PLANNED HOME BIRTH CARE
You’ve decided home birth may be right for your family.
Now you’re looking for the right partner for the journey — not someone to convince you home birth is right, but a midwife with the experience, wisdom, and heart to walk alongside you.
Choosing home birth means intentionally preparing for the months ahead. Let’s take a look at what that journey can look like.
Preparing for a Planned Home Birth
Preparing well begins long before labor.
Throughout your pregnancy, we’ll prepare together by supporting your health through nutrition, movement, and rest — while also preparing your birth environment, gathering supplies, involving your partner and family, and making sure you understand what to expect before labor begins.
We’ll also have honest conversations about the decisions you may face, the circumstances that could change your plans, and the situations that may lead us to recommend additional consultation or a hospital transfer.
Preparing well doesn’t guarantee a particular outcome. It helps you enter birth informed, equipped, and ready for whatever the journey brings.
THE JOURNEY TOGETHER
Your journey, step by step.
From the moment you first reach out, my goal is for you to feel known, informed, and supported. Every family’s experience is unique, but here’s what you can generally expect.
Complimentary Discovery Call
01
Our journey begins with a relaxed conversation where you can share your story, ask questions, learn more about my practice, and determine whether we're a good fit. There is no pressure or obligation — just an opportunity to connect.
Optional In-Person Consultation
02
If you'd like to meet before deciding, you're welcome to schedule an in-person consultation to see the office, ask additional questions, and get a sense of what it would be like to work together.
Your First Prenatal Visit
03
Once you've chosen me as your midwife, your first appointment lasts approximately 90–120 minutes. We'll review your health history, discuss your hopes for this pregnancy, answer your questions, complete your physical assessment, and begin building your care plan.
Prenatal Care
04
Routine visits generally last 30–60 minutes — unhurried, personalized, and centered on your needs. Together we'll monitor you and your baby's health while continuing to prepare for birth. As your due date approaches, visits become more frequent.
Prenatal Care
05
Around 36–37 weeks, we'll meet in your home to walk through your birth space, review supplies, and answer final questions. Beginning at 37 weeks, I am on call for you 24 hours a day until your baby is born.
Labor & Birth
06
When labor begins, you'll contact me and we'll decide together when it's time for me to come. I provide calm, experienced support while monitoring you and your baby, honoring your choices throughout. Afterward, I remain with your family for several hours, and your birth space is lovingly restored before we leave.
Postpartum Care
07
My care doesn't end when your baby is born. You'll have the option of postpartum visits at 24–48 hours, 5–7 days, 2 weeks, and 4–6 weeks — assessing you and your baby, supporting feeding, and monitoring healing.
Graduation
08
Around six weeks postpartum, we'll celebrate how far you've come. Though your care formally concludes, many families remain part of my extended midwifery family — one of the greatest privileges of my work is watching children, and entire families, grow over the years.
YOUR BIRTH TEAM
You won’t be cared for by just one person.
Your birth team is led by me and includes one or two birth assistants, also certified in CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), who may include a student midwife, nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), or Licensed Midwife, depending on availability. Each person has a defined role, allowing us to care for both you and your baby while creating a calm, well-supported birth environment.
When a midwifery student is part of your care team, you receive more — not less: more hands, more encouragement, more presence, more support. Training the next generation of skilled midwives is something I am deeply committed to, and I believe it enriches the experience for every family I serve.
YOUR FAMILY BELONGS HERE
Midwifery is about more than delivering babies.
It is about walking alongside families through one of life’s most transformative seasons. Your pregnancy and birth don’t belong only to you — they become part of your family’s story as well.
Children are always welcome at appointments. Partners are encouraged to be actively involved throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. My desire is for every member of your family to feel welcomed, respected, and prepared for the journey ahead.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions women commonly ask.
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Home birth is designed for low-risk pregnancies, attended between 37 and 42 weeks. Throughout your care, we monitor your health and your baby's well-being closely. If concerns develop, I don't disappear — we have an honest conversation, explore appropriate options, and build a plan together. Planned breech home births are not offered through this practice.
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Home birth is designed for carefully screened, low-risk pregnancies supported by skilled providers and ongoing assessment. I believe birth is a normal physiologic process — and that careful preparation, thoughtful assessment, and skilled care all contribute to good outcomes. Good outcomes are not accidental; they're the result of thoughtful candidacy conversations, continuous assessment, intentional preparation, skilled attendance, and clear protocols when additional resources are needed.
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Transfer is not failure. It is one of the tools available to ensure you and your baby receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting — ranging from thoughtful, non-emergent decisions to urgent situations requiring immediate resources. I am not committed to a location. I am committed to appropriate care.
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Yes, for appropriate candidates. I'm happy to provide referrals for birth pool rentals if you'd like a water birth.
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Absolutely. You retain full autonomy throughout your birth, and we'll continue making thoughtful, informed decisions together as your labor unfolds.
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Your birth team is led by me and includes one to two trained birth assistants, who may include a student midwife, nurse, CNM, or Licensed Midwife depending on availability. All members are certified in CPR and NRP.
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Yes — whenever appropriate and feasible. If your birth journey includes a hospital transfer, my goal is to continue supporting you throughout your postpartum recovery whenever possible.
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We'll have an honest conversation, explore your options together, and develop a plan that supports the safest path forward — with the same continuity, preparation, and support you've received throughout your pregnancy.
WHAT WOMEN SAY
In their words.
“I ended up transferring to a hospital during labor, but they stayed right by my side the whole way through and were so supportive.”
ROBYN G.
“Melody really works to identify potential problems before they are an issue and keep you low risk. The result for me was a healthier pregnancy and baby.”
DAISY B.
YOUR INVESTMENT
What’s included.
Your home birth fee includes comprehensive care from your first prenatal visit through your postpartum recovery.
Comprehensive Prenatal Care
Personalized care tailored to your health, your pregnancy, and your goals.
Home Birth Preparation
Guidance to prepare physically, emotionally, and practically for your birth.
Nutrition & Wellness Guidance
Support for healthy lifestyle choices throughout your pregnancy.
Labor & Birth Attendance
Continuous care throughout labor and birth with an experienced team.
Birth Assistant Fee
Your birth assistant is included as part of your care.
Newborn Assessment
Immediate postpartum care for both you and your baby.
Postpartum Visits
Follow-up at 24–48 hrs, 5–7 days, 2 weeks, and 4–6 weeks.
Not included: laboratory testing, ultrasounds, medications, IV supplies, childbirth education classes, doula fees, and other services listed separately.
Investment & Financial Options
I offer flexible payment plans, a trust-based investment guide, and information about insurance and health share reimbursement to help families make informed decisions.
READY TO FIND OUT IF WE'RE A GOOD FIT?
I’d love to hear your story.
Your hopes for this pregnancy. Your vision for your birth. What matters most to you and your family. A Discovery Call is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and determine whether we’re the right fit.