Empowering you to write your birth story.

That’s probably the most common question we hear! The first thing that we do for safety is to carefully screen all women during their prenatal care. In this way, only the very healthiest of women start out their labor at home. Out of these low-risk women, anywhere from 85-90% will give birth out of hospital without complications that require transfer. The remaining 10-15% of low-risk women will be transferred for a variety of reasons. The great majority of transfers are not emergencies.

We will give you a list of items to bring with you to the birth center. These include snacks for you and daddy, clean clothes for you and baby to wear home, Depends underwear, etc

During labor we will be checking your blood pressure, pulse and temperature and listening to the baby’s heartbeat at frequent intervals with the Doppler. After birth we will be checking both you and your baby frequently. If any of these vital signs are abnormal, you and/or your baby will be transferred to the hospital for higher risk care.

Every woman has the choice to decline testing. I, however, need to be able to document that you are low-risk and that your baby has no major birth defects that mean you should give birth in a hospital. If you choose to decline all testing, then you will not be able to birth outside the hospital with Canyon Midwifery.

Ideally you will arrive at the birth center in active labor. We are in contact with you before that and will help you know when to come

You will stay in the birth center approximately 2-3 hours after baby is born. During this time we will be checking mom and baby as they recover, help baby to breastfeed, and make sure both of you are stable to go home

That depends on what your insurance is and exactly what your benefits are! Each employer picks a certain plan for their employees. Some have high deductibles and high co-pays. Others have very little. I am contracted as in-network with some insurance companies, but whether or not they will cover you for out-of-hospital birth depends on your specific plan. At Canyon Midwifery you will need to pay for your birth services up-front.

Trained and experienced midwives will attend your birth with their Registered Nurse (RN) assistants.

We are fully trained and have the necessary medications and equipment to handle a variety of different problems outside the hospital. In most cases, we are able to stabilize the situation and transfer is not needed.

If there are emergency complications during your labor or birth, we will immediately call 911 and transport you to the nearest hospital that has high-level maternity care. If your baby is having problems we will call 911 or if there is time we can take the baby to the nearest hospital that has a full NICU.

During your prenatal care course you will have blood tests, an ultrasound and glucose testing. We will also be checking you at routine prenatal care intervals to make sure all is well. Your visits will be monthly until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then weekly until the baby is born.

We have birth pools available in the birth center for use in labor and/or birth.

Because our space is small, there is no waiting area for families to hang out while you labor. You may have 1-2 extra support people with you beside daddy. They will be in the birth room with you.

A doula is a professional labor support person. The word doula means “woman caregiver” or “women’s servant.” Doulas are trained to give continuous support to the couple throughout labor and birth. She may also bring labor tools to the birth. Some doulas also provide childbirth education and breastfeeding support. Some are postpartum doulas who help care for the entire family after the birth. The doula does not provide any medical care. In a community birth setting, your midwife will often provide this ongoing support and care. If you think you may need or want this extra support, go to the DONA International website for more information.