Postpartum Care

Postpartum care begins the moment the baby is born and continues for six weeks after the birth. 


Immediate Postpartum (first hours after birth)

Baby-led breastfeeding is encouraged right from birth. We discreetly monitor the mama for several hours to ensure that she is recovering well. We will take vital signs, check bleeding and uterine firmness, evaluate for tears and suture if needed. All this is done without interruption of family time and bonding. The majority of our clients return home with their new little bundles within 4-6 hours of delivery. If you have a homebirth, the midwife typically stays 2-4 hours until both mother and baby are stable. 

Newborn Care

Immediate Newborn

When baby is born, they are place into your waiting arms to bring them up tp your chest. Here they make their gentle transition into the world, begin to breastfeed and integrates into your family. There is no rush to cut the umbilical cord and we never separate the two of you. 


You will be given as much privacy as you feel you need to touch, cuddle, admire, and inspect your newborn. All necessary care, exams, and tests are done while your little one is in your arms or beside you in the bed. You decide what procedures such as eye ointment and Vitamin K are best for your baby. We will assist you with breastfeeding if needed and review postpartum instructions.


Before going home, your baby will have an in depth newborn exam including weight and measurements, vitals, reflexes, neurological, pulse oximetry screening and general evaluation and foot printing on a keepsake birth certificate the family takes home all in the room at the foot of your bed while you observe. Newborn bath is optional but we make it as gentle and loving as possible if you decide to bathe your baby!    


Follow-up Newborn Care

As Licensed Midwives, we can continue caring for your baby for the first six weeks.  During this time we will see the baby several times to monitor weight gain, check for jaundice, a good breastfeeding latch and proper growth and development.  We also provide the necessary paperwork and walk you through the process to obtain your baby's birth certificate and social security number.  


At the first newborn visit all babies are again screened for Critical Congenital Heart Defects, even if they look healthy. We use a non-invasive Pulse oximetry that measures how much oxygen is in the blood and can help to identify babies that may be affected with CCHD before they leave the birth center and at this first follow-up newborn visit.

 

California Newborn Screening Test

At your first newborn care visit we will obtain the CA newborn screening test which means no trips to the laboratory, ER or doctors office to have the test done. At the first postpartum visit, we will explain the procedure to the parents and baby, swaddle the baby and gently perform the heelstick.  


Six Week Visit

The final six-week check-up is a chance to discuss breastfeeding and any issues such as returning to work or family planning and fertility awareness as well as share photos of the birth and give us time to cuddle your baby.


Continuted Postpartum Care

Continuity of care is an important part of midwifery that doesn’t end with the birth. All mothers regardless if they are new at this or very experienced need support and nurturing while they pass through the postpartum period and we are here to provide that. Our postpartum care consists of two to three visits in the first two weeks after your delivery to monitor your healing, breastfeeding and focus on your physical and emotional well-being. We continue to be on-call for you by phone or text to ensure that you have the support you need.  At the six week postpartum visit we can help as you transition back to your daily routine, work and motherhood.