Prenatal
Our Services
Homer Birth Center offers the following prenatal services:
- Free pregnancy tests
- Free initial consultation
- Free monthly movie nights
- Prenatal labs
- Ordering ultrasounds as needed
- Herbs, Homeopathy, and Essential Oils
- Lending Library and Videos
- Childbirth classes
Our midwives work within a scope of practice governed by the state of Alaska and consult with other health care providers when appropriate. Midwives provide care for women anticipating normal, low risk pregnancy and birth. Licensed midwives can order routine pregnancy laboratory tests, such as blood work. We also do ongoing screening of the well-being of our clients and newborns.
Initial Visit
Your initial visit usually begins anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks, however we do accept late transfers to care. Expect your first visit to last an hour and half. We take a complete medical history, rule out risks, draw your initial OB panel and talk extensively about nutrition and other important information.
Routine Prenatal Visits
We schedule one hour for your prenatal visits because we believe that it is important to get to know you and your family since we are assisting you with one of the most important events of your life. We have the time and we listen. We will see you every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks. During the last month of your pregnancy, we will see you weekly until your baby is born. Every prenatal visit you will always see Amy, Sarah and Chinmayo unless one of us is out of town. We do not rotate between the staffed midwives because we believe it is important for you to have an opportunity to form a relationship with your birth team. Visits include taking vitals on mom and baby, determining fetal position, presentation, and growth, as well as emotional support, and education as your family prepares for the new baby to arrive.
Our care is based on promoting health and prevent complications. You are an active participant in your own health care. To achieve an optimal pregnancy, we encourage and support you to work with other complementary providers such as massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and naturopathic doctors. Should complications arise, we would refer or consult with local healthcare providers with whom we have a good working and respectful relationship.