Gig Harbor Midwifery

02/07/2022

Drumroll please...we waited long enough...our 2021 statistics. 2021 felt like such a slog that it was difficult to take a close look at our statistics, but they're actually not that bad at all. Quick recap - 8% intrapartum transfer rate, 3% cesarean rate when entering labor in our care.

96 individuals entered care with due dates in 2021.

17 had spontaneous miscarriages following their intake appointments, a rate of 18%. This is about 2x greater than previous years; this number is based on due date, so many of these happened in 2020, and we have not noticed any direct link with either covid infection or vaccination. Also note that these are entries to care, so people who had an initial visit with us at least - lots of variables there regarding who enters care at what point in pregnancy. As a wide generalization, about 20% of pregnancies discovered at 4w result in spontaneous miscarriage - our number is usually lower because people enter care later than 4 weeks.

3 had non-medical transfers (preferring another provider or moving out of our practice radius).

9 transferred to hospital care for medical indications. One of these babies was a perfect boy born still following a cord accident prior to labor, the day after his due date

12/27/2021

Snow day!! If you have an appointment scheduled today or tomorrow, we'll be in touch to reschedule.

Midwife Katlyn is on call this week and comfortable driving in this weather, if any more babies are ready to come (one snowstorm arrival already early this morning!).

I hope you all are enjoying the snow as much as my family is!

10/08/2021

This is great! In Washington state, where midwives and our clients interface well with hospitals and higher-risk care providers, our clients are as safe at home as they are in birth centers. We've been saying this for a long time and it's good to get some actual statistics.

One of the most common questions we get at consultations is "but what if we have a complication or an emergency during our birth?" We want you to have a safe birth, and that does sometimes mean involving obstetricians, maternal-fetal-medicine specialists, neonatologists, and other higher level care. Those resources and care providers are there if we need them. But most of the time - like 95% of the time - you will give birth where you plan to, without major complications. Those that don't deliver where they planned to can still get the care they need to stay safe, it just means some coordination with other providers in our community who are able to do higher risk or surgical deliveries.

In the state of Washington, a planned home birth with a licensed midwife is just as safe as a birth at a licensed birth centre.

04/27/2021

01/22/2021

Families love to play the "how big is baby going to be" game! Luckily for pregnant people everywhere, how "big" or "small" your belly looks has little to do with how big or small baby is. Two clients who look vastly different on the outside can have the same fundal height measurements and carry the same size baby.

Midwives Niki and Brandy are both good at estimating baby's weight in the last weeks of pregnancy (although once baby is out and we're looking them over, Brandy wins the baby weight guessing game hands down). There are a handful of studies that have been done showing that experienced providers are as good or better than ultrasound technology in estimating baby weights.

When I estimate baby's weight in utero, I like to place a hand on baby's back, wobble their bum and their head, and imagine how hefty that baby might be.

Families also love looking at our baby announcement wall and noticing the range of weights. I am frequently asked what our average is, and have usually vaguely answered "probably somewhere around 8lb or a little more," but yesterday I finally went ahead and calculated it! 8lb 0oz in 2019, and 8lb 3oz in 2020. The smallest baby in those two years was 5lb 7oz, and the largest was a tie with two babies weighing in at 10lb 7oz, born within days of one another.

(Also, why do we always want to compare babies to fruit and vegetables? Anyone who has felt a pregnant belly knows that babies are quite a bit more lumpy than fruit.)

01/08/2021

Oh 2020, what a year! Here are our stats:

50 clients reached term in Gig Harbor Midwifery care.
1 transferred prior to labor onset for medical reasons.

We had zero intrapartum (during labor) transfers!
We had one postpartum transfer for newborn breathing issues.

NO cesarean sections among our clients this year!

36 babies were born at home
13 babies were born at The Birthing Inn in Tacoma

10 were first babies
40 were second or more babies for their families

3 births were successful VBACs at home

Of clients who enrolled initially in care at GHM, there were 50 who reached term, 2 who had spontaneous miscarriages (there were additional miscarriages, but we did not count them in our numbers if the client hadn't yet been in for an initial visit), 2 who transferred by choice (one moved, another wanted a different provider), and one medically indicated transfer of care.

We're looking forward to being able to get together and take a group picture at the end of 2021. For now our waiting room is always empty and we're definitely missing the impromptu playdates in the clinic.

03/26/2020

PSA - stress can delay your period. Keep calm, give your body a couple of extra days, and if you need a test we provide them for free (please make an appointment), or the following places are still open as of 3/26/20 and providing free or very inexpensive testing:

Planned Parenthood (all local locations, hours have changed, check their website)

Community Health Clinics (https://www.commhealth.org/services/womens-health-services/free-pregnancy-tests/)

CareNet clinics (these are anti-abortion clinics, they will provide a free test but be warned that they will not accurately provide information about your options)

Dollar store tests are perfectly good ones, too!

Please comment with more resources if you know of them.

03/25/2020

Are you considering staying home or utilizing a freestanding birth center for your upcoming birth? I have some information on my website for people who are newly considering that option and aren't familiar with midwifery care or out of hospital birth:

https://www.gigharbormidwifery.com/late-transfers-1

Additional information about changes in policy and practice here: https://www.gigharbormidwifery.com/covid19

If you're within an hour of Gig Harbor, give me a call or email and we can talk about your options. I'm happy to take late transfers and able to accept most insurance (including Apple Health and Pregnancy Medical plans).

03/12/2020

Are you pregnant and worried about exposure at the hospital, or upset about new hospital rules regarding who can be present to support you in labor? Consider switching to midwifery care and planning a home or birth center birth. Call or message today to schedule a video chat and discuss the possibility of a transfer - it's never too late to change your plans!

www.gigharbormidwifery.com

01/03/2020

Announcing baby Norah, born 31 minutes into the new year!

Born at The Birthing Inn in Tacoma, 7lb 14oz. Thanks for the awesome New Years Eve party, baby Norah!

01/03/2020

2019 was a fantastic year for us and for our clients!

48 people began labor in our care this year.

3 of them (6.25%) transferred to the hospital during labor; two for pain management during lengthy labors, and one for prolonged membrane rupture.

1 of the above 3 (2% of our clients) had a cesarean section.

2 of them intended to give birth at The Birthing Inn, but delivered at home instead due to speedy labors.

We had no postpartum transfers.

This year 94% of clients starting labor in our care successfully and safely gave birth outside the hospital!

12/30/2019

Look at all those babies! 2019 has been a great year. I'll have some statistics for everyone in a couple of days after we've made sure no more babies find their way out before the deadline!

Glowing love and thanks to the ladies who helped me make this year the best yet - Brandy Stuart, Katlyn Carter, and Angie Hotz Doula.

05/08/2019

I'm looking for a new student! An ideal candidate would live within 45 minutes of my clinic in Gig Harbor, be enrolled in an accredited midwifery school, and be in the observe or assist phase of their education. In the next year we should average 5 births per month. We are a two student practice and generally students are able to alternate being on call. This student position is open beginning next month. If you're interested please email to midwifeniki@gmail.com and we'll talk!

04/04/2019

Need a car seat upgrade? I have a couple of nearly expired ones I’ll be trading in. I know a lot of families use car seats through multiple kids; now’s a good time to check those expiration dates or see if you need to bump them up to a seat with a higher height or weight limit.

Aw, the good old days of Toys R Us and their epic car seat trade-in events... I miss them but I know Target has got our backs. Target's Car Seat Trade-In E

03/30/2019

Come say hi at the Peninsula Birth and Baby Expo, today 10-5 at the Marvin Williams Recreation Center in Bremerton :)

02/10/2019

Snow day! Here we go again :). Tomorrow, Monday the 11th, there will be no clinic at Gig Harbor Midwifery. As always, I'll be there (AWD and snow chains and all, if needed) for labors and problem visits.

02/04/2019

Good morning everyone! Due to icy road conditions and power outages, the Gig Harbor Midwifery clinic will be closed today. We follow the Peninsula School District's lead and close (or start late) when they do and there may be more closed days later this week if the forecasts are correct. Stay safe and warm, and if you have an appointment today I'll get a hold of you to reschedule. As always, we'll be available for your birth regardless of the weather.

01/10/2019

There are so many things to love about being a midwife, but my favorite moments are hearing first heartbeats, and being present for these amazing first meetings.

Every single birth that I attend is uniquely special. It's one of my core practice beliefs that pregnancy and childbirth are simultaneously the most normal and most extraordinary things about being human beings.

Photo by Ashley Grimes - consider hiring a professional photographer for your birth if you want these moments captured the way this family did!