Birthing Center and prenatal care
For more than 30 years, Gifford's Birthing Center has been the standard of care for women in Vermont, and today continues to be a leader in family-centered care, obstetrics and midwifery.
Our history
In 1977, Gifford Medical Center took a leadership role
among Vermont hospitals and opened the first birthing
center of its kind in the state and even in New England. A pioneering alternative to traditional delivery rooms, the
Birthing Center became widely known - and widely sought out - as a warm, personal environment
where women’s 
preferences and families’ needs came first
and where childbirth could unfold naturally.
Bonnie Hervieux-Woodbury, Birthing Center director of nursing and a member of the staff for 20 years, is frequently asked why so many women (some driving hours) choose Gifford to have their baby.
“First and foremost, we believe that pregnancy, labor and birth are natural events in a woman’s life,” Bonnie answers. “With that
basic premise in mind, we work together – obstetricians, pediatricians, nurse midwives, general practitioners and staff nurses – to ensure that women
and their partners are informed, educated, supported and included in all decisions
regarding their care.
“It is rare to find such a diverse group of individuals who to come together as a true team: professional, compassionate, skilled and committed to positive birthing
experiences.”
Our vision Comprehensive maternity care at Gifford Medical Center encompasses a true collaboration between midwives, physicians, nurses and the families they serve. It is based on the belief that pregnancy and birth are a normal lifeprocess. We seek to provide high quality care in a warm and nurturing environment that honors the needs of each woman and her family. In our experience, little intervention is required for most pregnancies; medical technologies are introduced when needed for more complex births. We practice within a health system, which allows for medical consultation, collaborative management or referral as indicated by the health status of the mother and her infant. Our ultimate goal is to provide a loving, supportive environment in which families can safely experience the miracle of birth. |
A leader today
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Today, the Gifford Birthing Center remains small in size, relaxed in atmosphere, and highly experienced in supporting and assisting women and families. Expectant parents can choose from our 24-hour team of certified nurse midwives, who are advanced practice nurses specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, or our three board-certified obstetricians/gynecologists. And while Gifford believes that childbirth is a natural process, a number of pain management options, including water therapy, pain medicine and intrathecals (spinal anesthesia) are available for those women who need or want them.
Read more about prenatal care from Gifford ob/gyn Dr. Gailyn Thomas >>
What patients say
The medical center, Birthing Center staff and midwives and obstetricians frequently hear from patients following their birth experience at Gifford. “We drove an hour to come to Gifford, and in retrospect I would have driven eight. My wishes were respected down to the smallest detail. We felt utterly blessed by the entire experience,” one mother wrote to us.
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Sarah Capron of Barre gave birth to Elias Carpenter, pictured below, on Jan. 9 in Gifford’s tub.
“It was amazing. The whole process, the water birth … that was great," says Sarah. "Everybody was always in such a good mood. It was amazing how quick there were to help and how friendly they were. Our midwife was incredible. The environment was great, and the food was really good.
“We really did love it. I tell everyone, ‘Just go to Gifford.’”
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Shelby Lambert gave birth to daughter Tessa on Jan. 10.
“They were really nice and very friendly, andthey definitely made me feel very much at home,” said Shelby of Randolph Center.
Shelby said she felt “sympathized with,” supported and comforted at every turn. “It was clear they don’t treat everybody the same. They go with your interests.”
Midwife Amanda Breed helped Shelby give birth. “I love her. I’m glad I had her. She held my hand and everything. She was very calm.”
And after Tessa’s birth, lactation consultant Nancy Clark helped Shelby with everything from breastfeeding to parenting tips to filling out paperwork. “She was amazing.”
Also “amazing,” said Shelby, is Gifford's food.
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Want to share your Gifford birth story with www.giffordmed.org viewers? For consideration, e-mail your success story to mystory@giffordmed.org.
Gifford Midwifery named 'best practice'
The American College of Nurse-Midwives has named Gifford Medical Center’s midwifery practice a “best” in the nation compared to its peers. The ACNM, a professional organization representing certified nurse-midwives in the United States, named Gifford “best practice” in the nation among small-size practices for having the highest success rate with vaginal births after cesareans and “runner-up best practice” for both lowest rates of low birth weight infants and operative vaginal births. Operative vaginal births means births using vacuum or forceps. The awards are based on 2010 benchmarking data from participating practices across the nation.
Gifford is home to six certified nurse-midwives and four ob/gyns who provide 24-hour birth care at the Randolph hospital’s renowned Birthing Center. Midwifery care is also provided at the Gifford Health Center at Berlin. Gifford Certified Nurse-Midwife Tanya Waters worked with the ACNM to provide benchmarking data for Gifford. “Midwifery is more than just taking care of families. It’s having a process in place where you can self-reflect and identify how you can do better. Participating in processes like these demonstrate our commitment to providing the best care we can,” Waters said. The results, she said, are indicative of Gifford’s philosophy and high standards for care. Providing vaginal births after cesareans is an example. “We continue doing VBACs when many other small institutions have stopped,” Waters said, explaining, “The institution has made a commitment to providing patients all of their safe options and that is one of them.” The results of the data can also be a tool for women and families looking for prenatal care. “We can help our perspective patients know more about us to help them decide that this is the best setting for them,” Waters said. |
Centering
Centering is prenatal care in a group setting. Women with similar due dates meet as a group with one of Gifford’s certified nurse midwives for two hours once or twice a month. There’s time for private physical assessments, snacks and socializing, discussing experiences and concerns, and meeting others from Gifford’s family care team, including obstetricians, pediatricians, dietitians and lactation consultants.
The program was first developed in the 1990s by certified nurse midwife Sharon Schindler Rising and has been shown to be a highly effective way to receive prenatal care. Centering provides patients more time with their midwives, a community of friends, an opportunity to actively participate in health decisions, plenty of time to discuss questions and an enjoyable, fun prenatal visit. According to one Centering participant, "The entire program was really tailored to the individual. We talked about everything from physical concerns to what we were feeling emotionally."
Call Gifford Ob/Gyn and Midwifery at 728-2401 to sign up.
Learn more about Centering at Gifford >>
Continuity of care
For some, the Gifford Birthing Center and our obstetrics and midwifery practice will be the location they travel during pregnancy and for the birth of their little miracle. For others, however, Gifford remains their hospital of choice following birth. For those individuals, Gifford offers amazing resources. Lactation consultation, car seat safety checks, infant CPR, a New Parents Group and more are offered following your baby's birth. Gifford also has an outstanding pediatric team and family care providers throughout the region; in fact, there are few like them, anywhere. They are skilled, experienced and compassionate. Together, these providers join our prenatal team to make up what we consider your family center here at Gifford.
Contact us
Birthing Center: (802) 728-2257
Gifford Ob/Gyn and Midwifery: (802) 728-2401
Ob/Gyns
Certified Nurse Midwives
- Alexandra "Kipp" Bovey, CNM
- Donna Butler, CNM
- Laureli Denique Morrow, CNM
- Kathryn M. Saunders, CNM
- Meghan Sperry, CNM
- Tanya Waters, CNM
Many patients travel great distances to give birth at Gifford. For the convenience of patients, prenatal midwifery care is also available at our Berlin health center, the Gifford Health Center at Berlin.
Pediatrics: (802) 728-2420
Pediatricians
- Louis DiNicola, MD
- William G. Gaidys, MD
- Elizabeth H. Jewett, MD
- David Pattison, MD, MPH
- Joseph Pelletier, MD
- Pamela S. Udomprasert, MD
Family medicine: (802) 728-2445
Family care providers
- Kenneth Borie, DO
- Sheri Brown, FNP-BC
- Marcus Coxon, MD
- Tammy M. Gerdes, PA-C
- Jonna Goulding, MD
- Robert Kiess, MD
(Providers are in a variety of locations. Click on each name for information on the provider, including contact information.)
Lactation consultation, childbirth classes and New Parents Group: (802) 728-2274
Above are some Gifford babies whose moms are participating in the New Parents Group. See more photos of the New Parents Group >>
Visiting a patient in the Birthing Center? Visiting hours accommodate patients' wishes.