Prenatal & Postpartum Care

Prenatal Care

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The birth of a baby is an everyday miracle. It is both a normal body function and an incredibly emotional and spiritual experience. A family planning to birth at home with us will find that they are claiming more responsibility for their health care. Part of the beauty of midwifery care is that it allows families to have the time and space they need to make informed decisions about their pregnancy and birth. With prenatal visits that last nearly an hour, there is plenty of time to develop a relationship of trust, and be sure that our families’ questions are answered. Prenatal appointments involve discussion about the emotional, physical, and spiritual experience as well as a physical assessment of mother and baby. In such a tender, powerful, and intimate time as pregnancy, there is no substitute for a strong relationship between client and care provider.

 

Prenatal care occurs at the birth center on the following schedule:

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• every four weeks for the first 28 weeks

• every other week from 28-36 weeks

• weekly from 36 weeks until the birth

 

Postpartum Care

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Our services also include comprehensive postpartum care. For families living within the Fortuna- Blue Lake- Trinidad boundaries we do 2 postpartum visits in the home in the first week after the birth. For those living in outlying areas, we make special arrangements to do visits at either the birth center, hotel, or the home of a loved one. We also see our families at two, four and six weeks in the birth center. We offer more visits if there is a need or a difficult postpartum issue. During postpartum care we evaluate the wellness of both mother and baby, check in on breastfeeding, and answer the many questions that parents tend to have. We also make time to process the birth and postpartum emotions.