and both you and your baby are resting comfortably. The Midwife will arrange a visit after the birth to check you and your baby and to answer any questions