PREGNANCY, LABOR

BIRTH & POSTPARTUM CARE

WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH

OHANA MIDWIFERY

{ OHANA MEANS FAMILY }

EST. 2009

LAKE TAHOE

CALIFORNIA

 
 
 

Midwifery Care

We believe that birth is a natural process, and we trust the wisdom of women’s bodies to birth their babies in their own unique ways. Our goal is to educate & support mothers and their families throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

 
 

“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

— Barbara Katz Rothman

 

Prenatal Care

We provide compassionate, loving, woman-centered holistic prenatal care in which both the woman and the midwife are actively engaged in the decision-making process. All decisions are based on informed consent. Every appointment is scheduled for 1 hour. This allows for ample time for your questions to be answered. We encourage you to bring your partner, your children and anyone else who is supporting you through your pregnancy to your appointments. We hope that this time will build a trusting bond between you, your family and your midwives.

Prenatals are scheduled once a month until the 32nd week of pregnancy, then every two weeks until the 36th week of pregnancy when we begin meeting weekly until you go into labor. We believe that healthy mamas make healthy babies and nutrition is a cornerstone of our approach. We offer holistic care to address the physical, nutritional and emotional aspects of your pregnancy.

VISITS INCLUDE

— Pulse diagnostics,

— Blood pressure

— Weight

— Urinalysis

— Measuring uterine growth

— Assessing fetal position

— Baby heart rate monitoring

OTHER OFFERINGS

— Herbal Supplements

— Prenatal testing

— Laboratory work

— Mineral Supplements

— Nutrition Counseling

— Trusted Referrals

Labor & Birth

We typically arrive to your home once you have a labor pattern established. However we are available for your needs 24/7 so we are ready when you are. During your labor we will monitor your your physical, emotional and clinical well being, as well as monitor the health and well being of your baby. We will do this by intermittently monitoring your baby’s heart rate using a fetal doppler.

In our experience, labor unfolds best when interventions are kept to a minimum. Trusting in women’s bodies and abilities to give birth, we facilitate this process with guidance, assurance and support while responding to the individual needs of the birthing mom. As midwives we believe that mothers deliver their babies, and our role as midwives is assisting them in this powerful process. Ohana Midwives are trained in emergency procedures and bring all necessary equipment to births. This includes oxygen, resuscitation equipment, IV equipment, infant suctioning devices, anti-hemorrhagic medications and suturing equipment.

HANDS ON SUPPORT

— Massage

— Nutrition

— Hydration

— Movement

— Rest

— Privacy

— Physical + Emotional Support

WE MAY ALSO BRING:

— Dopplers

— Fetascopes

— Herbs + homeopathic remedies

— Birthing tub

— Birthing Ball

— Birthing Stool

Postpartum Care

We believe that the first hour after birth is an extremely sacred and special time. In some cultures it is called the Golden Hour or the Sacred Hour. We will strive to create a calm atmosphere for your baby’s transition from womb to world. We will respectfully and unobtrusively monitor you and your baby while you and your family bond and “take it all in”.

We generally stay with you 4 to 6 hours after your birth, making sure every one is stable and well. During this time we will feed you a big meal ( yes we cook) and we will make sure everyone is clinically stable and well. We will help you initiate breastfeeding and show you several holds and supportive positions for success. Also, we will do a comprehensive newborn exam and go over the basics of baby care with you before we leave. Your birth team will also make sure the birth area is clean, dishes are done and laundry is taken care of. Before we go you and your new baby will be well nourished, tucked in to your bed and ready for a nice nap.

We will return the following day for a thorough check up of mama and baby and answer any questions or concerns you or your partner may have. We see you again at 3 days and 1 week all in the comfort of your home. At 3 weeks and 6 weeks we will see you in office for continued holistic postpartum care and well baby checkups. During your postpartum period we are still available to you on call 24 hours a day helping you settle into your new role as parents.

If the need arises and you or your baby need extra support during this sensitive time. We will make appropriate referrals for you. We work with some amazing lactation consultants and specialist in our area.

We love to take care of you while you take care of your precious  new baby.

Resource Center

The Midwives Model of Care

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. The Midwives Model of Care includes

  • Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle

  • Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support

  • Minimizing technological interventions

  • Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

  • The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section. Copyright (c) 1996-2008, Midwifery Task Force, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

The Business of Being Born

Birth – it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America.

 

Aviva Romm on the Impact of Midwifery Care on Lifelong Health

Aviva Romm, MD, is a Board Certified Family Physician, midwife, herbalist and the creator of Herbal Medicine for Women, a distance course with nearly 1000 students around the world, and Healthiest Kids University, also with nearly 1000 students. Dr. Romm is a leader in the revolution to transform the current medical system into one that respects the intrinsic healing capacities of the body and nature – while helping women take their health into their own hands. Her areas of research include botanical medicine with a focus on the needs of women and children, improving maternity care models, mind-body medicine, and the impact of environment on health. She is a gardener, artist, and visionary physician, as well as the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of two — all 6 born at home.

 

Ina May Gaskin: TED X Talk – Reducing Fear of birth in the U.S. Culture

Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, PhD (Hon), is founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee. The 41-year-old midwifery service is noted for its women-centered care. Early in her career, Gaskin learned an effective method for dealing with a feared obstetrical complication (when baby’s shoulders become stuck during birth) from indigenous midwives in Guatemala. Years later, the low-intervention Gaskin Maneuver became the first obstetrical procedure to be named for a midwife in this era. The Farm Midwifery Center is noted for its low rates of intervention, morbidity and mortality despite the inclusion of many vaginally delivered breeches, twins and mothers of more than five babies. Author of several books, she promotes joyful birth, maintenance of breech skills and recognition of certain ingenious skills and techniques used by indigenous midwives of Mexico and Brazil. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from Thames Valley University, London, England and Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia. In December of 2011, she received the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize.

Birth Videos