Community Care
Four of your prenatal visits with Fairfax Home Birth are meetings with other clients due in your same month. You'll still have a brief time with only your midwife to measure and listen to baby, but the bulk of these visits is in group discussion. Most fun is our postpartum reunion lunch when you get to meet the group's babies and hear one another's birth stories.
Group prenatal care has been gaining popularity after research studies on models like Centering Pregnancy have shown improved outcomes for participating moms. Here at Fairfax Home Birth, we value group care because it affords more time to discuss some of the important topics of prenatal education as you get ready to give birth, parent older siblings through an adjustment, breastfeed or seek out a care provider for your newborn. In home birth, there are decisions to be made about your care and birth plan and it helps to have time to ask questions and hear in depth from your midwife.
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Just as importantly, Community Care gives you the opportunity to get support from other expecting mothers. Many of our clients have not had other friends planning a home birth or even a natural birth prior to these groups. Friendships formed in Community Care have lasted over the years. When social distancing requirements caused us to abandon the practice for a couple of years, clients asked for it back. It was an important part of their pregnancies.