Home Birth Midwifery Services
Comprehensive prenatal care, labor & birth, and postpartum care:
For the woman ready to take responsibility for her pregnancy and birth with the support of a homebirth Salem midwife.
You want to achieve the home birth of your dreams. So you need a team by your side that hears your desires, fears, and past experiences. A team that helps you create a path to a fulfilled and powerful birth.
Too many women leave their birth experience broken and lost.
But in birth, you can not only find yourself but make a new path for your family and the world around you. Whether you are a first-time mom or eighth, looking for a water birth at home, or a home birth after cesarean (HBAC), you are welcome, your choices are honored, and I am so happy you’re here to review my midwifery services.
Prenatal Care For Your Home Birth
As an independent midwife, you will receive exceptional and personalized care. I am available to you by phone at any time to answer your questions and concerns.
You can also expect:
1-hour-long prenatal appointments
Once a month from weeks 8-28
Every two weeks from 28-36 weeks
Weekly from 37 weeks to birth
Discussion of:
Clinical care
Vitals
Urine analysis
Baby’s growth and development
Nutrition
Movement and exercise
Emotional and physical changes
Childbirth education
Breastfeeding
Postpartum care
Unlike hospital-based care, midwifery services address much more than the clinical aspects of your pregnancy. You are cared for as a whole person and the true heart of the appointments is the relationship we create.
Other things to consider:
All prenatal visits are held at my Salem office, apart from the 36-week home visit
All routine testing, ultrasounds, or bloodwork, are available if you wish. We will discuss the risks and benefits so you can make an informed decision about what you want or don’t want throughout your pregnancy
Children are welcome at appointments
If you take away nothing else from your prenatal appointments than being heard and supported, I have done my job as a home birth midwife.
Labor & Birth Care For Your Home Birth
It’s time to discuss the highlight of our time together, the birth! Yay! If you haven’t noticed enough yet, midwifery services are vastly different from a hospital birth setting. With a home birth midwife present, you can expect your birth to be according to your liking.
During your home birth, you can expect:
Support from the first inkling of “I think this is it!” to a few hours past the birth of your baby
An environment that is calm, relaxed, and unobserved as much as possible. Allowing you to move, eat, and rest in the way that is right for you
A birth position that is right for you. No forced lying on your back, legs up in the air - unless that is the position you find most comfortable to birth your baby
The opportunity to catch your own baby if you desire to. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I do not deliver babies. They deliver themselves and we are there to catch them. If mom or dad wants to receive the baby at birth, I am thrilled to facilitate that opportunity
Monitoring that is unobtrusive, respectful, and safe. I monitor the baby’s heartbeat when necessary, and actively observe any bleeding or changes, usually without any interruption to you. Midwives have extensive training in the art of observation and I can often anticipate your needs without you saying anything
A present midwife that’s there when you need her, regardless of the time constraint. Whether you’re in labor for 40 minutes or 72 hours, I’ll be there.
All of this and more are discussed throughout all of our prenatal visits. If you have any further questions about what to expect during the labor and birth, please shoot me an email.
Postpartum Care After Your Home Birth
After the birth of your baby, my assistant and I will stay until you and your baby are stable and settled – usually three hours.
During this time we are:
Monitoring you and baby
Assisting with initial breastfeeding
Observing blood loss and newborn adjustment
Cleaning up the birth area
Supporting you with nourishment and ensuring a stable start to motherhood
Once you and baby are stable and settled we will leave you to bond and rest. We have roughly five postpartum visits over the course of 6 weeks. All but the last visit will be in your home.
Visits are on days 1, 3, 7, and 14, and then at 6 weeks postpartum.
During the postpartum visits, I can:
Assist with breastfeeding
Address any concerns about your physical recovery
Discuss the birth and your emotional recovery
Administer newborn care and the congenital heart disease screening
Gather necessary information to file the birth certificate and social security information
After your six-week visit, our communication is not cut off. I view the families that I serve as extensions of my family. I welcome your questions and concerns, even beyond the pregnancy and birthing time.
“…being able to control my own birth experience was the most beautiful and amazing thing ever! I couldn’t have imagined it better! Lennon is gifted and skilled and loves helping women and babies through their best birth experience imaginable. She was truly a Godsend!”
Ready to Give Birth at Home? Here’s How It Works:
Step 1 | Book a Consultation Appointment
Simply send me an email and we will schedule a free consultation. I encourage you to bring all your questions and uncertainties. Wherever you are in your pregnancy*, I am honored to get to know you.
*if you’re further along in your pregnancy, I welcome you! A late transfer is not a problem in my practice.
Step 2 | Regular Prenatal Appointments
Once you have decided to hire me as your midwife, we will see each other once a month from 8-28 weeks, twice a month from 28-36 weeks, and then weekly till your baby is born.
Step 3 | Home Birth and Postpartum Care
Once your baby decides to arrive, I am present with you through your entire labor, birth, and immediate postpartum – about 3 hours after the birth – then 5 postpartum visits with the final visit at your 6-week appointment.
Additional Home Birth Midwifery Services
Water Birth at Home
The benefits of water birth are plentiful! I’m seeing an increasing amount of women I support say they’d choose a water birth.
Some of the benefits of water birth include:
The warm water acts as a natural epidural, soothing the majority of labor pains and reducing blood pressure
You have a protected space allowing you to lean into whatever labor position you choose
An easier time catching your own baby, if you desire
Reduced need for drugs or intervention
Reduced risk of vaginal tears
An easier transition for the baby from womb to Earth
For some women, the thought of giving birth in a pool can seem foreign and you might have many questions. Check out the FAQ section below and if that doesn’t answer your questions, we can discuss them at any of our prenatal appointments.
You can also check out my blog here about water birth!
“We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong. ”
Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC)
If you have experienced a cesarean birth and feel unsatisfied with the experience, you have other options outside of a hospital setting!
Perhaps you’ve been told:
Your baby was too big to be born vaginally
Your pelvis is too small to birth naturally
Your labor contractions were not productive enough
Your cervix is faulty
Your pushing not strong enough
Your baby was in the wrong position
Your labor was too long
Your baby is too late
Trust me, I’ve heard it all.
And as your midwife, I’m here to put those lies to rest.
You’re not broken.
Your baby is not too big.
You can birth the baby you grew.
You have the choice to choose where and how you want to give birth.
It’s an honor to support you and watch as you reclaim your trust in your own body and power in birth.
If you are starting to consider having an HBAC, I strongly suggest you check out International Cesarean Awareness Network. They are an amazing resource. If you are on Facebook, there are some great support groups as well: Homebirth After Cesarean-HBAC and VBAC Support Group.
The more you research and learn about HBACs and Cesareans, the more of an informed choice you can make about your own pregnancy. Home birth midwifery services are filled with opportunities to support your HBAC.
For more information, check out my resources page here.
And for more FAQs about HBACs, check out the FAQ section below.
The Cost of a Home Birth
With all of the above services in mind, my flat fee for all prenatal visits, labor and birth attendance, and postpartum care, is $5,500.00.
I can bill many insurance companies, as an out-of-network provider, as well as the Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid. I also work with many families on the financial aspect of my services.
Homebirth should be accessible to everyone. If you are concerned about the cost, I encourage you to call me and we can discuss your situation.
Set up a free 1-hour consultation now, so we can explore your desire for a home birth.
And for more information on the cost of home birth, check out my blog here.
FAQs: Midwifery Services
What midwifery services do you offer if something goes wrong during the birth?
I am certified in adult CPR and neonatal resuscitation. In my birth bag, I carry different tinctures, homeopathic remedies, and pharmaceuticals if there are any bleeding concerns. I also have oxygen, IV Fluids, and antibiotics for Group Beta Strep, if you desire the medication. Me and my assistant are always present and watching. As midwives, we are trained in normal, physiological birth so if any issues arise, we have the tools and knowledge to take whatever next step is necessary.
Is home birth safe?
Yes. When women are left alone to move, eat, rest, and progress as their body sees fit, they have the best chances of a safe and normal birth. Check out our resources page for more information.
Is HBAC safe?
Yes. There are more and more studies being done to prove that vaginal birth after cesarean is not only safe but it’s actually safer than more abdominal surgery. Research has been steady in proving the safety of VBACs. Check out our resources page for more information.
Is water birth at home safe?
Yes, water birth is a safe option. The largest meta-analysis study showed that there is no increased risk of poor outcomes for mothers or babies. And water birth reduces exposure to bacteria or skin infections.
Will the baby breathe water, during a water birth at home?
No. Babies are designed to not breathe until they come in contact with the air. Unless they are left under the water for an extended period of time – which we never let happen – the baby’s transition is smooth and they easily take their first breath.
What if I want an ultrasound, do you offer that as part of your midwifery services?
My fee does not include an ultrasound, but I am able to order them at local facilities, as needed.
What if I tear during a home birth? Can a home birth midwife do a repair?
I always carry a suture kit in my birth bag and I am able to repair perineal tears at home. A wonderful benefit of home birth though is a low chance of a perineal tear because the mother is able to move and assume whatever position she chooses.
What about the placenta? What does a home birth midwife do to clean up the mess?
We will allow your placenta to deliver naturally, without any coaxing. I also keep the umbilical cord intact for as long as you’d like. There are many benefits to keeping the cord intact which we can discuss during your prenatal visits. You can keep the placenta, or I can take it if you don’t wish to keep it.
And the mess is far less than you imagine! Me and my team with clean up while you rest and bond! It will be as if we were never there.
Sneak Peak Gender Testing
I offer SneakPeek Clinical services for families who would like to find out the sex of the baby as early as 6 weeks. To schedule an appointment, click the button below!
Boy or Girl? Find out with SneakPeek Clinical Early Gender DNA Test! ($140)
Starting at 6 weeks into pregnancy
99.9% accurate DNA-based blood test
Venous draw is more accurate than the at-home kits.
Results emailed straight to you the next day!
Learn more:
