We know that finding a Birthing Center in New Hampshire that you love and trust is one of the most important decisions you make as an expecting mama. This is a monumental event in your life and where you decide to go for a birthing center can significantly impact your birth experience. At Kathleen Jablonski Photography, we believe in helping moms every step of the way and providing the most helpful information so they can navigate picking a NH Birthing Center.
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What is a Birthing Center?
If this is your first child, you may not even know what a birthing center is. Birth centers are healthcare facilities that provide a more home-like feel to them while still providing quality care to expecting parents. They will typically provide a holistic and nurturing environment for those families that are looking to bring their baby into the world in a more natural way. They focus on personalized care and supporting the body’s natural ability to give birth and stray from any medical interventions unless it is absolutely necessary.
Is a Birthing Center Right for you?
Every birthing person comes with different backgrounds, experiences, and desires when it comes to a birthing plan. If you are someone with a low-risk pregnancy and prefer a more holistic approach, looking into a birthing center in New Hampshire may be a good option for you. Many mothers find that a birthing center reduces anxiety by taking away the clinical feel that you would get through giving birth in a hospital. With a focus on reduced medical interventions, birthing centers are a great alternative for mothers looking to birth in a more natural way.
The Best Birthing Center in New Hampshire
The Birth Cottage has two locations in Milford and in Salem, NH and has been welcoming families through it’s doors since 2002. This is one of the only free-standing birthing centers New Hampshire has to offer and it is a lovely place to welcome your baby or babies into the world. Along with being a NH birthing center, The Birth Cottage also offers prenatal and postpartum care along with lactation services. Their kind team is devoted to providing a safe place for families to land during arguably the most transitional time in their lives.
The Birth Cottage Facilities
The Birth Cottage locations are freestanding facilities offering each birthing family a room with a private bathroom and a shared kitchenette. They each have two birthing suites equipped with everything to make a mother feel as cozy as she would at home. They also provide home-cooked meals for each of the families to help nourish their bodies after birth. If you’d like to schedule a tour to see the facilities, you can call them at: 603-673-6010 (Milford location) or 603-458-2955 (Salem location).
At Home Birth
The Birth Cottage also provides services for families that opting for a home birth instead of at this New Hampshire Birthing Center. This wonderful service is perfect for supporting families in Southern NH who want to have the full experience take place in the convenience of their own home. Their midwives will come into your home and provide labor support and guidance as well as monitor you and your baby’s well-being.
Waterbirth
Another nice thing about The Birth Cottage locations is that they offer the option for a waterbirth. They offer spacious birthing tubs for those choosing to give birth at The Birth Cottage as well as portable tubs for those choosing to birth at home. Waterbirth has shown to reduce anxiety and provide a calming and therapeutic way for mothers to bring new life into the world. Water births often provide pain relief and lowers high blood pressure for many mothers. If you are curious about the evidence behind this, check out Evidence Based Birth.
Insurance
Of course one of the many questions that come to mind when considering a birthing center in New Hampshire is if they take insurance. The Birth Cottage does take insurance include Medicaid and many others. They advise that you reach out to find out the specifics of your plan.
Preparing for Birth
It feels like so much information is thrown at you during the first months of pregnancy and it can feel very overwhelming. As you begin to form your birth plan, think about what the who, what, when, where, how questions to help guide you.
Who do you want in the birthing room with you? Your partner? Your mother? A doula? A photographer? (Check out our Newborn Portfolio!)
What kinds of things would make you feel most comfortable? A favorite robe? (we love this one). Visiting time with your other child to meet the baby?
When would you be most comfortable heading to the birthing center? Do you want to labor at home as much as possible?
Where in your home will do you feel safe laboring? Are you interested in spending time in the tub?
How do you plan on breastfeeding/chest feeding if that is something you choose to do? Bottles and breast? Pumping? Just breast? Ask about our Lactation home visits!
Although it can feel overwhelming with all the questions that come up, that is why it is nice to have the personalized attention from a midwife through the Birthing Cottage. They will go through the whole plan with you and hold your hand every step of the way.
As your NH Maternity Photographer, we want to help you with all of the big topics that come up in the months leading to your baby’s arrival. Check out this blog post which discusses the best places to get a Prenatal Massage in Manchester, NH!
Kathleen Jablonski Photography
Kathleen Jablonski Photography is a New Hampshire Newborn Photographer with a studio located in Manchester, NH. Providing a laid-back very candid feel, they will help take care of all the details surrounding your session so you can relax and enjoy the newest member of your family. They offer a Client Wardrobe stocked with beautiful dresses, shirts, and timeless outfits for your older children. When you arrive at the studio, hair and makeup artists will be waiting for you to make you feel like the gorgeous human you are. We know how hard this period of life can be so we create a session where all you need to do is show up and get pampered.
Learn more about the First Year Collective so you can have a session during every stage of your baby’s first year from pregnancy through the first birthday.
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