Back Home Midwifery

10/05/2026

Important questions to ask your Midwife before hiring her.

“What’s your transfer rate?” is probably one of the most common questions families ask when interviewing a midwife. However, I think what that question often actually translates to is: “When will you risk me out of your care, even if everything with me and my baby is clinically normal?” Because a transfer rate by itself really doesn’t answer that.

A midwife could have a low transfer rate but very narrow parameters for who she’ll take on in the first place. Another could have a higher transfer rate because she attends a broader range of situations. The number doesn’t tell you much without knowing the circumstances behind it.

So, I think the better questions are: What are your parameters? What situations are outside of your comfort or scope? And what circumstances would cause you to recommend transfer when mom and baby are otherwise clinically well? Would you attend breech? Twins? VBAC? What happens after 42 weeks? What if membranes have been ruptured for an extended period without signs of infection? Are there tests or interventions I’m required to agree to in order to stay in your care?

And those answers aren’t necessarily a reflection of a “good” or “bad” midwife. Some midwives have parameters dictated by state regulations or licensure. Some simply practice more conservatively or closer to standard obstetric guidelines, and there are absolutely families who want that. There really is a midwife for everyone.

The goal isn’t to find the midwife with the fewest boundaries. It’s to know what those boundaries are before you hire her, and decide whether her philosophy, scope, and risk tolerance align with yours. Because finding out at 38, 40, or 42 weeks that something you’re comfortable with automatically risks you out of your midwife’s care is a very different conversation than having it during the initial interview.

09/08/2026

Off to Japan!!! I’ll be back and refreshed in 2 weeks.

09/02/2026

It has been two years since I started this practice. I am taking a much-needed vacation for the month of September and will be in Japan with my daughter and son.

08/30/2026

This is why “routine” growth ultrasounds can be harmful. Many times practicing evidence based care supports less intervention! This ultrasound can cause so much fear and is used as a tool for induction without any benefits for baby.

This was a large study (21,743 births) done in England, where they did routine ultrasounds for growth at 36 weeks. This ultrasound is actually not good at predicting larger babies and leads to less people attempting labor, increased induction rates, higher vacuum assisted birth, increased cesarean birth before and during labor, and increased injury to the birthing person. All of this, and there was no benefit to baby. 

Just having the “label” of a larger baby (>90%) led to a lot of negative outcomes, even when compared to babies who were actually larger. In other words, the intervention of having an ultrasound and being labeled was more a risk than having an actual big baby. 

https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2826%2900195-X/fulltext?fbclid=IwdGRjcAUA9dhwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNfPqXxlOTrswbCs0e5ouMLrbmckCWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6VgiIkd8guwRlBaIxXtnr6yehQFpOfGeyjnrtQnVJsMXeJeDsIxi-ChE7PbQ_aem_yTYtmOTsBtU5BdPFTZMXqg

08/28/2026

The final postpartum visit is always so incredibly bittersweet. I had one of those visits today, and this beautiful family brought me the most gorgeous flowers as a thank you.

The end of postpartum care is a transition for both the family and the midwife. For months, our lives have been intertwined. We have shared something incredibly deep and meaningful together, and then suddenly, our regular visits come to an end.

Every family I care for leaves a little piece of themselves in my heart. It is one of the most special parts of being a midwife.

I am also so thankful that our relationships don’t have to end at that final postpartum visit. I love hosting playgroups and meetups throughout the year so I can continue to see these families, watch their babies grow, and celebrate all the new seasons of life alongside them.

Being your midwife is such an incredible privilege, and I never take it for granted.

08/27/2026

My social media content is changing.

08/01/2026

I can’t tell you how many people brace themselves for when I do a fundal assessment. They are waiting for an excruciatingly painful experience because that’s what it was like in the hospital. No consent, and not trauma informed. 

Fundal massage, also known as uterine massage, is often performed as a routine procedure after birth, but research shows it does little to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and can be painful for many. On today's replay episode of the EBB Podcast, nurse, community educator, and advocate Barbie Christianson joins Dr. Rebecca Dekker to talk about the myths surrounding this common postpartum procedure and how it connects to broader patterns of obstetric violence in maternity care.

Barbie explains the difference between a fundal assessment, a routine massage, and the massage used to treat active postpartum hemorrhage, and walks through what the evidence actually shows about each approach. She also shares trauma-informed scripts that nurses and providers can use to explain what they are doing and obtain informed consent, even in urgent, fast moving situations. Learn how unit culture, staffing, and fear based practice patterns can affect whether an unnecessary intervention becomes the default standard of care, and how to speak up and advocate for respectful care.

🎧 Listen now to the Evidence Based Birth® Podcast - REPLAY: EBB 267 – Debunking Myths about Fundal Massage with Barbie Christianson, RN

ebbirth.com/267

Link in our bio. 🔗

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07/29/2026

Due to the prediction of rain, we are moving this to Wednesday, August 5!

07/26/2026

Back Home Midwifery families are welcome to join us for some blueberry picking! This Wednesday from 10 to 12 at Sand Flats Orchards in Fonda.

07/12/2026

Homegrown playgroup at Cook Park in Colonie Saturday July 18 from 10 to 12. https://facebook.com/events/s/homegrown-playgroup/27168700412830604/