NBC12 News Coverage!

We got a great write up and video from NBC 12!

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -
The first free-standing, midwife-led birth center just opened its doors in Chesterfield.

The Embrace Midwifery Birth Care and Resource Center and Embrace Wellness Collective opened this week off Buford Road. The facility hosts a number of services, but the focus is prenatal care, birth, and care in the weeks that follow.

“We have a lot of different services,” said Corina Hossle. “Our midwifery care covers all prenatal care, labor, birth, and post-partum care. We have two birth suites. So, we have the whole gamut of the child-bearing year covered.”

Hossle is a licensed midwife, so she also cares for mothers and babies for six weeks after birth.

“We have a nurse midwife who is offering well-woman care, birth control, IUDs, all the hormonal replacements for perimenopausal and menopausal women,” said Hossle.  “We have a wellness collective with the green baby store going in. We have doulas, we have a doula internship program, we have yoga, and child-bearing classes. We have lactation support, we’re really working hard to be a one-stop-shop for Richmond families in the area.”

What's different is the hands-on, low-intervention philosophy. We're told moms can catch their own babies. The practice also promotes skin-to-skin bonding. And they say IVs don't get started unless they are really medically required.

“We are so committed to parents and unmedicated, empowered birth. So, our job here is to just give them another option. Healthy moms having healthy babies can have babies out of hospitals and we believe that that's a good option for them," said Hossle, who she already has more than a dozen babies booked to be born at the facility. “Women are really starting to seek out an alternative birth experience. They want to be in charge of their birth and not be delivered of their babies.  So, this gives them the opportunity to really step into that space.”

For those unfamiliar with how an independent birth center might work, we asked her about what they do in an emergency.

“We do all the same tests that a doctor can do,” said Hossle. “We order all the same labs that a hospital would require, but we truly believe that interventions need to be truly required to stop into that space.”

Hossle also pointed to the ambulance crew directly across the street and she says they have a transfer agreement in place with some hospitals.

“We ask them to give us a call and we’ll talk with them a little bit on the phone and we will be offering tours on a weekly basis so they can come and see the birth centers, see if it is the right option- ask their questions. We offer free consultations and interviews so they truly can see if we’re who they want to choose for their providers. And then they begin care with us.”

Hossle says they are Medicaid providers and they also have an insurance billing program in place.

Doula Speed Dating

Are you thinking about using a doula as a part of your birth plan?  Then please come to our Doula Speed Dating event this Wednesday at 6pm to meet and greet with Embrace Birth's Doula team! Whether you're an Embrace client or not, we invite all expecting families to join us for light refreshments and a chance to meet your local doulas.  Doulas are like birthing coaches, they can help you with techniques to manage pain during labor and are there to give you emotional, physical and informational support before, during, and after your birth.  Come learn all the benefits of having a doula and get an opportunity to meet....The Right One!

Hypno- Birthing Classes!

I fell in love with HypnoBirthing in Trinidad and Tobago, but tonight I am sitting with another first time mom who is close to transition and still smiling and peacefully chatting between contractions. If you are a first, or second, time mama who is getting ready to have a baby, give us a call and let us connect you with Hypnobirthing! Classes available starting this month!

Visit JoyfulBirthRVA.com for more info!

What is HypnoBirthing?

HypnoBirthing is a tried and proven method that guides and prepares a woman in giving birth in a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful manner.  It is a program  that considers the psychological, as  well as the physical, well-being of the mother, her birth partner, and the newborn, independent of context, whether that be in the quiet of a home, a hospital, or a birth center.

The HypnoBirthing program is built around an educational process that includes special breathing, relaxation, visualization, meditative practice, attention to nutrition and positive body toning. Most importantly it fosters an air of mutual respect for the birthing family, as well as the health-care provider in a traditional health-care system or an alternative setting.

Class Specifics

5 classes last approximately 2 ½ hours each.  Group class sizes are limited to ensure comfort, understanding, and well monitored hypnotic sessions.  The cost of HypnoBirthing classes includes a book, 2 CDs, and numerous handouts for essential home practice.  

Unless specified otherwise, classes are held at the HypnoBirthing studio at 8401 Mayland Drive, Suite C, Henrico VA 23294

If a class is listed, vacant seats remain

Upcoming HypnoBirthing class series are beginning on:

***Tuesday June 7th 7:00pm - 9:30pm weekly, ending on July 5th*** This series is for families that are planning to birth outside of a hospital and will be held at Embrace Midwifery Resource Center.  To sign-up please visit: http://www.embracebirthva.org/ 

Sunday July 10th 2:00pm - 4:30pm weekly, ending on August 7th

Thursday August 4th 7:00pm - 9:30pm weekly, ending on September 8th *There will not be a class on August 18th*

Saturday September 10th 10:00 - 12:30 weekly, ending on October 15th

Thursday October 13th 7:00 - 9:30pm weekly, ending on November 10th


If these times do not suit you, we can work together to find ones that do.  Please register in advance by paying the class deposit and leaving a "note to seller" stating which class time you are signing up for.  From there I will contact you with additional details.  I would love to work with your family to bring about the most satisfying birth experience possible!

Coping With Breastfeeding Grief

Author of Healing Breast Feeding Greif, Hilary Jacobson, writes about how to heal disappointed expectations when breastfeeding doesn't work out for some women.  As a holistic lactation consultant, she works with many women who have trouble breastfeeding and experienced the same grief after her first child.

Breastfeeding Grief: Emotional Healing When Breastfeeding Does Not Work
By Hilary Jacobson

Recently, I read in a book about natural childbirth that mothers should prepare mentally ahead of time just in case a Cesarean birth is needed. The authors point out that when we accept that life is not predictable and are mentally prepared for any eventuality, a mother can maintain a positive sense of connection to her baby even without her ideal birth.

When it comes to breastfeeding, we do not advise mothers about what to do in case breastfeeding does not work out. We know that with correct information, guidance, and support, mothers usually succeed and we do not want to discourage mothers by suggesting difficulties that will most likely never arise.

Yet, where does this leave those mothers who, for whatever reason, are not able to have their hoped-for relationship?

A 2014 study from Cambridge, looking at 14,000 mothers, revealed that mothers who do not reach their breastfeeding goals are at twice the risk of postpartum depression. The head author of that study, Marie Iacovou, says, “There is currently hardly any skilled specialist help for these mothers, and this is something … that health providers should be thinking about.”

Helping mothers truly heal their emotional wounds is something I have been thinking about for a long time. As the moderator of an online group for mothers with chronic low milk supply, I have heard hundreds if not thousands of heartbreaking stories. More personally, I went through breastfeeding grief after the birth of my first child, and it was the healing of that wound that motivated my research and outreach in subsequent decades.

What I learned is that mothers need what I call a “pivotal moment” in which they feel supported with compassion and understanding, and can be directed to focus on their capacity to love their baby, regardless how they feed. If mothers do not receive a pivotal moment of compassion, but instead sense that their feelings or problems are judged, or trivialized, their grief can deepen and become entrenched.

The good news is that even if the grief/trauma has become entrenched, it can still resolve and mothers can heal. Today, scientists are discovering the remarkable benefits of mindfulness meditation for posttraumatic stress, and also the benefits of stress relief through relaxation and visualization. Scientists are recognizing, too, that the brain and the emotions are much more malleable than previously suspected. Our thoughts and feelings can be permanently redirected in positive ways, and relatively quickly, too. All of this explains why techniques used in hypnotherapy, somatic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and coaching are frequently so effective—and they are effective for mothers, too.

To read the full article, including excerpts from her book, click here.

A Woman's Right to Birth

We love this Letter to the Editor from a brave mother sent to The Washington Post.  It is our goal to inform and empower women with choice.  Articles like these feed on all of the unfounded fears of having a natural birth, frowning on "natural" as an inferior method, once again undermining a woman's right to choose.  We believe that birth is intuitive to all women and with the proper guidance from a knowledgable and well-trained midwife, mothers can be informed to make the best decision for their bodies.  We are one of the only birth centers anywhere that has a direct collaboration with a Registered Nurse, Jessica Jordan, who is able to provide medications on a consultation basis.  We have had less than a 1 percent transfer rate, a 6 percent C-section rate, and a 15 percent transfer rate for reasons such as pain management, or the baby being in a less than ideal position.  We are proud of those numbers and are thankful for modern medicine to bring healthy babies into this world under such circumstances.  There is no shame about it!

(Paul Giamou/iStock)

Women Should Be Listened to About the Childbirth Process

As a mother who has birthed two children, I found Amy Tuteur wrong on many fronts in her May 8 Outlook essay, “The natural-birth industrial complex.” Perhaps her most egregious — and tired — assertion about childbirth is the “healthy baby and mother” argument.

Implying that women should be satisfied simply with a healthy baby-healthy mom outcome is dismissive of women and their birth experiences, especially when they are grieving events that are sad, disappointing or traumatic. Of course every mother wants a healthy baby, but when women are ignored, disrespected or violated during labor and birth, then birth may not be a beautiful experience for them.

We can set the bar higher. Birth teaches us that we are not in control, but that doesn’t mean women don’t have choices. Women are absolutely right to ask for more in terms of prenatal and postnatal care and labor and birth options. This applies to home, birth center and hospital births — because women should be respected and listened to no matter what the birth setting.

Sarah Farr, Silver Spring

To read the full article, click here.

Using a Peanut Ball in Labor

From Director of Birthwell Birthright, Tanya Strusberg, comes an amazing article on the benefits of using a peanut ball versus pillows, blankets or even a traditional swiss ball.  Specializing in Lamaze childbirth education, she is a great resource for natural birth techniques.  We utilize the peanut at Embrace Birth Center and think it's an extremely useful tool for mothers to promote dilation and increase comfort.

What is a peanut ball and why could it be helpful for me in labour?

Most people are familiar with the standard birth ball (sometimes called a fit ball or Swiss ball). They come in a range of sizes to suit women of all heights and are without doubt an essential labour tool to have.

The standard round birth ball has become a common site in a birthing suite, but the peanut ball is a relative newcomer.  In the last few years, the use of a peanut ball for labour has increased, especially for mums who choose an epidural or who need to rest. The peanut ball doesn’t slip, slide or flatten like pillows, keeping a mum’s legs properly supported and the pelvis open. The use of a peanut ball has been seen to help shorten labour. Although there has not been a large study on their effectiveness, many midwives and hospitals are seeing excellent results.

A peanut ball is similar to a birth ball, except that it dips in the middle, giving it its distinctive peanut shape. Peanut balls also come in a variety of sizes, again depending on a woman’s height, but also depending on how she plans to use it. Smaller peanut balls are designed to be used between your legs, whereas larger peanut balls are designed to be sat on, or to lean over.

Peanut Balls are typically used two ways primarily:

1. The labouring mother is in a semi-reclined position, with one leg over the ball, and the other leg to the side of the ball. The doula, midwife, or other support person pushes the ball as close to the mother’s hips as is tolerable for her. Many feel this position promotes dilation and descent with a well-positioned baby.

2. While the mother is in a side-lying or semi-prone position, the peanut ball is used to lift the upper leg and open the pelvic outlet. Many feel this position helps rotate a baby in a less-favorable posterior position to a more favorable position for delivery.

What size peanut ball should I use?

Peanut balls come in a number of sizes:

45cm – Recommended for women who are under 160cms

50cm – Recommended for women who are 160cm – 170cms (most common size)

60cm – Recommended for women who are 174cm or taller or plus size women

70cm – ONLY to sit on and straddle

For the full article along with even more great resources, click here to visit the Birthwell Birthright website.

Grand Opening Success! Take a Peek Inside

We had such a lovely time at our Grand Opening yesterday!  It was a successful event and we were so thrilled to be hosting amazing moms, expecting mothers, their partners, and their children!  It was all around joyful to be sharing something that we have been working so hard towards these past few months and seeing it all come to fruition.  Embrace Birth Center is up and running along with our Wellness Collective!  If you didn't get a chance to visit us yesterday, here's a peek at what's inside!

 Welcome to our Birth Center!  Our very own Kathryn Haines is speaking to expecting parents in the Midwives meeting room!

Here we have everyone gathered in one of our birthing suites, along with our examination room and our sitting area at the front entrance.  The photography you see around the office are all works of local photographers you can work with for your very own pregnancy and infancy portraiture!  The collection shown here is of actual births we've performed in Richmond.

This is one of our amazing birth suites, built with maximum comfort in mind.  A space for your family - a retreat - with extra deep soaking tubs, plush linens, and private bathrooms!

We are very excited about this little tree!  We will be hanging snaps of all the beautiful babies we deliver on its branches!  Blue for water babies, green for earth babies!

Our Wellness collective features Green Baby Planet, who focuses on safe, natural and eco-friendly products for your little ones!  We also offer prenatal yoga classes!  There is still room available in our collective, so if you'd love to contribute to this wonderful community of support, please contact us.

Educating, Empowering & Encouraging Women from Pregnancy to Motherhood

Think about the first mother that ever walked the planet.  Then think about the second, the third, and so on. All helping the other give birth from having lived through it themselves. Soon there was an abundance of mothers and babies who now make up the more than 7 Billion human population on this earth. Wow, what a thought.

Women have been giving birth since the dawn of human existence and we truly feel in our hearts, is an intuitive experience.  All women know instinctively how to give birth. Midwifery has been practiced throughout the ages before there was medicine or hospitals.  It has been practiced all over the world with varying traditions and expressed uniquely through local cultures. We believe that giving birth is a sacred experience not only for the mother and her family, but the community.

Advances in medicine, technology and science have led us to the practices we use today. Ultra-sounds find the position and the sex of the baby.  We now know how to keep mothers healthy during their pregnancies with lots of heavy prenatal care bibles. There are vast hospital wings dedicated solely to pregnancy.  But with all of this technology, we believe the advantages of using a midwife is giving the human, emotional, intuitive and physiological profoundness of birth it’s proper reverence.

We nurture the deeply connective mother and child bond through safe delivery practices that don’t separate you from your experience. Instead, we give you the power of choice by giving you all of our knowledge.  We want to honor your traditions and listen to your wishes. We empower mothers!

Embrace midwives are highly trained, with a low tech, high touch mentality.  Our goal at the Embrace Birth Center is to educate, empower and encourage women from pregnancy to motherhood!   

Pelvic Floor Therapy Demystified

I wrote this article several years ago during the period when I saw a pelvic floor therapist. I still discuss pelvic floor therapy regularly and with everyone (yes neighbors too) with the hopes that more women will seek out this amazing option. Ask an Embrace Midwife for a recommendation or check out the links below!

-Kathryn Haines, CPM

Pelvic Floor Therapy Demystified

My amazing pelvic floor was not so amazing after carrying three babies.  After my second baby, I managed to control and then stop occasional loss of urine by doing kegels. When I experienced urine loss after my third birth, I assumed that it was only a matter of time before I was dry again. As the months and then a full year went by, and I continued to change pad after pad after pad, I became concerned. A bottle of tea tree oil and vinegar by the toilet helped keep the odor away but there is something very discouraging about being incontinent when you are thirty-five.

At a visit with my local midwives (midwives are my go-to for well-woman care), Mairi and Erin asked if I had any other questions.  I disclosed my incontinence and they said suggested I see a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floors.  A few weeks later I sat sheepishly in Pat Strott-Wheatley's office, marveling over the fact that I had been so busy taking care of my three little ones, my husband, and the house (not to mention midwifery!) that I had forgotten to take care of myself (sound familiar anyone?).

In the first visit, Pat mentioned that most people were able to stay dry 85% to 90% (or more) of the time upon faithful completion of pelvic floor therapy.  The first week began with writing down everything I ate and drank as well as each trip to the toilet.  The next assignment was to go to the toilet every hour in an attempt to stay dry.  I was shocked to realize that I often couldn't even go one hour without leaking and I found it humorous how hard it was to pee every hour.  Days at the pool were the most challenging. My eldest swims but not well enough to leave alone in a pool and of course I couldn't leave my three or one year old alone.  So our daily routine went something like this.  "Ok (for the fourth hour in a row) everyone, out of the pool (grumble, grumble, grumble, why mommy), mom has to pee!" Writing down the times I peed was another roadblock.  Do you know how hard it is to pack for a family of five at the pool?  Adding my "Bladder Diary" to the bag with the suits and swimmies and lotions and shampoos and plates and snacks just did not happen. Somehow I made it through the week.

At my second appointment, I was hooked up to a computer that measured how strong my kegels were, determined the extent to which I was relaxing between kegels and made sure I was using the appropriate muscles.  I learned that while I kegeled well under the watchful eyes of Pat, at home I was not adequately relaxing between kegels.  I was so focused on getting my kegels in that I was contracting beautifully, but not fully relaxing. Remember, biofeedback works!  A hand on the belly reminds you to relax.

I also watched a movie on the amazing pelvic floor.  Did you know that the urge to pee lasts 14 seconds and instead of rushing to the bathroom when you feel the urge (this makes you leak) you should first take a breath and kegel? Pat sent me home with new homework, pee every hour and a half and add pelvic floor exercises, three sets, contract for 8 seconds, relax for eight seconds.

Visit three, PROGRESS! The pelvic floor exercises were working!  I was able to stay dry peeing every hour and a half and during a conference where I just couldn't slip out to pee, I found myself doing extra kegels and staying dry for about two hours!  I noticed a few leaks that occurred when I had my morning latte and Pat suggested that I switch to half-caff (a painful switch but I am adjusting and you bet I will NOT be drinking half-caff at a birth.)  I was hooked up to the computer again and the program detected that I had greatly increased the strength of my kegels in just one week!  More homework.  Pee every two hours and kegel four times a day, contract 10 seconds, relax ten seconds.

Week four. I forgot my sensor today and so I am scheduled for a final session in one month (probably a good thing as I will not slack on my kegels).  The good news, when I kegel regularly (and appropriately!) I no longer leak!  I will need to kegel for the rest of my life, and regularly (at least one set four times a day) but staying dry is worth the effort.  And there are other benefits too!  Developing strong pelvic floor muscles helps alleviate constipation and leads to better sex (among other things).  If you are kegeling and it isn't working, I HIGHLY recommend visiting a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floors.  They will make sure you are kegeling properly, offer advice on how to kegel more effectively, and suggest things in your diet (like caffeine) that might be adding to the problem.

A disclaimer, I made a dramatic improvement in a short amount of time (four visits over the course of less than two months).  This is because I had rather strong pelvic floor muscles at the start.  It can take several months to see improvement and you have to be very diligent about doing your homework.  If I don't kegel regularly, I leak, it is as simple as that.

I would love to see all midwives talk about the correct way to kegel (equal emphasis on relaxing as well as contracting) with their clients prenatally and post-partum.  My gut feeling is that there are a lot of women out there who are incontinent and don't realize that a physical therapist can help you learn how to stay dry.  I am a convert! Check out these websites to find a great pelvic floor therapist: https://hermanwallace.com/practitioner-directory, http://www.womenshealthapta.org/pt-locator/.

Just Some of the Benefits of Water Birth

“Do you perform water births?” is one of the most frequently asked questions we get and what the majority of mothers that come to us are looking for.  We recommend that all our mothers at least consider laboring in water, but are happy to deliver earth babies as well! When you think about the environment your baby has spent the last 9 months in, that warm, amniotic fluid— giving birth in water seems natural.  It makes your baby’s transition from that environment into the loud and bright outside environment that much easier.  The decreased sensation of gravity also makes positioning for the mother less strenuous in water and promotes.  Some of the well-known benefits of water birth include:

— Decreasing pain 

— Decreasing length of labor

— Conservation of energy

— Reduces perineal trauma

— Relaxes and soothes mother to get in tune with her natural rhythm

Our new Birth Center will be opening this Tuesday, May 10th, with our Grand Opening Event and Open House on Sunday, May 15th!  It will feature 2 beautiful water birth suites that meet all of the American Association of Birth Center guidelines, extra deep soaking tubs, private bathrooms, showers and queen-size beds.  All of the comforts of home.

Catch Your Baby! One of the Benefits of Using a Midwife

Have you ever seen a mom catch her own baby? It is a sacred event. If you are pregnant, consider catching your own baby. Midwives LOVE to catch babies but consider this, it is your baby, and your birth, do you want to give up the extraordinary opportunity to let you or your partner's hands be the first to enfold your baby? If you need help, your midwife is at your side.

Photo Credit: Monet Nicole- Birthing Stories

Nurture RVA Birth & Baby Fair

We are so happy to be participating in the first annual Nurture RVA Birth & Baby Fair on Saturday, May 7th from 10 am - 3 pm!  We will be one of the presenters at the fair that Nurture RVA has so carefully put together.   Meant to bring new and expecting families in touch with care providers, businesses, and organizations aimed at serving them, there will be lots of other educators covering topics such as breastfeeding, early parenting skills, and nutrition.

Come learn about us, Embrace Midwifery & Birth Care, as we venture to open our doors this May to all of Richmond's expecting and new families with our brand new Birth Center!  As is the purpose of the event, we strive to provide Richmond families with the best care and improve well-being through education, fitness and support!

Pregnancy and Childbirth can be a scary transition, but through knowledge and social support, making informed decisions about your birthing plan doesn't have to be!

Join us along with some amazing organizations like Clover, Franklin Goose, Green Baby Planet, Goatocado,  Dream On Baby, Relay Foods and SO many others!