5 Incredible Northern Virginia Midwives for the Best Birth Experience

Are you looking for Northern Virginia midwives to help you have a positive birth experience? The practice of midwifery has been around for hundreds of years. Back when the United States were just the American colonies, midwives were practicing out of their homes using the informal education they had brought over with them from England and passing the knowledge down from woman to woman. Most births at the time were attended by a midwife.

Up until the 1920s midwives could practice without government control in most states, and even today regulation varies from state to state. By 1935, midwives only attended about 15% of all births. In the mid-1970s, that number was down to about 1% but has started to increase again since then. Although it’s not a huge increase, 8% of births in the United States are now attended by a midwife. In the UK and other countries, that number is drastically higher at about 66%. But when you look more closely at non-hospital births, which only account for 1.5% of all births, the number of midwife attended births increases to a whopping 92%.

So what exactly are the benefits of having a Northern Virginia midwife deliver your baby? Well first of all, being under the care of a midwife decreases your risk of needing a c-section. You will also see reduced rates of labor induction and use of regional anesthesia. There is also a decreased rate of infant mortality, perineal tears, and preterm birth. If you’re wanting to breastfeed your newborn baby, being under the care of a midwife also increases your chance of having a positive start on your breastfeeding journey.

While this isn’t an exhaustive history of midwifery or list of benefits, you can see that choosing a midwife for your birth might be something of interest to you. With the growing numbers of Northern Virginia midwives, you definitely have your pick of the litter. I’ve compiled a list of seven of your options below to start you off.

 

5 Incredible Northern Virginia Midwives

 

BirthCare

Northern Virginia Midwives Marsha and Alice opened BirthCare in 1987, and they opened a birth center in 1992. By 2010, the midwives at BirthCare attended approximately 25-30 births per month and had an active waitlist. With that amount of history, it seems as though you’ll be in good company with these midwives. At BirthCare, they believe that “childbirth is an event which best proceeds when the childbearing woman is the central focus, her health is promoted, she feels safe in her birth environment, and her natural efforts to birth are supported.” These women are certified nurse-midwives that are licensed to practice in Virginia and DC, as well as Maryland. For more information, you can visit their website here.

 

Fairfax Home Birth

Fairfax Home Birth is owned by Certified Nurse Midwife Story Jones. She is licensed in Virginia to practice midwifery as well as to prescribe medicine. With Fairfax Home Birth, you can receive prenatal, postpartum, and well-woman care. She also provides pre-conception and natural family planning consultations. Being a solo practitioner means that you’ll get to develop a relationship with Story throughout your prenatal care and after. Once baby is born, Story will be by your side for an additional 3-4 hours. Your postpartum care will continue in the days and weeks after delivery. If you are interested in having a home birth and would like to find out more about Fairfax Home Birth, check out her website at this link.

 

Little Star Birth Services

In your search for a Northern Virginia midwife, you may want to check out Little Star Birth Services. Certified Professional Midwife Becky Banks has been serving families since 2004. Her journey began with her own pregnancy, and in 2016 she was awarded the Midwifery Bridge Certificate. Her team consists of a birth assistant and a student midwife. With Little Star Birth Services you’ll get in home prenatal visits; labor, delivery, and immediate postpartum care; and additional postpartum care. If Little Star Birth Services sounds like the midwife for you, check more out here.

 

The Physician and Midwife Collaborative Practice

If you’re in need of a practice with many convenient office locations, Physicians and Midwives might be the right place for you with five offices across Northern Virginia. Although the practice does have physicians and nurse practitioners, you will find many midwives among their ranks. At Physicians and Midwives, “we understand that our patients are time sensitive and our office hours and locations are in place to stress convenience.” The midwives here are Certified Nurse Midwives and have at least an undergraduate degree in nursing and midwifery. You can find all the info about Physicians and Midwives at this link.

 

Premier Birth Center Chantilly

Premier Birth Center is another great option for Northern Virginia midwives. Clinical Director and Founder Kim Pekin has been practicing as a licensed midwife since 2009. Her history with midwifery is extensive, to include co-founding NOVA Natural Birth Center and her own home birth practice Birth Outside the Box. Premier Birth Center opened in Winchester and has since grown to include their Chantilly location. With a large number of midwives and variety of birthing options, you’ll definitely want to check them out to see if they are the right fit for you and your baby.

 

Northern Virginia Midwives

 

Thanks for checking out this blog about Northern Virginia midwives, and I hope it has helped you move in the right direction to choosing some of the people you want on your birth team to make your birth experience the best it can possibly be.

 

Since you are looking at Northern Virginia midwives, I’d love to chat with you about your maternity and newborn photography needs! Click this link to start the conversation!

 

Looking for more Northern Virginia maternity content? Check out these blogs below!

• Choosing the Best Northern Virginia OB/GYN for Your Pregnancy
• 2 Beautiful Birthing Centers in Northern Virginia Moms Need to Know About
• Why Momease Is An Incredible Resource During Pregnancy