What does prenatal care look like with PNB midwives?

When I meet clients for the first time during our consultation I tell them that yes, we follow the normal obstetric visit schedule but the similarities stop there. Portland Natural Birth dedicates a whole hour to every prenatal (and postpartum) appointment with all our clients. So, what exactly happens in the hour?

Well, first off, here’s a peek into our cozy office room in the sweet Awakening Wellness Center…  The love seat is perfect for our clients to come in, relax, have some tea or water, and start telling us about how their past month (or week) has been.

We talk about any new experiences in this pregnancy they’ve encountered since our last visit or any continual issues they are having.  We do a lot of listening and then, when they are ready we dive into some great remedies from herbal and homeopathic recommendations to body work to physical exercise, nutrition, or mental health stability, along with any western treatments that are needed.

We continue talking about what is normal during this part of their pregnancy and any expectations or fun new things that may pop up in the coming months.  We make recommendations on additional educational classes, depending on how far along they are.  And we discuss, at length about any upcoming medical decisions or tests they may have at their next appointment.

At Portland Natural Birth, anyone you feel comfortable with is invited to your appointments.  We love having partners at appointments and getting to know them and making sure they are comfortable with us and the current plan.  We also love having children present at appointments if that feels right to you.  Or sometimes parents are visiting and want to check out their child’s care provider or maybe they’ll be part of the birth so they can come to your appointment and discuss any questions or concerns they may have.  Your appointment is really all about YOU.  Its about making you feel comfortable.

We still do the normal vitals: blood pressure, pulse, urine analysis (good ol’ peeing in a cup), palpating and listening to the baby and measuring your fundal height (how big your uterus is growing to accommodate your baby).  We also draw all labs in our office.  This allows you to feel comfortable getting all these vitals taken care of but in the comfort of our office and by people you trust.

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