PHILOSOPHY

Birth Works!  When left alone, birth will happily result in a healthy mother and baby most of the time by far.  The more we intervene in the intricacies and in the wide variation of what is normal birth, the more it becomes troubled and unhealthy.  Women give birth from deep within themselves, using all of their personal power and resources.  That power is your own to discover and exercise.  Although we have knowledge and resources dealing with birth, we cannot implement them for you.  We can only suggest and support.

You are embarking on a profound journey.  You must clear the way and open up the possibility of anything and everything, known and unknown.  You must establish a controlled zone of safety for your experience and then drop control. You must be ready to yield and surrender to power of labor, and to launch into a mystery and adventure from which you will emerge changed in ways you never imagined before.

For most women, childbirth is extremely intense, even painful.  We believe that labor pain can be a useful, productive, valuable, and sometimes troublesome friend.  Giving birth taps women into a long, courageous and strong lineage of our ancestors.  Facing, bearing, and transcending labor pain can be a transforming experience.  Tremendous numbers of women love labor, speaking of the fantastic rewards that labor has brought them.  Even those women who don’t like labor, find it to be richly rewarding.

What your birth experience is depends largely on what you have created as individuals, as partners, and as families.  Your choice must come through educating yourselves, recognizing and discussing your personal needs and situation, and through having courage of your convictions.  You must be able to stand by your choice, and your chosen caregivers, in order to give birth with greatest ease.

We are firmly convinced that giving birth out of a hospital is a reasonable and responsible choice for most women.  We will do everything in our power to protect the health and joy of your experience.  We must work together to be as clear and open as possible with each other about our perceptions and needs.  We look forward to a growing relationship of mutual respect and trust.