Midwifery services

  • A natural childbirth
  • Access to a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit staffed by expert neonatologists
  • Active participation in deciding your birth plan, labor and delivery preferences
  • An on-call nurse-midwife and an on-call physician
  • Delayed cord clamping
  • Intermittent monitoring with freedom to walk, eat and drink while in labor
  • Options for comfort, pain management and relief beyond epidurals
  • Prenatal classes covering breastfeeding, bonding and parenting
  • Suites with private showers afterdelivery
  • Support to keep your baby with you to include skin-to-skin “kangaroo care”
  • Trial of labor after caesarean (TOLAC)

Is Natural Childbirth Right for You?
If you are seeking a childbirth experience that is compassionate, holistic, and personalized, midwifery is for you. Each of our credentialed Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) take great pride in providing a personal touch, spending quality time with you throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond.

Our team of midwives is unique because we offer the comfort and control of a birthing center, as well as the peace of mind of having specialized OB/GYN physicians available, if needed.

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed healthcare practitioners educated both in nursing and in midwifery, and certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. CNMs can provide all aspects of women's healthcare for women of childbearing age, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, postnatal care, gynecological exams, disease prevention, preconception and family planning.

Certified nurse-midwifery provides complementary care to more traditional medical options and an alternative to the routine OB experience. At St. Joseph's, our focus is on giving you the tools and education you need to help your body do what comes naturally. If you seek an empowering and uniquely personal childbirth experience, nurse-midwifery may be for you. Midwives provide a personal touch, spending additional time with patients both during prenatal care and labor and delivery.

An overwhelming majority of women are able to deliver their babies with no complications or interventions. However, there are situations that can arise during your pregnancy that will require a specialist for evaluation and treatment. High-risk care and resources are available within minutes in case of emergency.

An overwhelming majority of women are able to deliver their babies with no complications or interventions. However, there are situations that can arise during your pregnancy that will require a specialist for evaluation and treatment. High-risk care and resources are available within minutes in case of emergency.

Absolutely not. We will do all we can to help you have the birth experience you desire. We will help you during labor with proven techniques that have helped thousands of women have a natural childbirth. If you would like an epidural or other type of pain medication, we will support your decision and continue to care for you during your labor and delivery.

Yes. If you desire a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), St. Joseph's midwives are in a unique position to provide you this opportunity. Because St. Joseph's has 24-hour coverage by attending OB/GYNs and anesthesiologists, we are a destination hospital for women who desire to have a VBAC.