SERVICES | Sisters in Birth

Why Midwifery Care?

We are one of only three clinics in Mississippi staffed with a certified nurse midwife. All insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover certified nurse midwives (CNM) but not certified professional midwives (CPM) or direct entry midwives (DEM) (also known as lay midwives).

Research comparing standard physician care with certified nurse midwifery care found that women who receive care from a certified nurse midwife experienced significantly lower rates of cesarean birth, labor induction, third and fourth degree perineal tears, regional anesthesia and higher rates of spontaneous vaginal births, breastfeeding, and are less likely to experience preterm birth, fetal loss before and after 24 weeks and neonatal death. Moreover, studies have shown that women are more satisfied with a continuity model of midwifery care. Women report experiencing higher levels of emotional support, quality care, and feeling actively involved in decision-making.

Home Health Care

Clients are assigned a health worker who provides health education, health coaching, support, and patient advocacy throughout the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods during regular home health visits to ensure you accomplish your birth goals. The relationship between the health worker and client is crucial to birth outcomes.

Prenatal Nutrition Education

We teach and coach you to eat healthy during your pregnancy so you gain adequate weight. Overweight and obese women are at an increased risk of several pregnancy problems. These problems include gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and cesarean delivery. Babies of overweight and obese women also are at greater risk of certain problems, such as birth defects, macrosomia with possible birth injury, and childhood obesity.

Maternal Mortality and Postpartum Care

Postpartum is a perilous time for mothers. Of all maternal mortality deaths specifically tied to pregnancy complications, 86% occur after the baby is born. More mothers in our state are dying after childbirth than nearly anywhere else in the U.S. Heart disease, hypertension, and infections are the leading causes of pregnancy related deaths in Mississippi.

Our providers will educate you about your risks of a pregnancy related death and help you to take the necessary steps to avoid diseases and complications that can lead to death.

Our health workers continue to provide support in the home after the baby is born including screening for birth defects, maternal complications, teaching parents how to care for an infant child, and providing breastfeeding counseling. Clients also receive a final primary care visit to prepare for their next birth.

Classes

We provide individualized childbirth education classes that focuses on reducing maternal chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, on avoiding labor inductions and C-section deliveries, on breastfeeding, and preventing maternal and infant deaths.

Free Prenatal Vitamins

Our plan of care includes Vitamin Angels prenatal vitamins that have been proven to reduce rates of preterm births, low birth weight babies, and infant death.

Doula Training for Fathers and Family

We train fathers and family members to serve as birth doulas to provide comfort with pain-relief techniques including breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, massage, and laboring positions and to advocate on your behalf. Training your loved one saves you money on doula care now and in the future.

Personalized Breastfeeding Support

Our staff will educate you about breastfeeding and help you to begin breastfeeding immediately following your birth provide breastfeeding support in your home.

Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits to your child, such as lower incidences of SIDS, childhood obesity, asthma, allergies and diabetes as well as increased intelligence and parental bonding.

It also provides many health benefits to you, such as decreased rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, postpartum hemorrhage and depression, and it helps you to lose weight.