The Midwifery Model of Care
A Proven Approach to Home Birth that is Holistic and Family Centered
The Midwifery Model of Care is a proven approach to birth that supports the normal birth process and believes childbirth is holistic and family-centered. The word, ‘midwife’ is English meaning “with woman". The successful role of midwifery has a historical significance that reaches back thousands of years. At NOVA, women see the same midwife for their prenatal care, labor & birth, and postpartum care.
Around the world, where the Midwifery Model of Care is utilized for low-risk pregnancy and birth, mothers fare better and experience safer birth outcomes. This model of care understands that birth is the work of the woman and her family, always respecting each individual family’s social and cultural beliefs. The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section. {Copyright (c) 1996-2008, Midwifery Task Force, Inc., All Rights Reserved.}
Two fundamental factors of midwifery care are the empowerment of the birthing woman through a commitment to continuity of care and facilitation of natural processes with minimal intervention. If a medical complication arises in a woman receiving midwifery care, the woman is referred to an obstetrician or specialist for the appropriate treatment.
“Whenever and however you give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body, and your spirit for the rest of your life.”
— INA MAY GASKIN
Comprehensive Care for Mother & Baby
Midwifery care by a certified professional midwife - Clients meet and hire one midwife that they see for their prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care.
Labor Doula Support
Water Birth Pool & Liner
Postpartum Doula Support for the first 12 hours after birth
In-home Lactation Counseling
“Our comprehensive care for mother and baby serves to acknowledge that pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period deservingly invokes holistic care that values and addresses the mother’s physical, emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. NOVA’s full-spectrum care paradigm was birthed through the complementary collaboration of midwives, doulas, educators, and lactation counselors working together toward one shared objective: to ensure families receive humanized care during one of the most vulnerable and impactful seasons of life.”
— Tara Garner, Founder of Nova
Our Midwifery Services Include
In-depth Prenatal Care
Appointments once a month until 30 weeks, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, and then once a week until baby is born
Continuous Labor Support
Your midwife will come to your home when you are in active labor, or whenever you ask for her, and stay until a minimum of 2 hours after baby is born
Postpartum Care
Your midwife will visit you at home 24-48 hours after birth, then again at 2 weeks and, finally, at 6 weeks postpartum
NOVA Midwives
Provide woman-centered care to low-risk pregnant women desiring to give birth at home
Provide individualized education, counseling, prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum care to their clients
Establish a high standard of continuity of care, allowing you to see the same midwife for prenatal visits, your birth, and postpartum visits
Encourage your active participation and informed decision making in all aspects of your care
Equip you and your family/support team with the most up-to-date information based on the best available evidence
Utilize evidence-based technology and intervention when appropriate and upon your informed consent
Facilitate a low-stress birth environment
Ensure that you have timely access to obstetrical care if you need to be transferred to the hospital for medical reasons or because you request an epidural
Recognize babies are aware, sensitive human beings and as such, will minimize separation between you and your baby
Collaborate and consult with other maternity care providers, including communicating with the original caregiver when transfer from one birth site to another is necessary
Connect you and your baby to prenatal, postpartum, and breastfeeding resources in your own community
Partner closely with a Nurse Practitioner, Chiropractor, and Massage Therapist for your referral needs in pregnancy and postpartum
Research on Home Birth & Midwifery Care
In the largest ever examination of planned home births in the United States, a study released in 2014 found that, among low-risk women, planned home births result in low rates of birth interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and newborns.
The study - which looked at nearly 17,000 women and their newborns - found that for planned home births with a midwife in attendance:
The rate of normal physiologic birth was over 93%
The cesarean rate was 5.2%
The rate of vacuum- or forceps-assisted vaginal birth was 1.2% and less than 5% of mothers required augmentation or epidural analgesia
Only 1.5% of newborns had a low Apgar score (a measure of newborn health in the first five minutes following birth)
2.5% of newborns were admitted to the intensive care unit (NICU) at some point during the first six weeks following birth
87% of women with a previous cesarean (VBAC) delivered their newborns vaginally
Of the 10.9% of women who transferred from home to hospital during labor, the majority changed locations for non-emergent reasons, such as slow, non-progressing labor, or maternal exhaustion
At six weeks postpartum, more than 97% of newborns were at least partially breastfed and 86% were exclusively breastfed
“These rates of intervention are significantly lower than those seen in U.S. hospitals, without a simultaneous increase in adverse outcomes,” said Dr. Melissa Cheyney, PhD, CPM, LDM, Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology at Oregon State University, and lead author on the study.
Further studies are showing that receiving care from a midwife has the potential to bring great positive change to the alarmingly high maternal and infant mortality rates in the United States today. You can read more about this study here.
NOVA's Midwifery Practice follows guidelines recommended by the Tennessee Midwives Association. You can view those guidelines here.