Midwifery Care

Services Available at CMS

Prenatal Services

Comprehensive Laboratory Testing, including all blood work, cultures, Pap smear and/or genetic screening you might desire
On-site ultrasound for dating, gender, anatomy scans and Biophysical Profiles
Regular prenatal appointments lasting 30-60 minutes, which allow plenty of time for questions and education, as well as vital checks for you and your baby

Labor and Birth Services

We offer Homebirth in Central and Southern Oklahoma, as well as Birth Center births at our Norman facility.
The midwife on call is available via phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Attendants at your birth will include at least one Certified Professional Midwife and a trained assistant.
We are also a teaching facility so there may be a student at your birth. You will have the opportunity to spend time with all of the assistants or students who may be an attendant at your birth.
Care during labor and immediate postpartum will consist of:
- - monitoring the mother (i.e. blood pressure, pulse, dilation & effacement via vaginal exam(s), emotional status, etc)
  - monitoring the baby (i.e. fetal heart tones, position and station via vaginal exams)
  - delivery of the placenta
  - postpartum monitoring for 2-6 hours (or as long as is necessary to assure both mom & baby are stable)
  - full newborn exam
  - prophylaxis antibiotic eye ointment and/or Vitamin K for your baby (based on your choices)
  - supporting the family unit during the birth process
We are trained to initiate emergency procedures and to stabilize mother or baby, according to our ability and available equipment
The midwives and assistants are certified in BLS and NRP (resuscitation of adult, child and newborn).
The midwife will alert the parents to any abnormal situation and offer them all options available.

If you transport to the hospital during labor, one attendant will remain with you until your baby is born or the situation is resolved. Typically, this will be a CMS Assistant. Our assistants are all birth doulas with additional training and certifications. This means they are trained to support women birthing in or out of the hospital. In the event that your baby is born in the hospital you will still have the full benefit of postpartum care by our team.

Postpartum Services

Your postpartum care will continue for 12 weeks, the full “4th trimester”.

Postpartum visits will be scheduled as follows:
- home visits between 24-48 hours and 3-5 days after your birth
- office visits at 2, 6, 9, and 12 weeks postpartum
- Available postpartum care consists of:
  - Pulse Oximetry CCHD Screening of the newborn
  - Newborn Metabolic Screening
  - Newborn Hearing Screening
  - Vitals checks of mom and baby
  - Breastfeeding support
  - Filing certificate of live birth with the Oklahoma State Health Department Vital Records

Our Responsibility as Midwives

To provide you the Prenatal Screenings and Risk Assessments of standard maternity care
To present you with Evidence-Based Education
To participate with you in Shared Decision-Making concerning your pregnancy and birth
To provide 24-hour access to a Midwife
To ensure you that we will provide care only within our Scope of Practice
To consult, collaborate and/or refer any client outside the midwifery scope of practice to the appropriate medical professional

Your Responsibility as a Client

It’s vital that you take responsibility for your health and that of your baby. The birth of your baby at our birth center or in your home is dependent on your health and maintaining a low-to-no-risk status.

Remaining low risk involves:

eating a healthy diet
moderate exercise
avoiding any substances that could harm your baby or endanger your health.

Families who choose an out of hospital birth with CMS are choosing shared decision making, in their prenatal, birth, and postpartum experience. We encourage you to become educated about the process of birth, as well as the risks and benefits of birth at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital.

Each client should commit to learning ways care for herself, while preparing for the natural childbirth she desires. We are prepared to discuss each of these topics with you at length, during your prenatal visits.

Communication between the client and the her team is very important. We will be open and honest with you and we expect the same in return. Our hour-long visits are designed to encourage clients to be relaxed, to question, and to share.

Please feel free to speak to us if you have any concerns regarding your physical or emotional health. The good news is there are usually solutions that are easy to implement! You will enjoy your pregnancy so much more as you develop the relationships with your caregivers. Also, your birth experience will be greatly enhanced if we are aware of your preferences and there are no lingering concerns or anxieties.

If you have any pre-existing conditions, such as cardiac disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc., you cannot be accepted as a client by CMS and you will be strongly advised not to attempt a birth outside the hospital. In the instance that you find yourself outside the scope of Midwifery care, we can direct you to a number of providers that are known to be supportive and respectful of birth choices.

Special Circumstances

In the Our Responsibility as your Midwives section, we have discussed the possibility of special circumstances that can occur requiring a transfer of care during pregnancy, labor, or postpartum.

CMS has an excellent plan of action in the event that you should need care by a physician or your baby should need extra attention. Please be aware that the midwives of Community Midwifery Services are members of the Oklahoma Midwives Alliance (OMA) and participate in confidential Peer Review through the OMA. Any special circumstances are shared with the OMA Peer Review Board. Clients who sign our Informed Consent document are giving permission for their birth to be included in this peer review process. Only Senior Midwives or active apprentices are allowed to attend peer review and all of the information shared is confidential & anonymous.

To contact the OMA PRB for any reason visit: oklahomamidwivesalliance.org