Oregon Traditional Birth

06/29/2026

06/24/2026

Because every family deserves options.

No matter how far from the city they live.

No matter how small the town.
No matter the politics.
No matter the religion.
No matter the race.
No matter the lack of birth options they may face.

Birth belongs everywhere.

06/22/2026

Why does labor stall?

Often it’s one of three things:

1️⃣ Baby needs more room to rotate.

2️⃣ Mom needs rest, hydration, or food.

3️⃣ Stress and adrenaline are interfering with oxytocin.

This is why movement, position changes, hydration, and support can make such a difference.

Birth is rarely just about stronger contractions.

It’s often about creating the conditions for labor to continue.

Your midwife should be able to sit on her hands, but also be aware of the conditions that surround her and ready to intervene when necessary.

02/26/2026

Postpartum bleeding is normal.

Hemorrhage is not.

The first hour after birth is one of the most important windows of care. While a mother holds her baby, midwives remain fully present.

Not anxious.
Not rushed.
But watchful.

Midwives are assessing:

• Uterine firmness
• Bleeding amount and pattern
• Maternal pulse and blood pressure
• Color and alertness
• Complete placental delivery

Most bodies respond well.
The uterus contracts.
Bleeding slows.

But experienced midwives know what normal looks like and recognize quickly when something shifts.

If bleeding increases or the uterus becomes soft, action happens immediately.

Hands support contraction.
Bladder is assessed.
Herbal or medical support is used when appropriate.
Emergency plans are ready if ever needed.

In rural communities, where hospitals may be 30+ minutes away, early recognition matters.

Traditional birth means supporting physiology first and responding quickly if physiology changes.

Calm room.
Clear head.
Skilled response. 🤍

02/26/2026

When a baby is born, the room often exhales.

There is relief.
There is emotion.
There is joy.

But skilled care does not stop at delivery.

The immediate postpartum period is one of the most critical windows in birth.

Most complications, if they occur, happen in the first hour after birth.

That is why while the room feels calm, assessment is ongoing.

Midwives are quietly evaluating:

• Uterine tone
• Amount and character of bleeding
• Placental separation
• Maternal blood pressure and pulse
• Perineal integrity
• Newborn respirations and tone
• Color and heart rate
• Temperature stability

Midwives protect the golden hour.

Skin to skin stays uninterrupted whenever possible.
Delayed cord clamping is supported.
Breastfeeding is encouraged naturally.

But protection of physiology does not mean absence of vigilance.

Midwives are watching.
Midwives are assessing.
Midwives are prepared to act if:

• Bleeding increases
• The uterus becomes boggy
• The newborn struggles to transition
• Maternal vital signs shift

Traditional birth honors that the body knows how to complete the process.

Clinical discernment ensures that if physiology changes, skilled providers respond immediately.

In rural communities especially, early recognition matters.

Calm environment.
Active assessment.
Prepared response.

The first minutes after birth are sacred.

They are also clinical.

And both can exist at the same time 🤍

02/24/2026

When people hear traditional birth, they picture candles, warm water, and a quiet room.

That’s part of it.

What they don’t see is the preparation behind the calm, especially when the nearest hospital is 30+ minutes away.

Rural birth changes the stakes.

Weather delays transport.
Power outages happen.
Resources are not five minutes down the road.

I’ve had babies born in driveways.
I’ve attended births during power outages.
One of my first introductions to birth was over 30 minutes from the hospital, and it shaped how seriously I take preparation.

Because of that, I have personally maintained a year long Life Flight membership, about $100 per year, and I have even had clients choose to do the same.

Not because we expect emergencies.

But because rural responsibility means planning ahead.

Inside a properly equipped birth bag you will find

• Doppler for fetal heart tones
• Manual blood pressure equipment
•IV Supplies
• Oxygen
• Neonatal resuscitation equipment
• Medications / herbs for hemorrhage
• Suturing supplies
• Emergency protocols
• Clear EMS contact plans

Most births unfold normally.

But if bleeding increases, a newborn needs support, or maternal status shifts, we act.

Traditional birth means trusting physiology.

Clinical readiness means preparing for variation.

In rural communities, you must have both 🌾🩺

Calm room.
Clear criteria.
Emergency readiness.
No ego.

Traditional birth.
Clinical discernment.
Rural responsibility.

“Feel your feet on the floor”
- Karen Strange

02/02/2026

Normal vs Emergency in Birth:

Not every deviation from textbook labor is an emergency.
Many things labeled urgent are often normal variations of physiology when properly assessed.

Long labors can be normal when mother and baby are coping well. Precipitous labors also happen and are usually more susceptible for needing postpartum intervention.

Meconium alone is not distress without other signs.

Position changes, pauses, and variable heart rate patterns require interpretation, not panic.

A true emergency is defined by patterns, not single findings.
Changes in vitals, tone, bleeding, consciousness, fetal response, or loss of compensation over time.

Skilled care means knowing when to stay calm and when to act fast.

Overtreatment creates risk just as much as delayed action.

Safety in birth is not about reacting first.
It is about recognizing what is normal, what is changing, and what truly requires intervention.

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