Homebirths & Midwifery Care in NWA

Doula Support For Your Home Birth in Bentonville and NWA

NWA Home Birth Doula Services

Choosing to have a homebirth in NWA with midwifery care is a great option if…

  • You are firm in your desire not to have a medicated birth.
  • You prefer longer, more personal prenatal visits.
  • You believe having your baby at home with a midwife is just as safe, or safer than at a hospital.
  • You have a fear of interventions like episiotomy, c-section, induction, needles, etc.
  • You dislike certain hospital policies relating to checkout, newborn care, eating/drinking during labor, etc.
  • You don’t want your birth to feel “medicalized”.
  • You feel your home will be a more calm, private environment.
  • You don’t feel comfortable in hospitals or associate hospitals with negative feelings.

NWA Midwife Choices

During labor, midwives replace the role of a traditional doctor, but take a more holistic, natural philosophy for birth.

Here in NWA, we have two types of midwives you can work with for your home birth.  You can choose an independent lay midwife or a certified nurse midwife.  The main difference between these two types of midwives is the type of training they have, so certified nurse midwives are able to perform more medical tasks than lay midwives.

Lay midwives generally are independent, which means you see the same midwife throughout your birth journey.  The certified nurse midwives here work as a group, so you may see more than one midwife throughout your birth journey.

The following are NWA midwives I know or have worked with:

Licensed Lay Midwives in NWA:
Lucy Brown – Heart To Heart Midwifery 
Anna Marie Tarbet – Mother’s Journey Midwifery
Shoaf Camp – Ozark Homebirth 
LeTara Piña-Davis – Integrative Midwifery 

Certified Nurse Midwives in NWA:  
Eden Birth & Wellness

How I Provide Doula Support During Your NWA Home Birth

  • Affirm Your Choice:  I’m a strong believer in the safety and satisfaction of home births with midwifery care.  I believe in your ability to safely birth your baby in the comfort of your home.

  • Labor Preparation:  Having given birth at home for my 3 children, I know what it takes and what to expect to get through unmedicated childbirth. We will discuss and practice labor coping strategies as well as practice strategic positioning to help labor progress.

  • Comfort Measures:  We will practice and discuss a wide variety of comfort measures for a homebirth environment.

  • Partner Support: Often times in home births, it is just you, your partner and your doula until the midwife arrives.  I help take the pressure off of your partner with a calming presence and reassurance on what is normal and the ways he can help you.

  • Educational Support: I can help you understand if what you are feeling is a normal part of laboring.  I can also explain, in easy to understand terms, what is happening during your labor.

  • After Birth Support:  I stay with you after birth until you feel comfortable.  I’m happy to prepare a meal, help with clean-up, help you get in the shower or bath, and assist with the getting baby to latch.

  • Photos:  Although I am not a professional photographer, I am happy to take any photos you’d like with a camera you provide.

doula care in NWA

My Prenatal Visits For NWA Home Births

Get prepared for birth & postpartum with tailored prenatal visits!

As your doula, I meet with you 3 times prior to birth, so that you feel prepared for your home birth and the initial posptartum period.  Some of the topics we discuss are:

  • Pregnancy Nutrition
  • Pregnancy Testing
  • What to expect During Labor
  • Baby Positioning
  • Labor Positioning
  • Comfort Measures & Coping With Labor
  • Fears During Pregnancy & Labor
  • Evidence Based Information On Medications & Common Labor Practices
  • Communicating With Your Midwife
  • Breastfeeding

NWA Home Birth Frequently Asked Questions

In general, home births in the U.S. are safe for low-risk moms.  Here are statistics on home births:

  • 1.41% of births in the U.S. are home births / about 16,924 women per year have planned home births
  • Home births have a hospital transfer rate of about 11% in the U.S. (mostly non-urgent)
  • The C-section rate of women in the U.S. who have a planned home birth is 5.2%
  • 86% of newborns born at home still exclusively breastfeed at 6 months
  • The postpartum maternal transfer rate is 1.5%
  • Infant transfer rate after home birth is 0.9%

Home birth midwifery in the state of Arkansas is regulated by the state.

The following conditions generally would “risk you out” of midwifery care with a licensed mid-wife.

  • Previous cesarean delivery
  • Multiple gestation
  • Documented placenta previa in the third trimester
  • Insulin-dependent diabetes
  • Pregnancy that extends beyond 42 weeks 0/7 days gestational age
  • Delivery site is more than 50 miles away from a hospital (for emergency reasons)

If any of these conditions apply to you and you still desire a home birth, you might consider contacting an NWA midwife for advice on your options.

I would be happy to talk to you about what it is like having a home birth – please schedule a FREE consultation with me to discuss this in more detail! I’ve personally had 3 home births and supported women having home births in NWA.

Want NWA Home Birth Doula Care?

Request A FREE Consultation.

I’d love to discuss your feelings and questions about home birth in Northwest Arkansas and how I can support you during your birth journey!

I’d love to discuss your feelings and questions about home birth and how I can support you during your birth journey!

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