After you have decided to hire me and have signed the contract provided at the initial consultation, I will schedule a time to meet with you and your birth partner(s). Ideally, we will have two prenatal meetings before your labor begins. The first will be around 28 weeks, and the second will be around 35 weeks. If needed, we can schedule additional meetings. Expect these meeting to last 2-3 hours.

At the first prenatal meeting, I will ask for more in-depth details of your current pregnancy, any previous birth expereinces, and your current plan for your birth (home birth, hospital birth, etc.). I will also ask you to share any fears or concerns you have regarding labor and delivery, as well as ask any questions you might have.

The main focus of the first prenatal meeting is education and forming a birth plan. We will spend the majority of our time going over the physiology of birth, what to expect, and how to best prepare. We will also spend time discussing pain management options as well as interventions that may occur during labor and the immediate postpartum periods.

After discussing what to expect during labor and delivery, we will start to form a birth plan. The purpose of a birth plan is to create a line of communication with your health care team regarding your preferences and desires for your birth experience. After the birth plan is created, it should be discussed with your health care provider and adjusted based on their feedback.

Finally, as the first meeting comes to a close, I will teach you exercises to help you start preparing for labor.

The main focus at our second prenatal meeting will be preparing for labor and the postpartum period. To start, I will ask for any updates or changes in your pregnancy as well as answer any questions you may have. Next, we will dive into a discussion on what to expect during the postpartum period and how to best prepare.

The majority of our second prenatal meeting will be spent practicing some of the potential comfort measure you may find helpful during labor. Not only will this give you an arsenal of options for coping in labor before I arrive, but it will also create a sense of familiarity with the positioning and actions I may implement after my arrival. 

To conclude the second meeting, I will teach you some additional exercises that will help your body and mind be ready for labor.

In addition to these prenatal meetings, I will be checking in with you bi-weekly up until 36 weeks, and weekly after 36 weeks until labor begins. This check-ins are a great opportunity to ask questions or share any concerns you are experiencing. These check-ins can be done over text, phone call, a video call, or even in person if desired.