Consider ~ Home ~ Birth
"The midwife considers the miracle of birth as normal, and leaves it alone unless there is trouble. The obstetrician normally sees birth as trouble; if he leaves it alone, it's a miracle." ~Sheila Stubbs
Serving Little Rock, Hot Springs and the Central Arkansas area within an hour and a half radius from Hot Springs including Russellville, Pine Bluff, Malvern, Arkadelphia and many others.
Each family is unique. Your birth should be as well!
I am licensed through the Arkansas Department of Health, nationally certified as a Certified Professional Midwife and carry a Midwifery Bridge Certificate through The North American Registry of Midwives. Read more about CPMs at www.narm.org. I am licensed to provide prenatal care, attend your home birth and supervise your healing in the postpartum period. Although I serve those families desiring an unmedicated birth at home, I will be happy to discuss options that may suit your family best including natural birth friendly obstetricians and doula services.
Midwife Services::
Prenatal Care::
If you decide that you would like to plan a home birth with me, we will begin prenatal care on the same schedule as you would with an obstetrician. We will see each other once a month until you are 28 weeks, then every other week from 28 to 36 weeks and finally once a week until you deliver your baby.
Prenatal visits are one hour long and are conducted at my office in west Little Rock or at my home office in Hot Spirngs. At 36 weeks, I will come to your home to be clear on directions and make sure you have all the supplies you will need for labor and delivery.
Each visit we will check your vital signs, your weight, do a urinalysis to screen for any possible red flags, listen to fetal heart tones and palpate your baby to assess position and fundal growth. In addition we will take time to discuss your dietary needs, address any physical or emotional issues you might be experiencing, answer any questions you have and plan for the required prenatal testing to be completed at appropriate times, many of which I can perform at my office.
Labor and Delivery::
When labor arrives, I will come to your home. As a guardian of normal birth, I monitor the well-being of both you and your baby throughout the process, allowing you to have as much privacy and freedom to move through labor as you wish. I bring another midwife with me to each birth as my assistant. You will have an opportunity to meet my assistant prenatally at the 36 week visit. We will stay for a minimum of two hours after your baby is born, perform a gentle, but thorough newborn exam right beside you, assess your physical well-being, make sure you both have transitioned safely and help get breastfeeding off to a good start.
Postpartum Care::
I will return to your home within 24 hours after your birth to do a follow up assessment. I often visit again 3-4 times postpartum at your home to make sure you are recovering well, nursing is off to a good start and baby is gaining weight appropriately. I am also qualified to perform newborn screenings recommended for your baby if you wish. You will then return to the office for your final 6 week postpartum visit. I offer breastfeeding support to all my clients and can refer those with additional struggles to several certified lactation specialists in the area. I file the birth certificate and social security number for your baby if desired. I provide a superbill with applicable codes for all clients who carry insurance so that you may pursue getting reimbursed from your insurance carrier
Click here for more information on service and fees.
Water Birth::
Water birth has shown to be an excellent relaxation tool when used in labor. Water may reduce the chances of tearing, and babies born into water enjoy the benefits of a gentle transition from “inside” life to “outside” life.
I have a birth pool available for rent for clients wishing to have a water birth. Studies have shown the benefit of water therapy in labor for assisting comfort and relaxation, and some may choose to labor in the pool, but then to move out of the pool for the actual delivery. The pool I have available is a BPA-free “Birth Pool in a Box Mini”
Placenta Encapsulation::
I no longer offer Placenta Encapsulation, but know many providers in the area and am happy to put you in touch with someone to help you with this.
Essential Oils::
I use essential oils everyday for a myriad of therapeutic uses: topically and as aromatherapy for optimal health. I also use them for anyone who is interested in using these beneficial oils during pregnancy and birth.
Visit my DoTERRA website for more information and to buy your own::
www.mydoterra.com/shealchilds