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Gentle Birth Clinic
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Home Birth
"Birth is too important to be left to obstetricians."
Michael Witt, M.D.
Birth can be a peak experience in a loving relationship. Some couples choose the comfortable familiar surroundings of their
own home for this life altering event. Why would you choose to have your baby at home rather than in the "safe" confines
of your local hospital?
Hospital aren't really safer places for the majority of normal, uncomplicated births. Hospitals use fetal monitors to evaluate a woman's labor. These machines have not been shown to decrease the incidence of infant and/or maternal complications. In fact, since these monitors have been routinely used, the rate of Cesarean sections has increased without any documented improvement in outcomes. Delivery by Cesarean section carries all of the risks of major abdominal surgery. Hospitals house sick people infected with bacteria and viruses to which nobody, especially a newborn, should be exposed. Also, not all hospitals encourage rooming in; therefore the maternal-infant bond and the success of breastfeeding are at risk. There are other reasons to choose home over hospital, please ask us for more information.
Having your baby at home means that you and your partner are in control. You decide when to call your midwife and doula.
Those attending your birth are by your invitation only. There are no restrictions on who can attend your birth - siblings, friends, grandparents - are all welcome. Everyone you choose is educated in advance by your midwife so that they are prepared for the birth experience. You and your partner decide how to labor and where to give birth. Your midwife encourages any position that feels good to the laboring and/or birthing woman. Gentle Birth Clinic provides professional care and the medical equipment necessary to create a safe place for birth in your setting. There are no routines, no regularly performed procedures, and no rules to worry about. The birth plan you and your partner design (with guidance from your midwife) is utilized to create an experience that meets your expectations.
Water birth is an option at home. At Gentle Birth Clinic, we have a portable spa for use by our clients. Women have long found hydrotherapy to be helpful during labor. The pressure of the jets, the soothing heat, and the weightlessness combine to reduce pain and increase relaxation; both of which mean a faster labor! While not all women might choose to deliver their baby in the water, most enjoy laboring in the tub.
At home your midwife is free to use a variety of holistic therapies to assist you during labor, delivery and immediately postpartum. Therapeutic touch and massage are very helpful for relaxation. Herbs and homeopathy can be used for pain control. Your midwife will encourage you to listen to you body, change positions and possibly use a birthing stool in order to make labor and delivery shorter and more effective. Teas, special soaks and nutritional guidance after your birth can help you heal faster and feel better sooner. Knowing that your midwife will not leave until both you and your newborn are stable and breastfeeding without difficulty is reassuring.
Request for additional information
Gentle Birth Clinic
Carey Ann Ryan, ARNP/CNM
2708 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50312
515-279-9617
Fax 515-274-5599
midwife@gentlebirth.com
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