02/03/2026
Tricks of the trade from Midwifery Today:
What is your philosophy of prenatal care?
Relationship skills save more lives than anything else.
—Tara Workman-Tulley
Invite discussion about body (physical sensations), mind (questions, education), and spirit/heart (relationship transformation, self-discovery, dreams). Using that framework creates a habit in clients of checking in on their heart—not just their body.
—Margie Wallis
Take plenty of time to get to know the woman and learn what's important to her. Often after many months the woman can open her heart and talk about her deepest fears and wishes. It is so important to deal with emotional stuff before the birth. I share a lot about my life, too, as this helps build a trusting relationship, which is so useful, especially when things don't go according to plan.
—Joy Horner
Trust is built with two-way communication. This is opposite of what we are often taught in midwifery school. They teach boundaries.
—Jan Tritten
Take time—enough time to do the clinical things and then more so she feels safe to start talking/asking things. Get to know her, along with doing basic health screening.
—Sharon Hodges-rust
Spend time listening and "hanging out" at prenatals. Get to know them as a person; let them get to know you, too.
—Helen Eggertsen
Health education, i.e., nutrition, physical exercises, pregnancy and childbirth ... etc.
—Kezaabu Edwidge
Getting to know each other well is what is important.
—Ollie Anne Hamilton
Informed choice, i.e., ask but never tell.
—Samantha Rouse
I have the luxury of getting to do my care in their homes, so I really get to know where they are coming from. Keeping appointment unhurried so they have plenty of time to talk builds the relationship.
—PJ Jacobsen
My perspective starts out with offering different terminology and definitions and delineating responsibility and authority. Not a set of lists and instructions, but nurturing curiosity and discovery—which leads to trust and enthusiasm. My emphasis is not so much on preparation, but anticipation.
—Baba Hartley
Home visits are mandatory, as well as office visits. You learn so much about the family by being in their house with them. Do they sit together on the couch. or apart from each other? I used to have a bag of fake food (containers with weight that looked like food) that I'd ask to put in the fridge during the visit. When you open the fridge, you learn a lot about what they really eat (or even have there to eat). How are the kids? Taking the time to do home visits and being very observant is essential. Also, you do not want to try to get to a house in the middle of the night without having been there a few times!
—Lisa Patch Goldstein
I think it needs to include comprehensive childbirth education, so the family knows what is in their control. It helps them take responsibility in an informed manner. Prenatal care is not magic, and the care provider cannot hold the sole responsibility.
—Amy Vater Haas
It's not the beginning of the approach, but I cannot believe how many people do not have any idea of what "informed consent" is. So, helping people to understand that, not only for this pregnancy but throughout their lives, is so important. People comment on how different it is to have to learn to make decisions in the medical field, instead of being told what to do.
—Ellie Allyn
Long visits.
—Gail Hart
Listening, even when we can't do long visits in a busy hospital service. Offering options: asking them how they visualize/imagine their birth. Caring for the whole family or support partner, kids—whoever she brings with her to the appointments—and making sure they are included and their questions or concerns are addressed.
—Carissa Scanlan
Mama-led visits and emphasis on the birth of a family. Mama/daddy/baby support!
—Celesta Rannisi
Relationship. It rocks. I love getting to know my clients and their kids and whoever else is in their lives. We've had prenatal visits where we clean houses, play hat-day or cops-and-robbers with the kids. Some days we encourage or deliver food when times are tough; sometimes we act like midwives and do midwife stuff. We pray for them and usually maintain a relationship even after the baby. I much prefer visits in their home over the office. They are more relaxed. I love it when the kids say, “Ya' wanna' see my room?” We get lots of tours.
—Mary Bernabe
Obviously, the basics: blood pressure, urine dip, fundal height, fetal heart tones, asking about fetal movement, checking for swelling.
—Elizabeth Baer
Client-centered care: listening, reflecting, encouraging, changing the negative stories, and co-creating. A deep and healthy relationship with your midwife does influence the birth outcome!
—Shiela VanDerveer
For me, prenatal care is 10% physical care—how is our child developing and how is our mother responding physically to the work of growing a new human? And 90% is helping Mama feel safe, strong and able.
—Windi Maraszka
Listening. It's so important to both know your clients and to really listen, if they are feeling anything like pressure or pain or worry.
—Patsy Harman
Energy of relationship to build the trust.
—Ari Fatun
Loving women—letting them know they are heard, safe and protected in my practice—followed by the physical care of the woman. Building strong, healthy relationships.
—Eudine Stevens
Trust between our clients and us. We hold the vortex open. They need to walk through.
—Miriam Medicine Prayer
Test the urine, retest the urine, test it again. Proper nutrition counseling, a plant-based, high-protein diet—ask what the family favorite holiday recipes are, what the woman giving birth's personal favorites are, find plant-based high-protein alternatives. High blood pressure is a huge threat to pregnant women and babies-to-be and can largely be prevented with proper diet and exercise. Ask the expectant woman what sports she enjoyed as a child/teenager, find safe ways for her to exercise whilst pregnant. Find opportunities for singing/painting/sculpting—favorite music/dance/yoga lowers blood pressure. Open throat/open cervix. (Pamela Hunt, senior midwife at The Farm)
—Ann Noviello
Listen, include the family, encourage questions, show them where to validate the answers so that they are the ones in control. Admit when you don't know something but look for answers together.
Susan DiNatale
Preventive care that applies to their whole life. If I've got them for nine months I'm going to try and change their lifelong health.
—Sam Evans
My goal is to create powerful families and even more lovingly powerful mamas.
—Pat Burrell
