Services
Solid Ground Midwifery is proud to provide home birth midwifery care to families throughout Central Massachusetts, Eastern Massachusetts, the North Shore, Southern New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Seacoast.
I regularly attend births in:
Massachusetts: Worcester, Leominster, Fitchburg, Marlborough, Concord, Lexington, Waltham, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Gloucester, Beverly, Salem, Newburyport, and surrounding communities.
New Hampshire: Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Dover, Portsmouth, Exeter, Keene and nearby towns.
Home birth
One of the most important aspects of the Midwifery Model of Care is the trusting relationship built around continuity of care, centered on you and your family's unique needs and desires. It takes time to build that and choosing a home birth midwife means you will have plenty of one-on-one time!
What’s Included
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Your initial visit is typically 90 minutes. We will review your medical history, including menstrual cycle patterns, your current pregnancy, any past pregnancies, births, and lactation history, I will offer a physical, we will listen to baby's heart, and explore any questions you bring!
All following prenatal visits typically last an hour. We will monitor your vitals and baby's heart, go over any questions or concerns you may have, explore the emotional stretching that happens right alongside the physical, discuss your testing options, draw and review labs when appropriate, and share community resources in an effort to build a strong circle of support as you grow your family.
The standard schedule of prenatal visits is:
Monthly visits until 28 weeks
Bi-monthly visits 28-36 weeks
Weekly visits until 36-41 weeks
Bi-weekly visits after 41 weeks
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I go on-call for your labor at 37 weeks. As labor begins and throughout early labor we will be in close contact. I will join you in your home to offer support and monitoring of you and babe as you step into active labor.
During labor we monitor your vitals as well as listen to baby's heart to be sure you are both healthy throughout the labor and birth process. I bring fully stocked birth bags, equipment and medications to handle emergencies, knowledge and skills that deepen with each family I serve, and deep reverence for you, your babe, your family, and the birth journey.
As you get near to pushing I will call in a 2nd midwife to assist. We will stay no less than 2 hours, but typically 3-4, after birth. In that time we will make sure nursing gets off to a solid start, examine the (incredible) placenta, perform a thorough newborn exam, check your vitals, assess for any tearing and offer a repair if appropriate, make sure you are able to urinate, we'll tidy up, get everyone fed and nestled into bed.
Just as prenatal care is catered to each individual's unique needs and desires, the way in which I show up for you in labor will always be guided by what you are needing in each moment.
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If I *had* to pick 1 area where home birth care really shines, I would have to say postpartum care is it! No having to get yourself and your babe out of the house, or even the bed!
I come to you and babe at: 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 6 weeks after birth to assess both you and baby. In hospital-based postpartum care the birthing person is most often seen just once, 6 weeks after the birth.)
We will discuss any questions or concerns that have come up, assess both your and baby's health, offer support with any latch/feeding issues, discuss expected infant development, and continue to explore the logistical and emotional changes that bringing a human into the world opens up.
Frequently Asked Questions
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My service area includes: Central Massachusetts, Eastern Massachusetts, the North Shore, Southern New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Seacoast.
I regularly attend births in:
Massachusetts: Worcester, Leominster, Fitchburg, Marlborough, Concord, Lexington, Waltham, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Gloucester, Beverly, Salem, Newburyport, and surrounding communities.
New Hampshire: Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Dover, Portsmouth, Exeter, Keene and nearby towns.If you’re unsure whether your location is within my service area, please reach out—I’m always happy to talk about your options and travel possibilities.
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While there certainly are all kinds of fluids involved in the birth process we are careful about keeping your home clean! We bring supplies to protect your furniture and home, we start a load of laundry and clean up before leaving.
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Midwives train regularly in managing certain complications at home and knowing when to transport to a hospital. I carry the necessary equipment and medications to address the most common complications. If a transfer to the hospital happens I stay with you offering support and communicating with hospital staff. My goal is to help people have a safe birth; if signs show up that staying at home may not be the safer option, we change plans.
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Yes! I provide a professional grade birth tub to all of my clients who desire.
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I offer all routine prenatal labs. I can order ultrasounds at community clinics and hospitals.
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While home birth cost significantly less than what a low-intervention hospital birth would cost, I am intimately aware that the out of pocket cost can be a barrier to access for many families. I am committed to making home birth care accessible to those who desire it.
I offer a sliding scale for those who face *financial hardship. Please do not hesitate to ask about how to make care accessible for you. Every person deserves to have full access to the kind of care they need and desire.
I offer a package fee of $6,000.00 for folks desiring all care to be done in the comfort of their own home. I offer a discounted rate for folks who come to my home office for prenatal visits.
Care includes:
all prenatal visits
lending library
direct access to me via phone and email from the time of hire through 6 weeks postpartum
I am on-call for your birth from 37 weeks on
labor and birth support and monitoring
immediate postpartum and newborn care, we stay a minimum of 2 hours after birth
access to water-birth tub
the birth assistant fee
routine postpartum visits in your home at days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 6 weeks
additional prenatal and postpartum visits as needed
routine labs
(does not include the cost of ultrasounds and non-routine labs, these are ordered out at local clinics and are often covered by your insurance)
*while most folks have to make sacrifices to pay for their home birth -eating out less often, foregoing a family vacation, picking up extra hours at work, etc. For some families paying for their home birth would present such a hardship that without community support it is simply not attainable. This is who the sliding scale is here for.
Doula support &
à la carte midwifery care
For those planning a hospital birth, and desiring experienced, knowledgeable birth doula support, or comprehensive in-home postpartum midwifery care.
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While home birth midwifery has a large part of my heart, doulaing is where my work began. Having an experienced, knowledgeable, compassionate advocate on your support team is priceless, especially when navigating birthing in a hospital system. I am thrilled to provide doula support to folks birthing in a hospital or birthing center within about an hours drive of Westford, MA.
Doula package includes:
2 prenatal visits in my home office to discuss your goals and hopes for birth
Help creating a birth plan
Help creating a plan for postpartum rest and support
Access to my lending library
Phone and email support from the time of hire until 4 weeks postpartum
In-person emotional, physical, and educational support in labor and for at least the first hour postpartum
Support with getting breastfeeding off to a good start
1 postpartum visit in your home to reflect on your birth experience
Doula support package fee is $2,000.00
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Having a hospital birth but intrigued by the postpartum support I offer as a midwife?
I am thrilled to offer postpartum care "a la carte" to support more families in having a restful postpartum period with attentive care for both babe and birthing person! We would get to know each other though a prenatal visit to create a postpartum plan for you and your family, and once your babe is here I will do postpartum visits in your home-caring for both you and your newborn. A comprehensive postpartum package includes:
Initial visit within 48 hours of birth or coming home from your place of birth. At this visit we can complete the 3 newborn screens if not already completed. We will take your baby's footprints on a keepsake birth certificate, and do a thorough exam for baby and parent. If breast/chest feeding, we will make sure you feel comfortable and confident with how that is going.
2nd visit between postpartum days 5-7
3rd visit between postpartum days 12-14
4th visit between 6-8 weeks postpartum, including a pap if due and desired. We review our care together, making sure you feel supported and resourced going forwards. I will give you a hard copy of all records and fax to your providers if desired.
Some folks want the entire package, while some may want to pick and choose which visits feel most supportive. I am happy to create a schedule with you. Just reach out!
Well body care & IUI
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Well body care in the comfort of your own home, or my home office for those who prefer.
Well body care is an important part of our long-term health and well-being. Unfortunately, many people put this part of healthcare off because it can be uncomfortable both physically and emotionally.
Before any physical exam, you will have plenty of time to ask any questions you may have, we will discuss your health history, and we will talk step by step through the exam before it takes place. Once we are ready for the exam we will take our time to make sure you are comfortable and ready, and you can place the speculum yourself if you prefer. Most importantly, you will know you are in control — and if you need to adjust anything, pause the exam, or stop the exam altogether, we can.
My ultimate goals are that you feel safe, in control, and comfortable.
Well Body Care options:
Pap test
Breast/chest exam
STI screening
Lab work
Review of contraceptive options
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Coming soon!
“In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.”
—Jon Kabat-Zinn