Welcome to Birth Wisely!
My name is Jen and I believe that pregnancy and birth are normal physiologic events – not an illness. I consider the whole person, and focus on each individual’s wellness during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Our nation’s maternity care system has normalized interventions, and I have experienced the differences and disparities between the common birth experience versus a holistic, physiologic birth. In order to foster change within the local maternal health community, I offer families a healthy, safe, and age-old alternative for low-risk pregnant women – Midwifery care.
What makes midwifery different?
Midwifery care is a holistic approach to pregnancy. In comparison to the medical approach, which is based on fear, midwives trust that women’s bodies intrinsically know how to give birth. Resources, information, and support are provided to clients so they can be truly prepared for a healthy pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Midwives include the entire family in the birthing process and encourage that older children attend prenatal visits. They truly respect their clients and include them in all decision making, meeting them where they are in their journey, and encourage clients to be the best they can be in the awe-inspiring experience that is birth.
Why choose home birth?
Home birth is a very safe option for healthy women who are experiencing a healthy pregnancy (Cheyney, 2014). It is your right as a mother to birth in the safety of your own home. When choosing home birth with a midwife, you are in control of the process and are provided with resources and support to truly own your birth. Midwifery care provides a holistic approach to pregnancy and birth in which families are truly listened to and take an active part in their own care. Home birth enables families to experience a birth outside the realm of interventions and can be a powerful experience especially if families have experienced a less than ideal birth in the past. It is an experience based on mutual trust: your midwife trusts that your body and baby will work together for a successful birth and you trust your midwife to provide a safe birth environment. A midwife does not rescue you from birth but helps you dig deep to find the power within and birth your baby as only you know how.
Reference: Cheyney, Melissa, et al. “Outcomes of Care for 16,924 Planned Home Births in the United States: The Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004 to 2009” Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, vol. 59, no. 1, 30 Jan. 2014, pp. 17-27., doi:10.1111/jmwh.12172.
Dana J.
“As a birth photographer, I’ve witnessed Jen in action on numerous occasions, as well as having her in attendence at my own daughter’s birth. Time and again, I see Jen hone in on exactly what each individual mama needs during their birth journey and meet them exactly where they are with the precise support that they require – whether that be hands-on physical support, choices to feel informed and empowered, or emotional support to make it through one more contraction. She is an incredible presence of calm, confident wisdom in the birth space and brings strength, courage, and peace to each of the families that she serves. When necessary, she asks tough questions and empowers parents to make their own informed choices for their birth experience. Throughout the entire birth journey, she is an invaluable source of knowledge, wisdom, warmth, and kindness for the families she serves. If you have even an ounce of doubt about whether to hire her, let me assuage that by saying that she is one of the most important investments you can make in your once-in-a-lifetime birth experience.”
Midwifery care is uniquely nurturing, hands-on care before, during, and after birth. Midwives are health care professionals specializing in pregnancy and childbirth who develop a trusting relationship with their clients, which results in confident, supported labor and birth.
The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events. The Midwives Model of Care includes:
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- 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 model has been proven to reduce to incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
Reference: “The Midwives Model of Care.” Midwives Alliance of North America, 20 Dec. 2016, mana.org/about-midwives/midwifery-model.