Midwife Maternity Care at Tempe Birth Center
Welcome to Midwife Maternity Care
Freedom to Birth Your Way
When you choose to give birth at our birth center, you’re choosing an environment of safety and community.
Tempe Birth Center’s comprehensive birthing space offers support and autonomy to have the birth you want.
JUMP TO
Birth Center Birthing
Home Birthing
“Thank you for creating this birth center... I truly believe we were meant to cross paths, and I wouldn't have wanted my pregnancy to have gone any differently.”
When you birth with us, you birth emowered
We are with you every step
Your Labor
When you begin labor, we like to be in touch. When you think labor is starting, a text or phone call is welcome.
The TBC team offers support by phone and text and will help you decide when to come to our cozy Birth Center. The midwife will meet you at the door, and it’s a 10-foot walk from the parking spot to the front door.
When you arrive at the Birth Center and get settled, the midwives will complete a full assessment of your body and labor progress.
-
You can wear whatever you like and move your body however you like. We can get most information from any position.
During labor, changing positions regularly is a great idea to support your ongoing labor.
We will suggest different positions and how to use our tools, including the birth sling, birth stool, and birth ball, on the bed, on the floor, hands and knees, or anywhere; the private Birth Center house is yours!
Some laborers like to get up and move around during the birth. We have a lovely little yard and nice neighborhood for strolling if the weather is right.
You will be supported to eat and drink as you desire or need.
Hydrotherapy is a valuable tool for labor and birth, and we have a gorgeous, sparkling-clean tub and a shower with a hot water heater for continuous hot water.
We ask people to be open to what your body says is best. Sometimes, we plan a water labor, but the six-hour shower feels better - either is fine!
We love working with doulas and recommend working with one.
The Birth
When it comes time to birth your baby, you will be encouraged to follow your body and choose your own position.
We have wonderful little mirrors if you’d like to watch. We love assisting families in “catching” their own babies, with midwife support right next to you.
Once the baby is born, we place them on your chest and watch them transition into this world.
We love to hear their little cries at just the right time.
We offer physiologic cord clamping (sometimes called delayed), which supports a great newborn transition. If a baby needs more help, we offer extensive neonatal resuscitation and always keep emergency equipment on hand, though it's rarely needed.
What To Expect
-
We will help you birth your placenta, check your vital signs, eat a meal, feed your new one, and just SOAK up this special time with quiet, gentle support.
We complete a gentle newborn exam, including weighing and measuring the baby. Most families go home about 3-4 hours after birth, but in certain circumstances, up to 12 hours. Once the family is ready, we help you to your vehicle and say, “See you soon!”
Birth Center Care
Prenatal Care
Prenatal care starts with connection and getting to know you, your family, and your birth goals.
The first visit is a 90-minute session, and together we’ll review:
Your full health record
Explore your birth plans
Discuss testing options
Create an individualized plan together - one that works for YOU.
We are happy to schedule your first visit as soon as you would like, or you can wait for the ten-week mark. At ten weeks, you have a more developed pregnancy, at which point we are able to offer more testing options:
In-house dating and viability ultrasound
Referral and orders for other testing
-
After your first visit, we’ll create a care schedule that fits YOUR life.
Most first-time families come in every month until the third trimester, then every two weeks, and weekly toward the end. We want to give you and your family the chance to connect with our team, so that everyone can be comfortable on birth day.
For busy mothers who may have had a history of uncomplicated pregnancies or who have difficulty making the trip to Tempe (we see you, rural mamas!), we can adjust the prenatal schedule. On the other hand, some families who transfer in late may come for weekly visits to get to know us and receive extensive pregnancy and birth education.
Around 36 weeks, we make a special hour-long visit to review the whole plan for birth. We’ll review:
Your full health history
Birth plans
Backup plans; discuss your space; drop off the birth tub; and meet everyone who will be at the birth.
At the center of each visit is how YOU are feeling and how we can support you and your family in your birth goals.
We’re thinking of supporting you - in body, mind and spirit - towards the momentous transition that is birth.ext goes here
Postpartum Care 24/7
Extensive postpartum care begins the day after you give birth.
First Visit
We start postpartum care with a home visit to check on you and your baby. We weigh baby, check on nursing, and take full vital signs. We’ll check your bleeding and assess how you're both doing overall. We’ll also schedule follow-up visits.
Follow-Up Visits
You can expect follow-up visits on postpartum day 3 or 4, between 7 and 10 days, at 3 weeks, and at 6 weeks postpartum.
These visits and easy access to a midwife (24/7 by phone!) are crucial for preventing some of the most common emergencies and identifying risk factors for perinatal morbidity and mortality.
At the last visit, we will do a final check, discuss family planning, and plan a return to regular gynecological visits.
-
At every visit, we take full vital signs, assess bleeding, feeding, and your family's overall well-being. During those visits, we also complete:
We also complete and submit the birth certificate and Social Security number to the Arizona Office of Vital Records in the first week.
We find joy in serving and working with families of ALL backgrounds.
Explicitly, that means celebrating people regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or citizenship.
We are a team of health professionals dedicated to providing you and your growing family with loving care. We trust that you will find a place among us and encourage you to make an appointment with us to start the conversation.
Schedule a Visit or Call
Get to know Tempe Birth Center
Home to the Hummingbird Midwives
Home Birth Care
We are with you every breath
Home Labor & Birth
Our midwifery values and care. You can expect the same guidance, care, and support at home as you would in our Center.
same team as prenatal care
supported in home care through labor and birth
choose from central different birth tub options
Home Birth Postpartum Visits
After your home visit, we will visit you at 24 hours, 36 hours, and 3 days. Then we will follow up at the one-week, three-week, and six-week marks for in-depth postpartum care for mom and baby.