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

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.

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.

***

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.’”

***

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.

Article: Sterile water injections in labor

By Tanya Waters, CNM

Lindsey Dix and David Carter of Middlebury pose with their baby who was born on Mother’s Day. Above the family is a prayer flag a friend made Lindsey. It includes the words of encouragement, like “expand,” “trust,” “joy,” “protected,” “journey,” “connection” and “release.”

Some women experience the discomfort of contractions during labor in their lower back. There are a number of ways to help ease or manage this discomfort, including the use of massage, heat, counter pressure, relaxation breathing and the water tub or shower. If these things don’t work or women want another non-medical option then we can offer to do sterile water injections.

These injections are done with a tiny needle and involve injecting a very small amount of pure, sterile water in four locations on the lower back right under the skin. It may seem like this is an unusual way of helping with back pain, but six randomized controlled research trials have found that they do significantly relieve back pain in labor for up to two hours.

A recent Gifford patient, Lindsey Dix of Montpelier had her second baby on Mother's Day this year. She found that, unlike her first labor, this time she had a lot of back pain with and between her contractions. “It felt like I wasn’t getting a break between contractions,” Lindsey said. Gifford Certified Nurse Midwife Amie Kennedy offered to do sterile water injections. Lindsey said she was skeptical but was willing to try.

“It really stung when she did them,” Lindsey told me the next day, “but then, after that, I definitely noticed a remarkable difference.” She says it was well worth the few seconds of stinging when she got the sterile water injections because they worked so well. “They made it so that I could reconnect with my baby during my labor and my contractions felt much easier to handle.”

Sterile water injections can be done by any of the certified nurse midwives with the help of a Birthing Center registered nurse. We wash off the skin on your lower back and try to do at least two of the injections at one time. They begin to work quickly and can be repeated after they wear off. Their only side effect is the stinging you feel when they go in and for the first minute after they are in. They don’t change your ability to move around, use the tub or involve any side effects for your baby.

If you are interested in sterile water injections or any other options that we provide at Gifford’s Birthing Center, please call or make an appointment to talk with us. You can reach us at (802) 728-2401 or (802) 728-2257.

Centering

Gifford is introducing a new and proven method of prenatal care. CenteringPregnancy is beginning at Gifford. 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 CenteringPregnancy 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

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

Family care providers

Car seat safety: Call Bonnie at (802) 728-2257 or Sadie at (802) 728-2420

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.