homebirth attendance with martha

For homebirth attendance I offer everything in Sovereign Birth Prep and I'm on-call to attend your birth and immediate postpartum as an experienced birth-support person/birth keeper*.  (Some people refer to me as a midwife. Ask about joining our membership, Motherwit Ways.)

To connect with me, please sign up on the main page of this site for a discovery session. 

HERE'S HOW WE BEGIN

We create a trust-based relationship at our pre-birth connection sessions. We may do the following:

* Walk together, literally take walks together.

* Clarify the difference between in-system and sovereign homebirth.

* I get acquainted with your family and your other birth supporters.

* Clarify prenatal care options: wild pregnancy,** self-testing, some in system tests. 

* Clarify variations of normal and "what ifs" on:

         - pregnancy

         - fetal position including breech

         - labor pattens

         - baby's emergence/the moment of birth

         - placenta birth

         - newborn breathing/appearance

         - what "normal" means in the first place.

* What to do in the moment for hemorrhage.

* What to do in the moment if baby needs help breathing.

* Nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, embodiment, meds, and how these are unique to each person.

* Untangle your dreams, fears, whatever else needs untangling. 

* Birth story integration if you've birthed prior.

* Clarify the facts about hospital transfer.

* Clarify your postpartum visions and plans.

Everything is optional, and we may do other things too. Partners and children are welcome at these meetings.

WHEN I'M AT A BIRTH

I'm present as an intuitive and experienced birth witness and wise woman.

I center and exalt the birthing woman as she moves freely through her birth portal, gives birth, and begins mothering her newborn earthside. 

I may:

- Support the mother during her birth process/aka labor.

- Support the mother during baby's emergence, placenta birth, and just post birth.

- Hold the energy and clear the energy if needed.

- Help with children, partners, food, drink, clean-up, other logistics.

- Share my opinion. 

- Respond in the moment.

- Be in another room the whole time.

- Pray or worship with the family according to their beliefs.

- After the baby is born, I stay until mother and baby are both fed and snuggled in, baby and mom are stable, things are cleaned up, and the family is okay with me heading out.

None of this is timed, this no timing part is foundational to how I serve.

POSTPARTUM

I offer support during the daytime, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a few days or weeks post birth. Usually, these sessions are two to three hours.       

I may:

- Nourish the mother

- Explore the newborn with the family, such as how's he doing physically and energetically

- Support the mother spiritually, physically, hormonally, and energetically

- Listen to the mother or partner, and then listen to them some more

- Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or pumping support + help with everything newborn

- Help with older children, pets, errands

- Help with paperwork

- I may go with you to appointments

- Explore keeping your newborn wild or ways to present her/him to the system.

MY OFFERINGS TO MY CLIENTS:

-Sessions during pregnancy (no limit).

-Phone and electronic communication daytime beginning after first payment.

-On-call to come to the birth starting from about 36 weeks pregnant until whenever baby is born.

-Presence during labor, birth, and at least a few hours post birth.

-Postpartum visits for about a month, daytime.

-Sign a written contract or agree to an energetic contract. 

CLIENT'S OFFERINGS TO ME:

-Money, ask about details

-Bartering may be possible, just ask

-Sign a written contract or agree to an energetic contract. 

There are no time limits on any of this. The birthing woman decides as to exactly when I should head over for the birth.

The fee range, $3400 to $3700, is primarily determined by a one-time mileage fee and some other things. If you do not have access to money to cover the usual exchange, let me know and we'll work something out. When we're called to walk together money will not divide us. 

MORE

 - Birth tub 

 - Placenta encapsulation 

 - Traveling birth keeper or midwife

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Travel birth keeper means I come to you at an agreed date, 39 weeks gestation for example, and stay at an airb until a few days after you birth. There's an additional fee for this. 

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*   To my knowledge, Jeannine Pravatti Baker coined the phrase "birth keeper."

**  To my knowledge Yolande Clark coined the phrase "wild pregnancy."

Sincerely, Martha

Image @audgerenk, shared with permission from client.