Looking for a homebirth midwife in Seacoast/Merrimack NH

[mimismom]

I need a midwife that will do prenatals at home, preferably NON medical background (as in - de midwife, apprentice trained), and hands-off. I am having my 5th child, by this time I know what I'm doing but dh is insisting on a mw. Thanks for any help. I live in Nottingham, btw, so seacoast/merrimack area.

As a bonus if you know any peds that don't mind partial vax, I am sick of how disgusting the Exeter Ped office always is. Clean would be good.

[treehugger75]

I don't have any direct experience with her, but someone I know recently had a homebirth with Cilia Bannenberg out of Barrington and said she was wonderful.

I'm planning on a homebirth and am seeing Jeanne Browne at Concord Birth and Wellness Center. I don't know if she does prenatals at your home though, I think it's just at her office, as far as I know it'd just be a visit to your home a few weeks before the birth and a post-partum home visit. She's wonderful, though! I'm seeing her because I got some amazing recommendations from friends who've recently had homebirths with her and she also accepts insurance - which was a biggie for us.

Good luck and congrats!

[EmpoweringBirth]

Check out http://www.nhmidwives.org/find.html to help point you in the right direction.

-Annie

[mimismom]

I know you don't know me but if I pm you my email address do you think you could ask your friend to contact me about Cilia Bannenberg? I don't know anyone else who has used her and would like a personal recommendation. I have realized that "wonderful" means different things to different people.

Someone should really update NH Midwives. I have contacted at least two midwives there who are no longer practicing, one of whom doesn't answer emails and another who stopped taking clients years ago.

[treehugger75]

I emailed her to see if she's willing to give a recommendation, feel free to pm me your email and I'll pass it along to her.

[Jan Andrea]

Hi! I'm not on Mothering.com very often (I hang out mostly at The BabyWearer) but I've had three homebirths with Cilia, and I love her I have even considered going into midwifery when my kids are older and apprenticing with her. YMMV and personalities will vary, but I've always found her very knowledgeable, friendly, and receptive to my needs, as long as I make the effort to communicate them with her. I don't know if she'll make housecalls for prenatals -- maybe if there were a little extra compensation for her travel time? I never asked her about that -- but she is very hands-off when asked. I wanted minimal interference with my last two births, and she was quite happy to fade into the background until I needed her for something. She was trained in the Netherlands as a direct entry, lay midwife, rather than in a strictly medical setting (as in the US).

I'm also the webmistress for the NHMA site, and all I can tell you is that I can work only with the information I'm given. If you can email me at [e-mail] with the midwives who are no longer practicing, I will update the site as best I can; I think that many of them are only peripherally aware of the website, so when they stop practicing, it's not really on their radar to email me and have me remove them from the listings. I'd love to have the site be really up to date, but it all depends on them letting me know what's going on

[EmpoweringBirth]

I'm not sure who you are referring to with the need for the NH Midwives site to be updated. To my knowledge it is updated, with the slight exception that although Carol Leonard is listed she only occassionally takes on a client, though she remains listed because of the occasional client she is willing to take on and the fact that she is still licenced and an active midwive for the state of NH.

If you are aware of others who are no longer practicing midwives I'd be happy to make sure the right person becomes aware of it so it can be changed.

That being said, I have personally found the NH Midwives site to be accurate and a great benefit.

I hope your search has been successful and you find the perfect midwive for you. A homebirth is a wonderful experience.

-Annie

[EmpoweringBirth]

Jan it looks like you and I were writing at the same time!

I think you do a great job with the website and I appreciate the resource of it.

There is only one slight issue that I have ever experienced with it which it sounds like you became aware of today through another email contact I have.

Keep up the good work.

[swiesz]

As far as the midwife I would call Jeanne Browne she assisted in 2 of my births. The first with carol leonard at her former birth center and the second at my home. As for the pediatrician we go to dr hodges at coastal pediatrics in portsmouth (very close to Pease) and we do no vax and he is fine with it.

[pcasylum]

I also recommend Jeanne Browne at Concord Birth and Wellness Center. She does homebirths and birthing center births and insurance will pay for either. She is FANTASTIC. I had 2 children with her. I cannot recommend her enough - awesome midwife! :

www.concordbirthcenter.com

228-8710 - Concord Birth and Wellness Center