About Homebirth . Homebirth Prenatal Care . Labs and Ultrasounds for Homebirth
Labor and Birth at Home . Postpartum Care at Home . Newborn Care at Home

About Homebirth

“There is nothing more important than how we are born. We have forgotten this simple fact for too long” Ina May Gaskin.

I assist families who choose to birth in the comfort, privacy and safety of their own homes. For healthy mothers attended by a certified midwife, homebirth is proven to be as safe as hospital birth (1,2), more satisfying (3) and less likely to employ unnecessary interventions or end in an unnecessary cesarean section (1).

Birth at home is gentler for the mother, baby and entire family. In a hospital unnecessary medical interventions and other insensitive practices can create an unpleasant experience. Research in perinatal psychology proves what we already know intuitively, that "the newborn is a sentient, feeling, remembering, aware being and that the experiences in the womb and at birth have a profound influence on his or her future health and human behavior" (4). How we are born is important!

Homebirth is a safe, satisfying and serene choice for babies, mothers, fathers and siblings.

1. Johnson, K.,Daviss, B. Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. British Medical Journal 2005; 330:1416-1423
2. Murphy, P., Fullerton, J. Outcomes of intended home births in Nurse-Midwifery practice: A prospective descriptive study. Obstetrics and Gynecology 1998; 92(3):461-470
3. Janssen, A., Carty, E., Reime, B. Satisfaction with planned place of birth among midwifery clients in British Columbia. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health 2006; 51(2): 91-96
4.The Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health www.birthpsychology.com

Homebirth Prenatal Care

“The most significant prenatal care a woman receives is the care a woman gives herself. Ultimately, it is this care that all other forms of prenatal care should nurture” Aviva Jill Romm.

Routine prenatal care is important for detecting and reducing problems, but excellent prenatal care goes further and also emphasizes nutrition, exercise, emotional, social and psychological health. Homebirth prenatal care is superior to routine prenatal care because it is individualized and the luxury of longer appointments allows for trust and personal connection between midwife and mother-to-be.

Homebirth prenatal visits are monthly until 28 weeks, twice monthly from 28-36 weeks, and weekly after 36 weeks until birth. Homebirth prenatal visits last one hour, as compared to 15 minutes or less in routine medical care. At least one prenatal visit will be in your home and the remainder at my midwife office in La Mesa or University Heights.


Labs and Ultrasounds for Homebirth

All routine prenatal labs and ultrasounds are available, but not required. I encourage you to carefully consider each routine test and procedure during pregnancy and choose those that are relevant to you and your baby. A thoughtful discussion about the risks and benefits of each test and procedure during prenatal visits helps to inform your decision making. Excellent prenatal care is individualized to the unique needs of mother and baby.

Labor and Birth at Home

One of the best things about homebirth is you never need to leave your home. Instead, your midwife comes to you. For some women it can be difficult to recognize when labor is actually underway. Instead of making trips back and forth to a birth center or hospital, I come and check on you to evaluate your labor. When labor is established, I come to stay with you until your baby is born and until the two of you are stable and on your own.

Another advantage of homebirth is that you are the queen of your own castle instead of being a guest in a birth center or hospital. Feeling more in control of your environment reduces stress and enables you to surrender more easily to the power of birth.

Midwife means “with woman”. I stay with you continuously through your labor and birth. Continuity of care increases safety during pregnancy and birth. Compared to hospital staff, with frequent shift changes and impersonal “babysitting” by the electronic fetal monitor, the homebirth midwife knows her client intimately and is closely attuned to her well-being and that of her baby.

A second midwife, one you’ve met earlier during your pregnancy, will join us for the birth. At the time of birth, one midwife is available to care for the mother and one to care for the baby.

When your baby is born, he or she will go directly into your arms. I do not cut the umbilical cord until after the placenta is born. The baby continues to be oxygenated by the placenta after birth. Any necessary assessments, such as evaluating your baby’s breathing and heart rate, are done with your baby in your arms. The best place for your baby after birth is in your arms next to your heart.

Some fathers ask if they can catch the baby. Absolutely, yes. I support your baby’s father in receiving your baby, and I will be right next to him should he need help.

“Birth is vast and multi-faceted, radiant and mysterious. Birth contains multitudes, and through her we birth our multitudes. We give birth to our hopes and fears, to our ecstasies and our agonies, to our joy and our disappointments. We give birth to our babies, each one perfect and radiant. We give birth through our instincts and we give birth to our instincts. We give birth to our capacity for instinct, which will match us perfectly with our babies who are, and always will be, instinctive creatures.

May we all be blessed through instinctive birth” Sarah Buckley.

Postpartum Care at Home

After the birth, since you’re already at home, you can just stay in bed, naked and skin to skin with your baby.

Ideally, you and your new baby will spend three quiet days together in bed while you wait for your milk to come in. These first three days are a time for you both to rest and integrate the birth experience. It is a time for your baby to adjust to life outside of the womb and for you two to continue to form a deep attachment to one another.

It’s best for the environment to be quiet and under-stimulating. In general, visitors should be discouraged during the first week after the birth except to drop off food at the door. Someone close to you should move in for one week to help care for older siblings, cook, serve you food in bed, do the laundry, shop, answer the phone, answer the door, get the mail, etc.

I visit you and your baby 24 hours after the birth, three days after the birth and one week after the birth. You should schedule a one week appointment with your pediatrician. An office visit is scheduled with me six weeks postpartum to check on you again and discuss options for family planning (birth control).

Newborn Care at Home

Within hours of the birth I examine your newborn baby. I repeat this exam at one day, three days and one week of life. Your pediatric care provider will continue to provide care for your baby after one week of life. I provide you with a list of referrals for pediatric care providers during your prenatal care so that you may choose your baby’s care provider before the birth


Birth Certificates for a Hombirth
Birth Certificates for homebirths are issued by the Public Health Department.
Midwife, mother and baby schedule an appointment together to obtain a birth certificate within one year of the birth. The cost is $17.

Funding for a Homebirth
Many HMOs and most PPOs reimburse for midwifery care and homebirth. I work with a professional biller to maximize the reimbursement you will receive from your insurance company. Cash packages are also available.

Free Homebirth Consultation

Please call me to schedule a free consultation to discuss homebirth.
858-205-8201