Labor and birth initiates and progresses smoothest when and where the birthing person feels the most safe. For many people, that feeling of safety that allows them to open is found inside their home. Homebody’s Planned Homebirth services include prenatal, labor, birth, and postpartum care. We see clients in their home and in our midwifery office, nested in the Luma Center, a perinatal wellness space in Petaluma, CA.
Prenatal Care
Prenatal care is where the depth and intimacy we lean on in birth is cultivated. Our prenatal appointments are about an hour long. You will have alternating visits with our three midwives in order to build relationship and trust throughout care. We will schedule visits every 4 weeks up until about 28 weeks, every 2 weeks from 28-36 weeks, and weekly from 36 weeks until your baby is born. Our standard package includes a combination of home visits and office visits. Clients can elect for a fully home visit schedule for an additional fee.
Birth progresses most smoothly when and where the birthing person feels most safe. For many people, that feeling of safety that allows them to open is found inside their home. Homebody’s homebirth services include all in-home prenatal, labor, birth, and postpartum care.
What to expect:
- Blood draws and cultures for indicated blood work including any of the following tests: initial pregnancy panel, Gestational Diabetes testing, GBS testing, NIPT genetic testing.
- Nutrition and lifestyle recommendations from a holistic perspective.
- Comprehensive health assessment of you and your babe at every visit including; hands on growth estimation, fetal position monitoring/checking, fetal heart tone monitoring and an overall wellbeing assessment for baby. We will also perform blood pressure monitoring, pulse rate, and wellness checks for the pregnant person.
- Prenatal, birth, and postpartum education and referrals.
- Psychosocial and emotional check-ins to hold space for all the shifts that are part of pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Labor and Birth
Two of our midwives will be on call for your birth on any given day. One of our midwives will arrive at your home when you are in active labor. They will intermittently monitor the health of you and your baby throughout the birthing process and the immediate postpartum period. A second midwife from our team will arrive towards the end of your labor to assist.
What to expect:
- Intermittent fetal monitoring and assessment
- Monitoring of all vitals including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, fluid input and output, and comfort levels.
- The option of laboring and birthing in the water, if desired
- Strategizing around rest, nourishment, and hydration
- Care in the first 3-4 hours after the baby is born including: continued monitoring of wellness for both the birthing person and baby, a full newborn exam, establishing breast/chest feeding, and light tidying
- Our midwives are prepared and trained in the event that an intervention is necessary; we carry antihemorrhagic medications, oxygen, neonatal resuscitation equipment, suturing equipment, IV supplies, and will initiate and coordinate EMS in the case of a transfer to the hospital.
Postpartum care
Postpartum care is the gem of the midwifery model of care. Our midwives make sure that you and your babe will be tended to and cared for the first 6 weeks. One of our midwives will make home visits on day 1, day 3, around 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks. Our 6 weeks postpartum is held in our midwifery office.
What to expect:
- Assessment of vitals and wellness for both you and babe
- Weight checks for baby
- Lactation and breast/chestfeeding support
- Monitoring of your bleeding and your uterine health
- Birth certificate paperwork
- If desired: California Newborn Screen, Vitamin K and erythromycin administration.
- Visual jaundice screening
- Education around postpartum movement, nutrition, sleep and emotional wellness
- Referrals to other postpartum care providers
Interested in a homebirth?
Homebody Midwifery offers homebirth services for people in Sonoma County, Marin County, San Francisco County, and the East Bay.
We offer family centered prenatal, labor and birth, and postpartum care and would love to support you in dreaming up your homebirth plan.