AN EXPERIENCE

Offering compassionate, comprehensive birth center and home birth experiences to clients and their families in Southwest Michigan.

We believe that birth is sacred. Every life is precious and each birth unwraps the gift that is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind human being created in God’s image. We believe that women matter. Our lives speak aloud what our hearts and souls conceal beneath the surface. And when beneath the surface there is also another tiny human, our hearts must be doubly heard and tended with care. We believe in education. Behind every decision is a desire that can either be informed with knowledge or stifled with fear. We believe in community, because the journey that is life, let alone in pregnancy and birth, was never meant to be walked alone. We believe the journey is transformative. It leaves us changed forever and rich with stories to tell. And, of all the stories worth cherishing, we believe there is great worth in cherishing yours.

You are sacred.

WHAT IS A MIDWIFE?

According to the International Confederation of Midwives, a midwife is: “A person who has successfully completed a midwifery education programme that is based on the ICM Essential Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice and the framework of the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education and is recognized in the country where it is located; who has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery and use the title ‘midwife’; and who demonstrates competency in the practice of midwifery.”

Both Star and Esther hold the Certified Professional Midwife credential (CPM) for practicing in out-of-hospital settings and are certified with the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).

Source: www.internationalmidwives.org

MIDWIVES MODEL OF CARE

Midwifery offers a uniquely different contribution to care in comparison to the medical model of traditional obstetrics. While there are different types of midwives in different settings, all can be said to share a few key similarities, including…

• A client-centered approach based on relationship-building and trust

• Believing pregnancy and birth to be a normal life event

• Offering education for informed decision making

• Caring for the needs of the whole person

• Limiting unnecessary technological interventions

• Referring to skilled obstetrical care for high-risk and emergent needs of the Mother-Baby dyad

For more information: www.mana.org

WHY A HOME BIRTH?

More than just an alternative birthing option for women looking to avoid a hospital birth, home birth also offers benefits not usually afforded in the traditional obstetrical setting. The comfort, privacy, and intimacy of one’s own space ushers in a comfort and calm apart from beeping monitors and endless wires. Women’s partners and other family members are able to be fully involved in the process without fear of intruding on the system. Most people appreciate the efficiency of the relatively quick clean up, being a stone’s throw away from the fridge, and the ease of settling back into life without having to get up and go anywhere. Most importantly, the continuity of care afforded by home birth with a midwife builds trust, relationship, and understanding, which tends to both the emotional and psychological needs of the pregnant woman, beyond the just physical.