According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, women who take advantage of midwife services have lower instances of infant mortality rates and a reduced risk of preterm birth. You'll find that working with a midwife gives you all of the control over the decisions you will face during pregnancy. Birthing at home with a midwife also tends to cost less than birthing in a hospital. Ensure that you have a good experience and make the most of your midwife's services with the help of these tips and tricks:

Keep a Daily Diary

Your midwife will depend on the information you give them about your mood, eating patterns, sleeping regimens, and ailments in order to provide you with proper prenatal care, so it's important that the information you provide is accurate. In order to ensure that nothing small yet important (like a bout of nausea after starting a new exercise routine) is overlooked when your midwife asks you about previous days' experiences, it's a good idea to keep a daily diary where you can record your progress at the end of the day.

This will give you something to refer back to when discussing your progress and symptoms with your midwife, and provide you with a neat keepsake that your child can look back on when they grow up.

Hold Family Meetings

It can be tough to keep everyone in your household on the same page when it comes to specific pregnancy practices that you and your midwife choose to use. For example if you have other children, they may not understand the concept of you needing alone time in the evening for meditation or to practice breathing techniques. And your spouse may not be comfortable with a natural technique you decide use to combat morning sickness.

Having a family meeting with your midwife once every couple of months is a great way to put minds at ease, ensure everyone understands the importance of your prenatal care methods, and give loved ones an opportunity to have their concerns addressed. Ask household members to write down their questions, concerns, and suggestions so you can provide the lists to your midwife before the meeting. This will give your midwife an opportunity to prepare literature and resources when applicable.

Schedule Some Time to Practice

Your midwife will probably give you some homework to complete between visits, such as practicing belly rubbing techniques and reading prenatal books or studies. Just because you intend to do the homework doesn't mean that it will actually get done unless you specifically schedule time for it in each of your days. Hang a calendar on the wall and schedule 30 minutes for personal time at least five days a week to hold yourself accountable for finishing your prenatal homework, and to ensure that everyone in the family knows when you'll be unavailable to them.

Designate a Distraction-Free Space

Designating a room or corner of your home as pregnancy space that nobody else in the household can use for their own purposes will give you an area free of distractions, clutter, and stress that's perfect for meeting with your midwife and spending alone time while practicing prenatal care techniques or learning about home birthing plans.

Your designated space should include a comfortable chair for yourself, a table that's adequate for holding a laptop, snacks, and something to drink, and sufficient lighting that minimizes eye strain while you read. If you are setting up your space in a corner, hang thin curtains or tapestries to create walls around the space. You can draw the curtains back against the walls to open the space up, or close them to create a cozy little den.

Most midwives are more than happy to provide you with support, tools, and resources that will help you implement these tips and tricks into your lifestyle. For more information on midwife services, check out a site like http://www.whallc.com.

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