Did you just find out you are pregnant and are starting to look for a midwife? Awesome and congratulations! You are in the right place at the right time because Today's episode of Apothecary Wisdom is dedicated to helping you hire the best midwife for your home birth by preparing you to have an effective consultation. I want you to know what to do before, during, and after your consultation so you can have the safe and empowering home birth you desire.

Hey there! Are you pregnant and looking for more information about midwives and doulas?  Awesome, I’m so glad you’re here because today's episode of Apothecary Wisdom is focused on giving a overview of the crucial distinctions and scope of practice of the different types of midwives, obstetricians, and doulas. 

Working in the birth community has revealed that the general public is unclear about the important distinctions and differences of these essential birth workers-their training, and the services they provide.  Knowing the scope of practice of the birth professional you are about to hire for your birth is critical in order for you to be informed and have realistic expectations about your care and upcoming birth.

Wow, you did it! Your baby was just born. Wait! Please don't cut the cord. It hasn't finished pulsating yet. Your baby needs a few minutes to complete the birth process and receive all of its blood from the placenta. This process is super important. Watch today's video to discover the benefits of delayed cord clamping and why it's so critical and how delayed cord clamping can save lives.

Let me show you how much blood is retained in the placenta when we cut the cord immediately.

As a midwife, I really enjoy the anticipation that comes before birth. The way women prepare, expect, and dream about birth is absolutely beautiful and powerful. One aspect of preparing for a safe homebirth, is writing a birth plan. A homebirth birth plan is an essential component of an active and informed birth. 

Knowing how to write an effective birth plan is a crucial part of this preparation process. Over the years, I've helped hundreds of women write their homebirth birth plans. One thing is abundantly clear, the women who feel good about how their births went (no matter how it unfolded) were realistically prepared for the intensity and reality of birth. They were not simply lucky. They actively prepared their minds, bodies, souls, partners, and homes for the birth experience.  

Most of us struggle to pack light for a weekend away. Packing for night or two at the hospital, while you’re giving birth, and then when you have a new addition to the family can be more than overwhelming! What do you need? What does your birth support person need? What does your baby need? The possibilities can seem endless and impossible to navigate. Before you know it, you’ve got three bags full, including half of your baby’s newborn wardrobe. So what do you actually need to pack in your hospital bag? Lets break it down for planned labors, planned C-sections, and planned home births in case of transfer.

For labor and birth support products, go HERE.

The moments after birth, no matter how the birth progressed, are sacred. From home births to c-sections, there is a certain feel to the air that comes with the emergence of new life. The smells, sounds, and sensations will be fresh in mama’s mind for years to come, even when all other details become blurry and begin to fade.

The delivery of the placenta—the afterbirth—is often overlooked as a side note in birthing preparations. It might be considered a matter of course, another thing to tidy up after the baby is born, but not a significant moment. In countless births every day, it’s simply wrapped up and thrown away with the rest of the mess that comes with birth.

A midwife or doula’s goal is to see every woman birth in safe, empowering, and beautiful ways. Sometimes, for various reasons, that looks like a Cesarean section, and sometimes that includes planned C-sections. There is no reason to expect less of your birth experience in the case of a planned C-section. When a C-section is the planned birth process, you have some more freedom to work with your doctor than in the case of an emergency.