For Fathers

Midwifery prenatal care is different…

Each potential client begins with a Meet & Greet appointment in the first trimester. This a no-cost hour long appointment with both the mother & the father. We review what birth may look like with our practice, how emergencies in birth are handled, the financial obligations, and can review individual health concerns. You will have time to ask any questions about home birth and midwifery care.

Midwifery care is different in that it requires a higher level of trust and rapport between the parties. This relationship is established in the prenatal appointments. Almost every prenatal will be attended by the full birth team/staff. We encourage all fathers to attend prenatal appointments so that you have the opportunity build your comfort level and support your partner fully. The first appointment will include a review of the documents and signing of the Emergency Care Plan. This document is required by the state and includes information on local EMS response times and nearest hospital with maternity services. This document is updated and reviewed at the 36th week home prenatal appointment. Each following appointment is about 30-45 minutes and will address all the subjective and objective health data for mom and baby. 

The 36th week prenatal appointment is held in your home. This is extremely important so that we can work out any traffic concerns/directions, and become familiar with your home. We love meeting your fur family too!!! This is the time to have all your supplies purchased and organized. If you partner plans on using a birth tub, we will bring that birth tub kit and review set up and water hook up with you.

First time parents are encouraged to attend a virtual or in person childbirth preparation class. This will help you become educated on how to support your partner during labor and birth and can address even more questions you may have about the process. Each client will have access to a private section of the website with reference materials and education videos.

Midwifery labor and birth care is different…

This is where our care really starts to stand out. Most fathers are relieved when they know that we encourage clear and frequent communication during labor. It is always our goal to be present for active labor and the birth of your baby. Most fathers are tasked with the duty to time and track contractions. This can easily be done with an App on your phone — we also like old school yellow legal pad tracking. Birth classes can teach you how to time a contraction and we will also review this topic during prenatals.

Most births have the birth team arriving during active labor. We will bring in our midwifery supplies and get the birth space set up. A full set of vitals on mom and baby will be taken upon admission. Then the birth team will observe the labor and the mother’s coping ability. This observation tells us so much about how mom and baby are doing. Good observation skills can help us minimize risks and make critical assessments.

Moms are allowed to labor in positions they desire and we may have some suggestions if needed. Mom is not encouraged to push until she has the overwhelming urge to push. We will encourage her to help receive her baby. Some fathers opt to catch their baby with our hands on assistance. Please let us know if this is your desire.

Once baby is born, baby is placed on mom’s chest. Our practice supports very delayed cord clamping and cutting. This delay is about 2.5-3 hours and performed right before the newborn examination. We love making this ritual individualized!

Mom and baby’s vitals are checked every 15 minutes after the birth of the placenta. The birth team will gather some snacks for you and your partner. It is imperative that you remain by mom’s side and partake in the bonding period. We will break down the birth tub, if used, and clean the birth space.

We typically stay in attendance for 3-3.5 hours after the birth. Before we leave, we review all postpartum care instructions. We will start the laundry and take out the trash accumulated from the birth.

Midwifery postpartum care is different…

We perform three home postpartum visits during the first 10-14 days. These visits will include a full newborn examination and full set of vitals for mom. We will evaluate any concerns with nursing and get you resources for lactation consultants or tongue-tie specialists. There are several newborn tests that can be performed in the home setting with us. These tests are not included in the Global Midwifery Fee. The tests are performed with your newborn’s comfort in mind and allows for mom and baby to stay at home during the critical first 10 days. The Newborn Metabolic Screen and the Critical Congenital Heart Defect Screen are performed on the first postpartum visit at 24-36 hours postpartum visit. The Newborn Hearing Screen is performed between days 3-5 postpartum. Informed consent for these tests are discussed between 32-36 weeks.

We will also complete all the filing for the Certificate of Live Birth. As a licensed midwife in the state of Virginia, we are required to file any birth we attend and are contracted. We have 7-10 days after the birth to begin and complete the filing system. This is also the time to consent to a Social Security Card, if desired, for your child. We will provide a Proof of Birth letter to use as documentation with your place of employment, insurance, etc… until the copy comes in from the state. Our practice can also file any notarized Paternity Papers with the Certificate of Live Birth. Two copies of the state issued birth certificate are included in the cost of midwifery care with our practice.

Each mom and baby are scheduled for a final postpartum visit in the office at 6 weeks. Fathers are encouraged to attend if possible. We have the opportunity to review anything from the birth and we review what the postpartum period looks like from here on out.

What happens in an emergency…

The most asked question! And, we appreciate this question and always have time to address emergencies in pregnancy, labor/birth, and postpartum.

There are two types of emergencies that can take place: Non-emergent and Emergent. Both of these emergencies can occur during pregnancy, labor/birth or postpartum. A non-emergent event is one that brings mom or baby out of low risk status and into a moderate risk status that warrants more observation and/or interventions/procedures that cannot take place in the home setting. A common example of a non-emergent event is PROM (premature rupture of membranes prior to labor). If labor induction at home cannot take place, a mom will need to go into the hospital to induce/augment labor. This is not a rushed decision. We have to time to call ahead and use a hospital of our choice. We can also go by private car. An emergent event is one that brings mom and baby from low risk status to a high risk status. This may feel rushed due to the nature of the event and the need for quick action. A member of the birth team will call 9-1-1 and have EMS activated to come to the home. Mom and/or baby will be taken via ambulance to the closest hospital with a labor unit. An emergent event example may be bleeding of unknown or known origin, a baby not breathing well, or fetal heart tones too high or too low during labor. The lead midwife at the birth will accompany in the ambulance and give report to the hospital upon arrival. In these scenarios, we are by your side as much as possible to advocate. All postpartum care resumes upon discharge back home.