Jessica Collins

Laboring in your own environment encourages the natural birthing process. Sources of stress in a hospital environment, such as lack of control over the temperature, lighting, sounds, and people who are present, disappear in a home environment. And as an added benefit, there is no exposure to hospital bacteria and other germs to mom or baby, decreasing the chance of infection/illness. You are in a space where you inherently feel safe rather than one you associate with illness, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, and smells and only those you have chosen in attendance. At home, you are able to move about how you wish during labor, eat and drink as desired, and deliver in the position most comfortable for you. Laboring/delivering in a birth pool (complimentary provided by Two Heartbeats Midwifery) is also an option.`You can surround yourself with anyone you wish to be present or seek solitude. Children can be involved if desired, sharing in the sacred moment of birth. Being at home also enables you to have agency over your own body. Feeling that security in one's own bodily autonomy (knowing you will only be touched with consent, that you will be honored and respected as the primary authority over your body and birth) generally facilitates the progression of natural birth. In contrast, in a hospital environment, it can often feel like hospital protocol trumps the needs and desires of the birthing family.

Unlike in the hospital, you do not have to fear your baby being separated from you. From the moment of birth, we place your baby right on your chest, where they remain for as long as you wish. On the rare occasion when we need to step in to provide neonatal assistance, we are trained to perform our tasks with the baby on you or next to you. You can enjoy this very special bonding time in the quiet, privacy, and unhurried atmosphere of your own home. After birth you get to enjoy the bliss of being tucked into the comfort of your own bed as you and your loved ones bond with your newborn. Protecting these early hours promotes a good foundation for nursing and allows you and your baby time to bond. We will assist you with breastfeeding as needed and we will perform a thorough newborn examination at your bedside with assistance of your loved ones if they so wish.

We never do routine medications, routine IVs, episiotomies, forceps or vacuums, and c-sections. We always practice delayed cord clamping, offer perineal support if requested, and physiological (natural) management of the third stage (placenta delivery). Our care is rooted in a genuine conviction that pregnancy and birth are normal life events. Pregnancy is not a disease, and birth is not a medical emergency. As midwives we are consistently screening you (with your informed consent) throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery. This continuous screening and risk assessment is what makes midwifery care safe. We use the wisdom of the ancient practice of midwifery alongside the evidence and technology of modern medicine to support the natural physiologic process of childbirth while protecting the safety of you and your baby. As your midwives we will follow your progress, support you throughout your labor as much or as little as you wish, as well as monitor fetal heart tones and vitals. We prioritize your comfort throughout our care, work in tandem with your needs, and trust your personal intuition along with our own. We see our work as midwives to be as much about knowing when to “not do” as much as it is what to do. So much of our job is simply being present to bear witness to the strength and capabilities of the person giving birth as well as provide support and reassurance, interceding only when truly necessary.

All your visits will be exclusively with your midwife and last anywhere from 45 min-1 hr which allows for the time and space for a relationship based in trust and respect to develop. Our prenatal visits are as much about monitoring the physical health of you and your baby as they are about your emotional and spiritual well-being. We discuss in depth any questions, hopes, concerns, and any testing/treatment options relevant to your pregnancy, labor & birth. We will take time to educate you before labor on common complications and interventions, presenting you with the pros and cons of each without influencing you either way. Our prenatal care focuses on educating and empowering you before your birthing day so that you can make your own informed choices every step of the way. By the time you go to labor, we know you, your family, and what is important to you. Likewise, you can feel secure in the knowledge that a person who knows you, your family, and what is important to you will care for you during the birth. This is very different than in many hospital practices, where you will see a variety of care providers throughout your pregnancy, have a very limited time with them, all the while not even knowing who will attend your birth until you are in labor. In addition to this we encourage our clients to call any time day or night if they have an urgent concern with their body or with their baby. They can also reach out with less urgent questions between appointments. This type of individualized support is one of the many elements of midwifery care that is far superior to what is offered through the hospital care system.

We offer Home Births in Davis, Weber, Salt Lake, Wasatch, Utah, Morgan County UT & Evanston WY. All services (prenatal, classes, birth, postpartum) are done in the comfort of your own home!