Archive
Birth Centers In and Around Portland, Oregon
Andaluz Waterbirth Centers
“Our midwives provide prenatal, birth and postpartum care, specializing in waterbirth. We attend to you in your home or one of our birthing centers. We provide well baby newborn care up to 6 weeks, and have a naturopathic doctor to provide care after 6 weeks. We have a beautiful large classroom where we offer classes prenatally and postpartum. Andaluz has an extended community for continued support. ”
Contact:
http://www.waterbirth.net/birth-center/
info@waterbirth.net
503-885-0228
Portland Center
3323 SW Naito Pkwy
Portland, OR 97239
Tualatin Center
19255 SW 65th Ave. ste. 220
Tualatin, OR 97062
Alma Birth Center
“Our Birth Center is a warm, inviting space to give birth to your baby. We will treat you with respect and kindness throughout your pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. Our center
combines the privacy and comfort of a homelike setting, with the reassurance and safety of knowing that clinical care and equipment are nearby. We are located in a lovely three-story house centrally located in Portland, Oregon. Our Birth Center has two spacious birthing suites each with its own built-in birthing tub and bathroom. There are many other rooms for visiting family, prenatal care, well-woman gynecology, meeting space for childbirth education and other classes, and a full size kitchen. Our Birth Center is licensed by the State of Oregon.”
Contact:
http://www.almamidwifery.com/birthcenter.html
midwives@almamidwifery.com
503.233.3001
1608 SE Ankeny St.
Portland, OR. 97214
Natural Childbirth & Family Clinic
“Our state-licensed birthing room aims to provide all the comforts of home; and then some! We have a large jetted tub where you can labor as much as you choose, and you can give birth in the tub as well. The tub is large enough for two adults and has easy access for family and friends to be close by, offering additional support to the birthing Mom. There is a lovely view into our garden stocked with roses and a plum tree (stop by in August for some plums!), and the room feels very private and safe.”
Contact:
http://naturalchildbirthclinic.com/
http://naturalchildbirthclinic.com/contact.pl (click for email form)
Phone: 503.252.8125
10360 N.E. Wasco St.
Portland, OR 97220
Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center
“At Bella Vie, our rooms are uniquely different and gorgeous, offering your family luxury, comfort and safety. Each private and spacious suite includes a state-of-the art birthing tub, approved by Waterbirth International, and medical equipment mindfully tucked away.
Your room will also include a queen-sized bed, perfect for snuggling with your newly formed family. For your entertainment and comfort, we offer stereos, televisions and DVD players. Our desire is to make you feel like you are in the comfort of your own home including all of the extras like plush towels, a variety of candles, and delicious meals.”
Contact:
http://www.gentlebirthcenter.com/
info@gentlebirthcenter.com
503-315-BABY (2229)
13160 Jerusalem Hill Road NW
Salem, Oregon 97304
Alameda Clinic and Birth Center
503.282.9222
3351 NE Broadway St
Portland, OR 97232
Sofia’s Birth
Hosted with permission:
Wednesday morning(April 18th) I had contractions that were so strong they hurt, though they would come regularly and then disappear for a while before returning. The doctor’s office told me to head to labor and delivery anyway and see if I had made progress. We got there around 1:30pm; they checked me and I was 4cm dilated. The doctor showed up and examined the printout of my contractions. He almost sent me home, saying they weren’t strong enough, but he didn’t like the way the baby’s heartrate looked during the contractions and decided to admit me and augment mylabor.
After I was taken to a delivery room they started the pitocin drip. I dilated to 10cm within about two hours and had really bad back labor. The anesthesiologist came and gave me my epidural. Eventually my doctor returned and they allowed me to start pushing. After about 2 hours of strong pushing and the baby coming down I still couldn’t get her out. She was turned slightly so that her forehead was against my pelvic bone, and she was stuck. Her heartrate dropped with every push and they finally decided to do a c-section. At around 7:20(I think?) I was taken to the operating room. I was pretty frightened and cried as they were wheeling me through the hall but I tried to suck it up and act like everything was fine. I didn’t want to be a wimp.
While they set everything up, the anesthesiologist held my hand and talked to me to put me at ease. He was so sweet. I was shaking like crazy from the epidural and fluids running through my body. They set up for surgery and then brought my husband in. He sat next to me and held my hand, and my eyes started to well up again. He wiped my tears and I squeezed his hand and felt better knowing he was right there. When it came time for the pinch test I could still feel it just enough that I was afraid I’d be in pain when they made the incision. I begged the anesthesiologist to turn up the epidural, and though he was hesitant because he wanted me to be alert enough to hold my baby, he finally gave me an additional medication in my IV that made me a bit foggy.
After the incision was made I could feel lots of tugging and pressure. It turns out baby was lodged quite firmly in my pelvis and they struggled a bit to get her out. After what seemed like an eternity I heard her cry- at 7:45 pm my daughter was born! They briefly brought her to my side of the curtain so I could see her… I remember thinking that she looked purple and that something was wrong, but the OR staff promised she was healthy and perfect! She had some bruising over her eye and cheek on the side of her face that was pressed into my pelvis, but this healed and faded away within the first week or two.
The recovery period from surgery was far from fun… I was incredibly sore between the normal post-birth cramping that occurs and the pain in my incision area. My husband had to help me shower the first two times because I seriously just wanted to curl up on the floor of the shower and cry.
Nursing was fine for the most part. My baby latched very well from the first time we tried to breastfeed, but my milk took a frustrating 5 days to fully come in and she was so ravenous and grumpy! When my milk did finally arrive it showed up in full force, and we were able to very successfully establish our nursing relationship. We battled a gnarly, painful thrush infection soon after going home because of the antibiotics from the surgery but it did eventually clear up. So nursing was initially a bit more of a challenge than with my firstborn (a vaginal birth) but we were able to get through it all just fine.
With regard to my hospital experience, I was (and still am) very disappointed that I ended up having a c-section but the hospital staff were wonderful and took fantastic care of me, my baby, and even my husband, who stayed overnight with us throughout our time there. Aside from my experience with my boneheaded doctor (a long story for another time), I felt like my family and I were in good hands during our stay at the hospital.
Midwives for Haiti
There are some local midwives planning on traveling to Haiti very soon to help out, and they are in need of funds, as well as supplies.
What is needed?
Everyday supplies
Clean Twin sized sheet sets (new/gently used)
Pillow cases
Washcloths
White cotton nightgowns
21 HP inkjet printer cartridges
Iron Supplements
Prenatal Vitamins (preferably with iron)
Ibuprofen & Tylenol (in sealed, new, non-expired packages)
Antacids
Newborn Onesies
Cloth diapers
Diaper Pins
Bars of Soap
Non-Sterile Gloves
Medical Supplies
Magnesium Sulphate
Pitocin
Misoprostol
Vitamin K
Novacaine
Umbilical Cord Tie and clamps
Sterile blades, stainless steel #10
Gloves
Soap, anti-bacterial
Povidone/Iodine prep solution
Headlamps
Alcohol Swabs BD 100
Doppler and ultrasound gel
Fetoscope
Blood pressure cuff (sphygmo)
Stethoscope
Headlamps
Tape Measure(60”)
Gestation wheel
Sterile gloves pair
Curved Kelly clamps
Blunt scissors pair
Episiotomy scissors (long/curved)
Needle holder
Ring forceps (sponge-holding)
Toothed (tissue) forceps
Metal box for instruments
Bulb syringe
Urinary catheter (disposable)
PayPal donations can be made through pamela.midwife@gmail.com and pcmidwife@gmail.com. Any amount can help.
Address to ship or drop off supplies to:
Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center
13160 Jerusalem Hill Rd NW
Salem, OR 97304
Bella Vie Fundraiser information
Silent auction to help raise money for a group of midwives from Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center who are going to Haiti with the Midwives for Haiti organization. There will be great auction items, desserts, music, and a giving tree.
Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Praise Assembly Church
189 Monmouth Ave N.
Monmouth, OR
Also, HERE is some information about donating breastmilk for babies in Haiti.
Writing again.
I definitely want to. I have been on a sort of hiatus all winter from writing about birth, though I have been reading and thinking. I just attended a lovely HBAC last week. Wonderful support all around, and it was so great to be apart of!
I have a lot of topics I want to write about – from milksharing to pelvic organ prolapse. I keep looking at all that I want to write about, and it feels daunting, but really, I think I just need to start doing it again, and it will all come together.
So, for now, I’ll leave you with the video I’m watching:
Birth story | Amelia’s Unassisted Birth
I wrote a month ago about my experience at my first unassisted birth, and I was given permission to post a link to Laura’s personal story of the birth of her daughter, Amelia, here. Definitely check it out! I love reading uplifting birth stories, and they helped me immensely when I was pregnant with Oliver.
HERE is her story 🙂
Welcome!
Hello, my name is Nicole Murray, and I am a birth doula. I serve families who are looking to have a great birth experience in the Portland area. I live in North Portland, and am happy to take on clients from all around (McMinnville, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Hillsboro, Vancouver & all other outlying areas).
Information regarding all my services and resources can be located through the tabs above.
I hope to hear from you!
Nicole
Zipadee Doula | Serving Portland, Oregon 