Labor & Birth

“Experiences have clearly shown that an approach which ‘de-medicalizes’ birth, restores dignity and humanity to the process of childbirth, and returns control to the mother is also the safest approach.”

Michel Odent, MD

Midwives are experts in normal, and view labor and birth as a normal life event–not a medical one. However, an excellent midwife also knows when something is not normal, and knows how to keep mom and baby safe to promote the best outcomes for both. We partner with you and your family to envision your ideal natural birth experience, supporting your choice to birth how and where you desire.

Birth Settings

At AMFW, we offer planned birth center birth, with the assurance that should you need a transfer to a hospital setting, our providers can continue to care for you after transfer, with the same supportive care you’ve experienced throughout your pregnancy.

• Birthing Center
  • The spacious, inviting comfort of the birth center offers the perfect background for your birth story. After so many appointments spent there with us throughout your pregnancy, it feels just like home.
• Hospital Birth
  • For a small percentage of our clients, unexpected complications arise during pregnancy and/or labor that ultimately make the hospital setting the safest choice of birth setting for mom or baby. In these cases, our CNMs have hospital privileges at nearby Medical City McKinney, to provide seamless transfer of birth settings and continuity of care in the hospital setting.

Birth Tools & Options

There are really just too many to put into words! But we’ll try to name a few:

• Water birth, with a variety of tub options
• Standing shower and shower chair
• Birth stools
• Birth balls and peanut balls
• Rebozos
• TENS unit
• Nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)
• IV pain medication

Hospital Transfers

Our CNMs have hospital privileges at nearby Medical City McKinney. They are able to provide seamless continuity of care across birth settings, and support for both natural birth and medicated birth in the hospital labor and delivery setting.

Come take a tour and see what our birth center has to offer!