Home birth with Shelton
More women than ever are choosing midwives for their maternity care—and for good reason. Home birth is a safe, empowering option for low-risk pregnancies. Under the care of licensed midwives, families benefit from a personalized approach that includes options like water birth, freedom of movement, minimal interventions, and gentle, attentive monitoring. Mothers and babies experience the many advantages of the Midwifery Model of Care—all within the familiar and comforting surroundings of home.
Personalized Prenatal Care
​Shelton offers a deeply personalized and supportive experience that goes beyond standard care. Our hour-long visits give us the time to truly get to know each other and focus on your unique pregnancy needs. Together, we’ll explore topics like nutrition, exercise, emotional well-being, birth preparation, parenting, and breastfeeding.
We believe in offering natural and nutritional alternatives whenever possible to ease common pregnancy discomforts. When it comes to testing or interventions, we take the time to explain your options thoroughly, providing the information and space you need to make decisions that feel right for you.
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You are the central decision-maker in your care, and we’re here to guide and support you. Throughout your pregnancy, we’ll discuss your vision for birth, your specific needs, and your desires—helping you feel confident, prepared, and fully supported when your baby's birth day arrives.
During each prenatal visit, we monitor both your health and your baby’s well-being. This includes:
• Checking vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature).
• Monitoring baby’s growth through abdominal measurements.
• Listening to baby’s heartbeat with a doppler or fetoscope.
• Assessing your overall health through urine testing (if needed) and checking for signs of common pregnancy concerns.
• Reviewing lab work and ultrasounds (if applicable).
• Providing hands-on assessments and addressing any physical discomforts.
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A Joyful and Supportive Experience at Home
​Labor at home is all about freedom, comfort, and support. You’ll be encouraged to move around your home, try different positions, and find what feels best for your body. Whether you want to walk, dance, or relax in a warm birthtub, we’re there to guide and cheer you on. Many women enjoy sipping on water or juice and snacking to keep their energy up. We’ve supported births in all kinds of positions—standing, squatting, reclining, on a birth stool, in the water, and more—you’ll discover what works best for you!
At home, the focus stays on you, not machines. While we closely monitor you and your baby’s well-being throughout labor, we do so with a gentle, approach that prioritizes your comfort and safety.
When your baby arrives, they are welcomed with warmth and love— immediately on your chest for skin-to-skin bonding. Newborn exams are done right beside you when you’re ready, and we provide expert support for breastfeeding and postpartum recovery. We also tidy up your space, while you to relax and enjoy these precious first hours as a family.
Although complications are rare for our healthy, well-prepared clients, we are fully trained to handle emergencies and never hesitate to seek medical care when needed. In the rare event of a hospital transfer, we stay by your side—advocating for your wishes and offering continuous support through labor and birth.
Our goal is to provide a safe, empowering, and joyful birth experience while ensuring you and your baby are cared for every step of the way.
Nurturing Care for Your Fourth Trimester
Our support doesn’t end at birth—we continue to walk alongside you well into the fourth trimester, ensuring your family is thriving during this sacred time of transition. With in-home postpartum care, you can rest, heal, and bond with your baby without leaving the comfort of your home.
During our visits, we take the time to honor your birth experience, check in on your physical and emotional well-being, and provide gentle guidance for your recovery. We assess your baby’s health, monitor weight gain, and offer loving support with breastfeeding. Each visit includes nurturing postpartum care tailored to your needs, helping you feel strong, supported, and cared for.
We provide 2 to 3 home visits and up to 6 postpartum visits for you and your baby, ensuring that both of you are adjusting beautifully. At your final visit, we can also offer a pap smear if desired. And, of course, we are always just a phone call away for any urgent concerns.
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We will submit paperwork to register your baby's birth certificate.
You are not alone in this journey—we are here to support, nurture, and celebrate you every step of the way.
Midwives Model of Care™â€‹
The Midwives Model of Care™ is a fundamentally different approach to pregnancy and childbirth than contemporary obstetrics. Midwifery care is uniquely nurturing, hands-on care before, during, and after birth. Midwives are health care professionals specializing in pregnancy and childbirth who develop a trusting relationship with their clients, which results in confident, supported labor and birth. While there are different types of midwives practicing in various settings, all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns. The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events.
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The Midwives Model of Care includes:
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Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
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Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
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Minimizing technological interventions and
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Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this model has been proven to reduce to incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
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(Midwives Model of Care definition is Copyrighted © by the Midwifery Task Force, all rights reserved)