What We Do
What Is a Midwife?
Midwives specialize in low-risk pregnancy, birth, postpartum, newborn, and well-woman care. They are experts in normal. Midwives have been around for hundreds of years, but the modern day midwife looks different than in generations past. While there are many different types of midwives, most complete rigorous and intensive educational programs and are licensed by their state and/or nationally.
Midwife literally translates to "with woman" and highlights the importance midwives place on continuous care throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the entire lifespan. The Midwifery Model of Care emphasizes health and approaching physiologic processes (like pregnancy and birth) as normal unless proven otherwise. Other aspects include individualizing care to meet the needs of women and their families, empowering women to be involved in their own care, and limiting interventions unless clearly medically indicated.
What Is a Birth Center and Why Out-of-Hospital Birth?
A birth center is a free-standing facility not associated with the hospital that provides independent pregnancy, labor/birth, postpartum, newborn, and women's wellness services. Care is usually provided by midwives and is appropriate for healthy, low-risk women. Out-of-hospital birth was the norm until the early 20th century. Today, over 98% of births happen in the hospital. However, with Cesarean section rates of 32% and high rates of intervention in the hospital, more people are turning to out-of-hospital options, either at home or in birth centers. Research has consistently supported the safety of out-of-hospital birth for appropriate low-risk candidates with significantly reduced rates of interventions and Cesarean sections. Click here to visit our Resource page with links to research and evidence about out-of-hospital births and more.