Prenatal, Labor, Birth, & Postpartum Care

Prental care

The transition to motherhood is an important experience unique to each woman. At East Dallas Birth & Wellness, the goal of prenatal care is to prepare women and families for this formative event in a safe, supportive environment. In addition to standard prenatal care, a woman receives individualized care, adapted to her own needs. All visits, labs, and sonograms can be performed in the comfort of the center.

Components of Prenatal Care:

  • Standard prenatal visit schedule and routine labs

  • Blood pressure, weight, fetal heart beat and growth assessments

  • Nutrition and exercise counseling

  • Labor and birth preparation

 

Labor and birth Care

At East Dallas Birth & Wellness, we honor the birth process as a normal, physiologic event requiring minimal interventions. Monitoring during labor is done safely and non-invasively to avoid interrupting the natural birthing process. Interventions are performed only if medically necessary. Women have the opportunity to move freely, eat and drink as desired, and use a variety of comfort measures, including soaking in a birthing tub. The woman is ultimately in control of her labor and birth.

Components of Labor & Birth:

  • Standard fetal heart rate and maternal assessments

  • Choice of movement, comfort measures, birth positions, and support team

  • Nutrition & hydration as desired

  • Waterbirth

  • Delayed cord clamping

  • Emergency equipment and medications available

 

immediate postpartum care

The moment immediately after birth is a special time for family bonding, as well as a time of monitoring a newborn’s transition to the new world. Routine assessments on the mother and newborn are performed with minimal interruption to the bonding process. Newborn bonding is fostered by promoting skin-to-skin contact and delaying newborn procedures. Once considered stable, the birth team will leave the home, usually 2-3 hours after birth, to allow the woman and her newborn to snuggle in their own bed and rest. The woman will have 24/7 access to the nurse-midwife for any questions or concerns.

Components of Immediate Postpartum Care:

  • Routine newborn and maternal assessments

  • Uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact

  • Comprehensive newborn exam

  • Delayed newborn procedures

  • Breastfeeding support and counseling

 

Postpartum care

Lots of change and adjustment, physically and emotionally, occurs in the postpartum period as mother, newborn, and family adjust to the new life. At East Dallas Birth & Wellness, we provide individualized postpartum care until 8 weeks, with 3 different scheduled visits: a 2-3 day home visit, a 2-3 week office visit, and a 6-8 week office visit. The frequent contact enables us to promote optimal health and healing in the woman.

Components of Postpartum Care:

  • Standard maternal assessments

  • Emotional support

  • Postpartum depression and anxiety screening

  • Breastfeeding support and counseling

  • Family planning

  • Annual exam, with pap smear if necessary

Photographs by Lawren Rose Photography