Making Mommies

MATERNITY CARE

Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers.

We help make strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner-strenth. As experts in normal pregnancy and birth, midwives monitor the physical well being of you and your baby. We also address important psychological and emotional facets of this life-changing journey. The care you receive during your pregnancy and in the weeks following your birth is tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of you and your family.

Each one of our appointments is an hour-long, personalized session with our midwives. You can expect to see us:

• Once per month through your 28th week of pregnancy.
• Every 2 weeks from 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy.
• Weekly visits from 36 weeks until the birth of your baby.
• At your home between 24-48 hours after your birth.
• Back in our office for visits at 7 days, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum.

During each visit, we provide any necessary lab work, including blood draws, cultures and pap smears. Our postpartum visits include screenings for postpartum depression, newborn exams, weight checks, and extensive lactation support.

Statistically the safest place for a low-risk woman to give birth in an out of hospital setting with a trained and licensed midwife. Midwives are licensed healthcare providers by the state of Arizona and during a natural birth, midwives perform clinical and medical tasks such as monitoring the baby’s heart rate, doing vaginal examinations, and assessing mother’s vital signs.

Home Birth
In the comfort of your home you’ll experience labor, delivery and compassionate postpartum care. Home birth is a great option that brings families together, while also bringing your newborn into the world where they will first call home. There is nothing more special than beginning to create memories with your child in your home.

Water Birth
Water birth is referred to by most midwives as the “gentlest of gentle births.” Embraced by warm, gravity-defying water, often in a tub customized for the safe and comfortable delivery of your baby, mothers who choose water birth report a reduction in pain, lessening of anxiety, and a marked increase in relaxation.

Home birth parents may choose to rent or buy a temporary “birthing pool.” We will assist you in selecting the right tub for your natural birth needs.

BREASTFEEDING + LACTATION

Breastfeeding has significant nutritional, physical and emotional benefits for mom and baby.

Breastfeeding is proven to reduce the number of ear infections, improve immune function, reduce the risk of obesity, asthma, and cancer. The emotional bonds and benefits cannot be understated. Moms who nurse report fewer incidences of postpartum depression, better bonding with their baby, and the confidence and convenience that comes with knowing that you possess everything your baby needs to thrive.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other well-respected health organizations all agree that breast milk is the best food for babies during the important first year of life. However, it is very common for mothers to have many questions concerning lactation and breastfeeding. That’s why it’s so important to find lactation consultants they can trust.

Lactation support for your home birth or experience with Making Mommies will include:
•Monthly breastfeeding class
•Breastfeeding assistance from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant immediately after birth to ensure that mom and baby are off to the right start.
•Breastfeeding consultations and weight checks at each post-partum visit to be certain that you and your baby continue to nurse successfully.
•Phone support regarding breastfeeding and nutrition throughout your baby’s first year of life.

A lactation consultant or other support might be covered by your insurance.We work with The Lactation Network (TLN) to help you get the support you need.

WELL WOMEN CARE

Caring for women is our passion.

Making Mommies' comfortable environment is a welcome alternative to a doctor’s office for annual exams, pap smears, clinical breast exams and more. With an emphasis on nutrition, preventative medicine, fitness and early detection, our well-woman visits are personalized to your needs. Preconception counseling, birth control options and testing for sexually transmitted infections are included.

Here are a few ways our licensed midwives are here for you:
•Preconception counseling
•Annual pap smears
•Full physicals
•Non-hormonal birth control options
•Breast examinations
•Confidential HIV & STD testing

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Midwifery?

•Midwives provide care for women and childbearing families.

•Midwives encourage realistic expectations of childbirth by women within their own society, with the minimum expectation that no women should be harmed by conception or childbearing.

•Midwives use their professional knowledge through training and professional credentials to ensure safe birthing practices in all environments and cultures.

•Midwives respond to the psychological, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of women seeking health care, whatever their circumstances.

•Midwives actively seek personal, intellectual, and professional growth throughout their midwifery career, integrating this growth into practice.

What’s the difference between a midwife and a doula?

•Birth doulas offer emotional support, encouragement, and wisdom throughout labor and birth. Postpartum doulas support women and families through the transformation that a new baby brings to a family. Doulas do not provide clinical or medical services.

•Midwives are trained and licensed healthcare professionals who provide maternity and gynecological care. All of our midwives are licensed by the medical board and are responsible for mom and baby’s health and safety throughout pregnancy, labor and postpartum, just like a doctor or OBGYN.

•Midwives specialize in normal pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care for women and babies. They believe in a woman’s ability to give birth naturally. When working with a licensed midwife, a woman will have continuity of care throughout her pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum experience. She is more likely to be treated as an individual with unique needs and preferences.

•She is much less likely to need pain management medication, and the risk of cesarean section is greatly reduced. She will not be subjected to routine procedures, and she is less likely to experience complications or require interventions.

Why should I hire a midwife?

•Midwives are experts in normal childbirth. They believe in the woman’s ability to give birth naturally. Statistically, the safest place for a low-risk woman to give birth is at home or in a birth center with a trained midwife.

•When working with a trained midwife, a woman can eat and drink and move around freely. She will have continuity of care throughout her pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum experience. She is more likely to be treated and her progress evaluated as an individual, rather than being sacrificed to protocols or statistical averages.

•She is much less likely to need pain medications, and the risk of cesarean section is greatly reduced. She will not be subjected to routine procedures such as continuous electronic monitoring or routine use of IV fluids, and she’ll see a decrease in postpartum depression.

What are the health requirements for out of hospital birth?

•If you are having a normal pregnancy, with no complications or major pre-existing conditions, you are considered low risk, and are a candidate for out-of-hospital birth.

•Each of our clients is evaluated to ensure that out-of-hospital birth is the best choice for them.

•Contact us to discuss your specific circumstances or to set up a free consultation with our midwives.

Can I have an out of hospital birth if I’ve had a previous c-section?

•If you’ve had one previous c-section and it was over 12 months ago, you may be able to come into our care.

•If you’ve had multiple c-sections, we refer you to an appropriate care provider.

•We are committed to supporting women in finding the best care for their individual needs.

What happens if I need to go to the hospital?

•Midwives are well-trained to handle the very rare unforeseen emergency.

•Midwives carry emergency medications and equipment and are trained and certified in Neonatal Resuscitation, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and Obstetrics (ALSO), and Advanced Fetal Monitoring.

•Despite our best efforts, complications do arise. An individualized transfer-of-care plan is established during your prenatal care.This plan designates a specific collaborating physician and hospital that will accept you if a means of transport to a hospital is necessary. Although at that point, our midwives are no longer the primary care provider, we will remain with you and function as in-hospital labor support.

•Most transports are not "911" emergencies, so we put the mother in the car and drive to the hospital that we have previously designated.

Do you monitor the baby during labor?

•Midwives carefully monitor you and your baby’s safety in accordance with the standards set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). We practice intermittent fetal monitoring.

•Hospitals use continuous fetal monitoring. The evidence against continuous electronic fetal monitoring is so clear that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a recommendation saying that continuous electronic fetal monitoring should NOT be used in low-risk women. Even ACOG has endorsed intermittent auscultation as an “appropriate and safe alternative” to electronic fetal monitoring.

Who is in attendance at my birth?

•For the safety of the mother and the baby, we have two midwives, or one midwife and a senior midwifery student, attend each birth.

•Each is trained in Neonatal Resuscitation, Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support and Obstetrics (ALSO), and Advanced Fetal Monitoring. All of our midwives have extensive experience in home births and water births.

Can my older child(ren) be present at the birth?

•You can have whomever you feel comfortable with at your birth. Children generally do great with natural birth, especially when they’ve been adequately prepared.

Do you offer a payment plan?

•We are a cash pay practice and offer a flexible payment schedule. We do ask that we are paid in full by your 36th week of pregnancy. Please call our office if your situation requires further accommodation.

•We can also bill your insurance as an out-of-network provider.

Does insurance cover the cost of having a baby with an out of hospital midwife?

•Most PPO, POS, and cost sharing insurance plans (Samaritan, Medi-Share) will cover a portion of your birth, depending on your deductible and out of network benefits.

•Before you begin care, we will help you verify your benefits so you will have a good indication of what your plan may pay.