Birth at Labor of Love
Preparing for birth at a freestanding birth center may be a bit different from what you’ve seen on TV or heard about from your friends’ experiences. At Labor of Love, you get to enjoy a space that promotes physiologic birth, and benefit from evidence-based practices that align with your family's goals.
You lead. We follow.
Whether you decide to squat on a birthing stool, recline in the tub, or give birth in our spacious queen-sized beds, you can trust that we will support and encourage you as you listen to your body's cues.
Our midwives get to know you, value your intuition, and are experts in providing personalized care for you and your baby in an out-of-hospital setting. We encourage the use of traditional and modern coping tools for labor pain, including the use of a doula.
We provide watchful waiting and non-intervention in normal processes. We provide appropriate use of interventions and technology for current or potential health problems (i.e. IV fluids, IV antibiotics, neonatal resuscitation, and other medications). You’ll have access to a wide array of support options, including hydrotherapy, various birth positioning tools, birth balls and peanut balls, touch and massage techniques, movement, music, and visualization.
A welcoming environment
You don't need a lot of interventions or interruptions when birth is unfolding smoothly. Our cozy and inviting environment makes it easy to transition from laboring at home to our birth center.
Our midwives and birth assistants are ready to meet you at the birth center 24-hours a day, providing unwavering support throughout active labor, birth, and those precious early bonding moments with your newborn.
We prioritize your comfort. Feel free to eat and drink whenever you like, move around the suite as you please, have intermittent monitoring with a hand-held doppler, and cervical exams only when you consent to them.
Uninterrupted Bonding
For the first few hours, we focus on as much uninterrupted bonding time as possible, and do not separate baby, especially while doing skin-to-skin time, unless it’s emergent. There is no rushed period for babies to latch, allowing them to set the pace for laid-back breast/chestfeeding. Families are able to rest, eat, and nap together in spacious queen-sized beds. The first newborn exam done by the midwife is within your arms’ reach. Routine medications are available with parental consent (i.e. erythromycin eye ointment and Vitamin K).
Most birthing parents are stable enough to check out about 4-6 hours after their birth. Once you are home, a midwife will be available via phone as needed. After birth, we follow the parent-newborn dyad closely to make sure rest, healing, nutrition and sleep are promoted in the first six weeks postpartum.
Our Postpartum & Newborn Visit Schedule:
24-48 hours postpartum: A one hour midwife visit for parent and baby to support your transition home and perform the newborn metabolic screening and Critical Congenital Heart Defect screening. Newborns experiencing jaundice are able to be screened.
2 weeks postpartum: A thirty-minute midwife visit for parent and baby.
6 weeks postpartum: A thirty-minute midwife visit for parent (and baby is welcome to tag along) to discuss healing, and if desired, birth control.
We want you to heal, while also being confident you are meeting your child’s needs, as well as your own. Support people, partners, and children are always welcome at appointments.