Birth center care directly supports breastfeeding / chestfeeding

Low-intervention birth

It has been shown that unmedicated, low-intervention, and supported birth all increase rates of successful, long-term breastfeeding.  We strive to make the labor environment feel private, comfortable, and safe to promote natural physiological birth and attachment.

All pain medications, including epidurals, reach the baby through the placenta and reduce the body’s own endorphins.  Your midwives will be present through-out your labor to support you in your choice of a medication-free labor and birth. 

skin-to-skin and the golden hour

Skin-to-Skin care immediately after birth reduces newborn crying and stress, improves baby’s blood glucose, breathing rate and heartrate.  It protects the newborn, jumpstarts digestive activity and coats to protect the intestinal lining from harmful bacteria.

After you give birth, there is no routine separation of mother and baby.  Initial examination of a thriving newborn takes place on the mother’s chest.  The newborn can self-attach when he/she signals readiness for latching.  Routine procedures will wait until baby has finished the first breastfeeding.  All of baby’s examinations take place within arms-reach of family, baby will not be taken out of the room by staff.

International board certified lactation specialist on staff

All of our midwives have extensive experience in helping mothers breastfeed. One of our staff has an additional 90 hours of lactation-specific education and has obtained the highly-regarded classification of IBCLC, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Lactation-specific visits can be virtually, in-person, prenatally, and postpartum and are routinely covered by insurance. Clients do not need to have established care with the birth center to utilize lactation help.

More information on IBCLC can be found at https://iblce.org/about-iblce/vision-and-mission/