As any pregnant person who has spent 5 minutes searching Google about baby-related advice knows, every question somehow has countless answers, and every choice you make for your baby feels significant. Perhaps one of the most consequential choices is what provider you choose for your prenatal care. This is why I’ve been working on a series about providers in the area to be a resource for you (more providers linked at the bottom of this post)! For low risk pregnancies, I believe great Boston midwives are an excellent choice!
About Boston Midwives
While a great obstetrician can be a fantastic asset in your pregnancy journey, midwives are often able to provide more personalized care. If you’re working with independent midwives (or midwives in independent practices), there’s a good chance that they take on fewer clients, as they have more control over the the number of pregnant clients they see at any given time. Boston midwives aim to empower women throughout the birthing process and to serve as their advocates. The right midwife will help ensure your birth experience can be as positive as possible!
Below are some of the best places in Boston to find the perfect midwife. I have included some home birth midwives as well as hospital-based practices (scroll down if you are looking for hospital midwives!), since I believe every pregnant person should be given the choice to birth wherever they feel safest.
Boston Home Birth Midwives
Birth Matters
Birth Matters is an inclusive midwifery group that works with families of all compositions to welcome their babies into the world. Founded in Boston in 2008, this practice combines traditional midwifery practices with modern knowledge to ensure your home birth is empowering and safe.
The group carefully limits how many deliveries they will accept each month (no more than 6-8, even with a team of 5 midwives). This allows these Boston midwives to prioritize you—building a trusting relationship—with prenatal visits that are all at least an hour long! Your midwife will tend to you throughout your entire pregnancy to ensure you are at your best. If an issue arises, they’re available at all hours of the day to answer your questions and address any potential emergencies.
When labor starts, they’ll be there to assist however they can. While they aim for a happy home birth, their top priority is your health and the health of your baby. The Birth Matters team is trained in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR and are able to handle any foreseeable danger (even if “handling” means accompanying a birthing client being transferred to a hospital in an emergency) to ensure successful delivery.
Birth Matters believes that birth is an event for the entire family. Younger siblings are encouraged to participate and are guided through that tricky transitional stage (although they advise you to have an adult available to look after the children’s needs since their focus is on keeping Mama safe). After delivery, they’ll clean everything, start laundry, and start a meal so you can recover and enjoy your precious newborn.
One of the things that they provide that most medical practices don’t is extensive postpartum followup; they’ll visit you at 1, 3, and 5 days postpartum in addition to 2-, 4-, and 6-week checkups. They’ll help evaluate not just your health but also your family’s emotional wellbeing and educate you on newborn care. I don’t know any other practice that offers such comprehensive postpartum care!
Roots Midwifery
I’m neither exaggerating nor sugar-coating when I say that the field of obstetrics in America has an abysmal record in caring for Black women. Black mothers and babies are statistically more likely to be ignored and face worse medical outcomes. Roots Midwifery is a midwifery practice committed to reforming this. Stephanie Johnson, the founder and primary midwife, is a descendent of generations of midwives.
She believes in empowering mothers with both cultural knowledge and modern technology. Roots primarily provides home births, but you can also opt for services for a hospital birth. With this Boston midwife on your side, you’ll have a powerful advocate during your delivery.
Roots Midwifery is committed to you even during the fourth trimester. They’ll schedule several visits to ensure you’re recovering and adapting to new motherhood. You can meet the entire midwife team and learn more about this incredible Boston practice here.
Nightingale Midwifery
Susanna Mauzy is a passionate midwife with nearly a decade of experience. She felt a calling to midwifery while taking a Women’s Studies course that discussed how little control mothers have over their birthing experience. Thus, she set out to make a difference in labor and delivery.
Susanna began Nightingale Midwifery to provide new mothers with evidence-based information and allow them to make their own choices regarding delivery. Susanna can assist with pregnancies and home births in Boston and within forty miles of Arlington, Massachusetts, and will be by your side during labor. She will ensure labor is progressing as needed.
She carries the tools necessary for any potential assistance, as well as herbs, local anesthesia, and medication to stop any bleeding. Susanna will visit you in the weeks following the birth to check on your and your baby’s health. Find out more about the process and read reviews here.
Boston Midwives for Hospital Births
Boston Medical Center Midwifery
While some midwives focus on home births, the Boston Medical Center midwives assist with deliveries within the hospital. All the midwives are Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), which means that they have a nursing degree as well as a master’s degree in women’s healthcare and understand the importance of a more holistic approach to labor and delivery.
The Boston midwives at BMC are especially helpful for newer mothers because they can devote more time and attention than a typical obstetrician. Any healthy mother with a low-risk pregnancy will benefit from their care! While they will empower you throughout your natural delivery, they’re also here if you want medication or epidurals to make the process a little more pain-free.
You can meet the team and see the statistics on how the midwives at Boston Medical improve your labor experience here.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital Midwifery
The midwives through Brigham and Women’s Hospital are Boston’s experts in all aspects of women’s healthcare. The team is passionate about empowering women when it comes to delivery, and they’ll work alongside you to develop a birth plan so you can make sure you’re ready when delivery starts. The practice has several locations in and around Boston and have an adolescent clinic at BMC for clients aged 21 and under.
One thing that sets this team apart is their dedication to every mother. With culturally sensitive training and multilingual team members, you are sure to be met with practitioners that are both knowledgeable and compassionate.
These Boston midwives continue to care for you after delivery, scheduling visits to ensure recovery is going just as expected. Are you worried about contraception after birth? The Brigham and Women’s Hospital midwives are prepared. Not only will they discuss options, but they are also licensed to prescribe birth control. With years in the business, these Boston midwives are a fantastic option for your family. Meet the midwives and find out more about the practice here.
Boston Midwives
The right Boston midwives can help make your pregnancy memorable for all the right reasons. It’s essential to take your time with this decision and choose the one you know will make you feel comfortable and empowered!
Once you book the perfect midwife, it’s time to find the right photographer! I love being there with my clients as they walk through one of life’s most precious chapters! Contact me today to discuss how to make your pregnancy a cherished memory for years to come. While you’re here, check out more Boston motherhood content with the blog links below.
