Prenatal care is a daily practice that only the pregnant woman can realize. As the midwife, I serve as a guide to supporting physiology as much as possible. When we support physiology, we can rest knowing that we are providing our bodies and our babies with what they need to do well what they already know to do.
Each prenatal visit is an hour in duration, in which time we review in detail nutritional and lifestyle practices that optimally support the human body. My philosophy is that our bodies are best supported when we eat a whole-food, ancestral diet as much as is possible. I like to ensure that digestion is optimized so that we can adequately absorb and assimilate the nutrients we put into our bodies, which may in most cases have the added benefit of reducing symptoms of heartburn! I have a passion for incorporating functional and aligned movement throughout each day with the understanding that the way in which we move and carry our bodies can have an impact on where we hold tension or tightness. This then may influence, for example, the shape of the pelvis, otherwise known as the passageway through which the baby travels during birth. At each initial visit and with permission, I assess the alignment of the body and provide targeted exercises that can help to bring balance to the soft tissues with the hopes that aches and pains are minimized in pregnancy, that you feel strong as the baby grows, and that birth is as efficient as is possible. It is all about stacking the cards in your favor!
Additionally and arguably, the most important aspect of midwifery care is the cultivation of trust, connection, and relationship. I strive to really know you (and your family) and to listen deeply to all aspects of your being.
I offer comprehensive lab work, leaning on my training in functional nutrition to analyze results from a lens that prioritizes optimal health. I have, too, the ability to order ultrasound imaging and other routine tests that are typically offered in the obstetric model. We spend ample time discussing thoroughly routine testing options and newborn procedures so that you can feel confident making decisions that are right for you and your family. I support autonomy and informed decision making and am looking forward to working with families who are ready to own their experience!
I strive to strike a healthy balance between the utilization of natural & holistic medicines and Western medicine, for which we are grateful when it is needed. I believe that a wise woman respects all the tools that are available to her and is discerning in her choice to employ various tools as the need arises.
Wise Woman Prenatal Care
The prenatal schedule is as follows:
Free consultation
Monthly visits up to 32 weeks
Bi-weekly visits until 36 weeks
Weekly visits from 36 weeks until birth
Each visit will end with the monitoring of maternal vitals (e.g., blood pressure, pulse, and temperature), as well as assessing the baby’s growth and listening to the baby’s heart with either a fetoscope or doppler.
Birthing at home with a midwife was the norm for most of human history. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that women began to birth in the hospital setting, and by the 1940’s, only fifty-five percent of women were birthing in the hospital in the United States
Birth transpires as a result of a complex hormonal orchestration and unfolds best when it is undisturbed and unobserved. The cat births in a dark, quiet, and private space, and as humans, we are no different. When we birth at home, we are comfortable and secure. Our nervous systems are down-regulated and oxytocin (in addition to other key hormones) circulate in abundance, allowing for an easeful and efficient birthing process. At home there is freedom to move, the comfort of the way in which your pillow smells, and control over the environment. This experience is sacred and exquisite and worth protecting.
I enter your home with reverence in my heart, quiet steps, and a hushed voice. I monitor you and I monitor your baby. I make you tea and I make your bed. I set up the birth tub, I rub your back, I offer you discerning words of support, and I believe in you. Due to the good work you’ll have done prenatally, you will feel confident and prepared, and we will have trust in one another.
Although complications are rare in the home-setting, I am trained and practiced in handling them and I will always have another midwife with me as my assistant. And if, in the instance a hospital transfer is required, I will remain with you every step of the way. While I cannot guarantee a home birth, I can always guarantee midwifery care.
Once the baby has arrived, he or she will be placed on your heart and I will ensure that everyone transitions into the fourth trimester with ease and great happiness. You will be fed, a complete newborn examination will be performed, and your home will be left in perfect condition. I will tuck you into bed and into the bliss of having a newborn.
Home Birth
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”
Kahlil Gibran
We will have spent ample time prenatally preparing for the postpartum, a time that is often so textured and beautifully complex! It is during this time that the work you’ve done prenatally will carry you, offering resilience and strength. As midwife Robin Lim states: “you are pregnant for nine months, you are postpartum for the rest of your life.” Ensuring that you are well-supported and nourished during this time matters.
I will walk with you as you navigate your breastfeeding relationship, any imbalances you may feel physically and/or emotionally, the need for sleep optimization, and more. During each visit, I assess for good growth and health in your baby and celebrate the both of you for the good work you’ve done. At some point in the postpartum time, I like to draw an herbal bath and listen to you as you tell your story about the birth of your child.
I am a Lifeways graduate, having trained in Waldorf-inspired pedagogy and the sacred early years of baby and childhood. I will often bring my song and can offer support to the infant from a lens rooted in the teachings of early childhood developmentalists Rudolf Steiner, Magda Gerber, Emmi Pickler, and more.
The Fourth Trimester
The postpartum schedule is as follows:
24-48 hours
7 days
3 weeks
6 weeks
More appointments may be scheduled as is needed.
“Grace was a blessing during my pregnancy with my baby girl. Her wealth of knowledge, patience, and attentive listening helped me feel confident and well cared for. She created a safe and supportive environment where my concerns were heard and respected. I would recommend Grace to anyone looking for professional, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth.“
Gitana G.
Words of love
FAQs
What is a licensed midwife?
Licensed midwives in the state of California are licensed and governed by the Medical Board. Our scope of practice allows us to care for low-risk, healthy mothers and term babies (37-42 weeks) throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum. Licensed midwives can offer routine testing prenatally and carry with them equipment and supplies to manage emergent situations should they arise.
Why home birth?
Birthing at home with a midwife was the norm for most of human history. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that women began to birth in the hospital setting, and by the 1940’s, only fifty-five percent of women were birthing in the hospital in the United States. Remaining at home allows for birth to unfold in an environment that is familiar and comfortable, eliciting feelings of security and safety. Birth unfolds best when a woman is undisturbed and unobserved. The home setting supports the physiology of birth, which arguably is the only aspect of control we have in keeping birth as safe and sacred as possible.
Should I hire a doula?
If you are a first time mother, I do think it is wise to consider hiring a doula, as a doula can help to sustain you through a long labor regardless of where you plan to give birth and with whom.
Do you take insurance?
If you have a PPO plan that covers out-of-network providers, it is possible that you’d receive a reimbursement. There is no guarantee that you would, however, and in most cases, clients receive only a portion of what they’ve paid for midwifery care. Most midwives contract with a medical billing service that can help to file claims, but only after the six week postpartum visit and not before. I therefore require payment in full by 36 weeks gestation.
What if I end up needing to go to the hospital?
If a hospital is needed, we are grateful for the services that modern medicine has to offer, and in most instances, home to hospital transfers are non-emergent/non-urgent and do not require an ambulance. We spend time prenatally preparing a hospital birth plan, and I encourage my clients to pack a hospital go-bag just in case. When we allow ourselves to “try on” the possibility of needing to transfer to the hospital, we discover that doing so is not the end of the world, and that it is good to be prepared. In the process, we release any fear or tension we had been holding in our bodies around the possibility of ending up in the hospital. Too, should a transfer be required, it can be carried out smoothly, efficiently, and calmly. Usually there is time enough for me to call and give report and to fax over records. I will always escort you to the hospital and help to get you settled, remaining with you or available to you for guidance depending on the situation. Once the baby has arrived and once you are back at home, I will come to see you postpartum and care will continue as it was intended.
Can I hire a midwife at any point in my pregnancy?
Most midwives are open to taking clients late-to-care if they have space in their practice and as long as there exists a good connection with the expectation and intention to build trust quickly in the remaining time. It is best to hire a midwife from the outset of your pregnancy, such that a trusting relationship can be built and so that you can feel held by your midwife throughout. It is helpful for the midwife, too, to be abreast of any health concerns, questions around decision-making, and hopes and desires for the birth.
Are there options for pain relief at home?
Birth is an intense experience, there is no way around it in the home. You have everything you need to navigate the big sensations of birth, quite literally, down to the symphony of hormones that directs the birthing process. Becoming informed about the physiology of birth is hugely supportive in cultivating a commitment to and trust in the process. I encourage all clients to take a course in child birth for this reason. First time mothers might consider hiring a doula for focused emotional and physical support. Additionally, preparing for birth by nourishing the body, eliminating stressors, moving in supportive ways, and optimizing sleep quality and hygiene help to stack the cards in one’s favor for an efficient and uneventful birth. In the birth setting, it is the freedom to move and to attend to your body’s needs, the comfort of being in your own bed, the knowing that no one unexpected or uninvited will enter into your space that keeps you in the flow. Other tools to manage pain include aromatherapy, deep, therapeutic rest, massage, and hydrotherapy, the home birth “epidural.”
Can I receive concurrent care with both a midwife and an OB?
Yes, however in some instances you may lose your insurance coverage if you disclose to your in-network provider that you are also receiving care from an out-of-network provider. It can also become confusing and conflicting to receive information from providers with fundamentally different belief systems. However, if you have an HMO plan, it may be worth it to see your OB throughout pregnancy in order to receive insurance coverage for the various tests/screens that are typically ran in pregnancy, which would result in a lower out-of-pocket expense.