Oklahoma Midwives

Homebirth in Oklahoma is a safe option for families looking to birth in a gentle and holistic manner.

Midwives are a trained to manage pregnancy and birth, offer home birth, birth center births, and water births.

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Hands of Grace
Anne Coffee, TM
(405) 245-4440

• OKC Metro and Surrounding areas
• Home Birth Midwife
• Water Birth
  Learn More!

Special Delivery Midwifery Care
Ruth Cobb, CPM, CNM
(918) 477-9343

• Tulsa Homebirth
• Birthing Center
  Learn More!

Mosiac Midwifery
Phone:(405) 697-1432
Serving OKC & Surrounding areas. Learn More!

Tulsa Midwifery Group
Phone: (918) 344-0945
Serving Tulsa
Learn More!

Tulsa Birth Center
5750 E 31st St, Tulsa, OK 74135
(918) 932-8164
tulsabirthcenter.com

Choctaw Nation Health Care Center
Deborah A. Jarrett CNM
One Choctaw Way Talihina, OK 74571
(918) 567-7000
Visit website

Community Midwifery Services
2121 W Main St, Norman, OK 73069
(405) 271-5239
cms.com

Your midwife will offer a free consultation to you to see if you will work well together. There are many good options for midwives in Oklahoma. You should work hard to find the best midwife who best aligns with your philosophy for birth and for pregnancy care.

1. How long have you been a midwife?
   It's important to understand the level of experience your midwife has, and where she got her training.
2. What is your Birth philosophy?
   You should know what your midwife thinks about birth, and how she treats her clients. You can get a better idea of how she practices by asking this question.
3. What happens if I refuse a certain test or intervention?
   Midwives offer the same tests that Hospital OBs do. If you are a more natural minded person hoping for a more natural pregnancy care experience, it's good to know if your midwife is comfortable with informed consent, and refusal!
4. What happens if I go past my Due Date?
   Some midwives will not care for you if your pregnancy goes too far past your estimated due date. Others will recommend transfer of care for a medical induction. What are your midwife's boundaries in respect to post-dates pregnancies? What does the evidence show? What is your health history? What is your level of comfort and how does that match up with your midwife's level of comfort for care?
5. When do you show up during labor? How long will you stay?
   Each midwife has different protocols for care. Make sure her protocols match up with what you are needing in terms of midwifery support and care.
6. What type of things happen at birth?
   How will the midwife care for you? How does she monitor you and the baby? What other things might happen?
7. What happens if there is a complication? What complications have you handled and how?
   Birth is natural and safe, and planned home births have very good outcomes. But it's important to understand what happens if an emergency arises. How will your midwife care for you? Does she have a transport plan? Is she experienced facilitating easy, quick, and safe transports?
8. What does a transfer of care look like? What does a transport look like?
   It's good to know that your midwife will continue to care for you as long as you are safe, low risk, and healthy. What does a transfer of care during pregnancy look like? What does a transport look like during labor?
9. What about the mess?
   Birth is messy. There are lots of fluids, and gooey things that go along with labor and birth. How does your midwife handle messes?
10. Who can I have with me at birth?
    Does you midwife have reservations or restrictions about friends, family, or doulas at birth?
11. Who will you bring to the birth?
    Does the midwife have an assistant or a student that is following her to assist her with medical tasks? Are you comfortable and happy with this person?
12. What should I have on hand for the birth?
    Many midwives have birth kits that they require for birth. They are typically relatively inexpensive and contain things like chux pads, herbals, gloves, or other supplies that may be needed for a safe birth at home.
13. What do you bring with you?
    Does your midwife carry Oxygen, Herbals, Medications, Resuscitation Equipment? Is it important for your midwife to have these things on hand? What do the laws in our state say about these things for homebirth midwives?
14. If I hire you, do I need to hire an assistant or anyone else?
    Many area midwives require you to pay their fee in full, and hire an additional birth assistant for your birth. Some midwives require doulas for first time mothers. What does that additional expense look like, and does your midwife place restriction on who you can hire as an assistant?

Many people have the idea that if you hire a midwife you are "safe" and don't need a doula!

However, Doulas can be invaluable support at homebirths. Not only do we help to bridge the gaps in care at the hospital, but we can help you feel supported, educated, and completely prepared for your birth.

• We provide education.
  Whether it's your 1st baby or your 5th, it's always good to get a little education and information about birth. We offer a free 4 hour class that is the perfect refresher, or crash course for your homebirth. Your doulas will be in attendance and this is a good chance for you to get comfortable with your doula team. We will learn how to support you and your partner, and what you are expecting out of your birth experience.

• We provide a Handwoven Rebozo for prenatal, labor and postpartum support.
  Rebozos are amazing tools for comfort and connection during labor. During our four hour class with you, we will demo how to use the rebozo to prepare for birth. We also teach about optimal pushing for your body and your baby. Rebozo will help you to feel strong, supported, and comfortable during labor.

  And what's best? Your partner can use it with ease!

• Does a Doula Team take the place of my partner?
  Do textbooks take the place of your professor? No! They enhance your learning experience in the same way that doulas enhance your labor experience. We work hard to support your partner while they support you! 

• What we don't want to talk about...
  What happens if you need to transport during labor? Or if you develop a pregnancy complication that makes homebirth unsafe? Because doulas are not medical providers our role doesn't change, even if the place of birth does. In fact, if you are experiencing some kind of complication, your doula can help you stay calm and explain and ease the transport/transfer of care process.
• We get there before they do!
  Midwives need to manage their time wisely, as they have other clients, and need to make sure they have adequate rest to care for you in a medical capacity. Often times they do not arrive until active labor or thereafter.

  Our team of doulas work a shared call schedule to make sure that you are always taken care of and supported, and to make sure that you never end up with a back up. We will come as soon as you are needing help navigating labor or contractions.

  We help bridge the gap of physical, in-person support that your midwifery team may be unable to provide. We have less responsibility as a non medical provider and therefore all of our focus is on your emotional and physical comfort.

• Your comfort is our ONLY job.
  There is overlap between the goals and duties of a midwife and doula. But we don't need to spend time charting, getting vitals or heat tones, or watching out for your medical safety.

  Our sole job is to make sure that you and your partner feel well, supported, and educated during the process of labor.

• An extra pair of skilled, calm hands.
  We know birth. This is our full-time job. So we know what's going on, and what will happen next. We are a calming presence that helps you navigate the unknown changes of labor.

  And it is not uncommon for midwives to ask us to help out during birth and delivery. Midwives are amazing at knowing how to get babies out without medical intervention, but if they are managing your labor in a medical capacity, it can be difficult for them to perform certain tasks while keeping a good eye on you. (It could be as simple as turning a fan off, or getting cool or hot wash rags, or it could be as complicated as assisting in different position changes or rebozo techniques.)

  And although we are not professional photographers, we try and take pictures at the birth. So if it's not in the budget to hire an on call birth photographer we can, at your request, take pictures of labor and birth.

• Postpartum Support After Birth.
  If you give birth in the hospital you have a whole army of lactation consultants and nurses at the command of your "call button."

  At home it's a different story!
  Beautifully Connected offers support postpartum. We can support you those first few hours, or even days after you have a baby. We are skilled in looking for normal, helping with breastfeeding, and providing emotional support. Plus we love to do laundry, cook, and help with other kids and pets!

Here is a little more information about how the roles of a doula and a midwife might differ, and how we can both work to support our clients.

• Central Oklahoma Parenting Support Groups: 
  Find Support!
• Central Oklahoma Birth Trauma Support Group: 
  Share Your Story
• OKC Tourism: visitokc.com
• Things To Do in Oklahoma: Metro Family Magazine
• Restaurants in Oklahoma: visitok.com