HOME BIRTH
Planning a home birth?
Imagine laboring in the comfort of your own home. You feel safe and supported knowing your professional birth team respects your wishes. You munch on your favorite food between waves, working with your body to cope through this intense process.
When the time comes, your partner helps receive baby in the peace and quiet of your bedroom. You’re tucked in your own bed as a family to relax and bond as your birth team monitors you both…
Does this sound like your ideal birth scenario? Let’s chat about your goals and wishes.
What to expect in my care:
I am a full-service provider. This means that I am your primary provider for prenatal care (though I refer out for things like ultrasounds), I monitor and support you through the labor and delivery process, I complete a full newborn exam, and I continue to care for your family through the first 6 weeks postpartum. I also file birth certificates with the state health department and can do the baby’s metabolic screen (the “heel stick” test) if you wish.
You can expect to see me regularly through your pregnancy; I see clients on roughly the same schedule as an OB typically would. You’ll see me every 4 weeks until you’ve reached 28 weeks, then every 2 weeks until your home visit (at 36-37 weeks), then weekly until delivery. Postpartum, I return to your home 24-36 hours after the birth to check on you and baby, and I either come back to your home or have a virtual visit at 3-4 days postpartum. Additional visits are available if you need more support, and you’ll return for an in-office postpartum visit at 2-3 weeks and at 5-6 weeks postpartum.
I am an independent practitioner. In SC and many states, Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and Licensed Midwives (LMs/LMWs) do not practice under the supervision of a doctor. I can order and draw the labs you need, complete all standard newborn testing, and make referrals to other providers if needed. I am not a nurse; CPMs are not Nurse Midwives, and I do not have hospital privileges. I am also not a physician. If a higher level of care becomes necessary due to complications, then you will be transferred to hospital providers.
In many cases, I may still be able to support you in the hospital in a support role. In the state of South Carolina, clients are required to see a physician twice during their care. We’ll talk more about that during your care. The state of Georgia does not currently license non-nurse midwives.
I maintain a small practice! I limit the number of due dates that I accept each month. I work with a small team and bring a birth assistant for labor. My current preference is to book a maximum of three clients each month to ensure that each of our clients gets the individual care and attention that they deserve.
Our Midwifery Care Includes:
Regular prenatal visits.
Direct contact with your midwife between appointments for both urgent and non-urgent questions.
24/7 midwife availability from 37-42 weeks gestation.
Labor, birth, and immediate postpartum care for mother and baby, including a complete newborn exam.
Six weeks of postpartum care for mother and baby.
Juliann is a midwife based in Irmo, SC, who offers care in the SC Midlands and the CSRA.