Homebirth Midwifery
Do you want to birth on your own terms,
but also want support and guidance?
Do you trust your body and the natural birth process
and you want an experienced midwife by your side?
Midwifery Care
I provide family-centered, mother-guided midwifery care that honors each family’s unique needs and values. Together, we work as a team to support the mother’s overall health and create a personalized prenatal care plan rooted in informed choice and trust.
My care is intentionally different from conventional, highly medicalized prenatal care. While I utilize standard prenatal testing and evidence-based observation methods, I also integrate my clinical expertise with traditional midwifery practices, herbalism, homeopathy, and holistic nutrition to support the whole woman.
Research shows that women experience better outcomes when they are supported, informed, and empowered in their choices. Every family in my care has access to a wide range of educational and community resources, including the Knowledge is Power birth prep course, my birth book library, printed materials, women’s circles, and a recommended providers list.
Drawing on my years of experience and sincere reverence for natural, physiological birth, I provide steady, compassionate support, holding space for mothers to birth with confidence, safety, and autonomy.
- Nikki Sunshine
Prenatal Care
I start working with families as soon as they find out they are pregnant —sometimes before if we are doing fertility support with me. We do between 6 and 14 prenatal appointments, depending on when we start care and how much support a particular family needs. As pregnancy progresses, appointments become more frequent.
Typically, prenatal appointments are:
Every 4 weeks until 28 weeks
Every other week until 36 weeks
Weekly until 41 weeks
Every other day until the birth
Prenatal care is conducted at my office in Hinsdale, NH, or in your home. Appointments are 45-90 minutes long, depending on how much support is needed on that particular day. You are welcome to include whoever you would like in your appointments, including children. I have toys, snacks, drinks, diapers, and anything else families may need at my office. Families in my care are encouraged to make themselves at home!
At every appointment after 12 weeks, I offer fetal heart tone monitoring with fetoscope or doppler, “baby mapping” by feeling the mother’s abdomen with my hands, and measuring the uterus to track the baby’s growth. I ask women questions about their diet, sleep, stress, emotional state, exercise, and any other relevant questions.
Some families feel they do not need as much support, especially if they already have many children. In these cases, we can create a custom prenatal care schedule that is perfect for their family!
I offer all of the standard prenatal testing:
Blood testing
Fetal genetic testing
Ultrasound anatomy scan
Urinalysis
Gestational diabetes testing
GBS testing
Birth Support
I provide on-call birth support for all families in my care. An assisting midwife is present at every birth to ensure ample support—especially during the immediate postpartum period when extra hands are invaluable! The assisting midwife attends at least one prenatal appointment beforehand, allowing the family to build familiarity with her prior to the birth.
During early labor, we communicate through text, phone, and video calls. This helps me provide support without arriving too early. I like to give the families in my care the space they need to progress through the sometimes long early hours of birth. The birth team arriving too early can sometimes disrupt the natural rhythm of birth, and I am mindful of giving families that space.
Once I arrive at the birth, I offer monitoring of both mother and baby through regular vital signs and fetal heart tone assessments. When appropriate, I can also provide supportive medical interventions, such as cervical examinations or IV fluids, to help promote safety and comfort throughout the labor and birth process.
Postpartum Care
The postpartum period is such sweet and special time for families! It is essential that ther mother and her baby have the time and space to bond to establish a breastfeeding relationship, help the mother balance her hormones, and even regulate postpartum bleeding!
Immediately after birth, I carefully assess the health of both mother and baby. Once it is clear that everyone is stable and thriving, I step back to allow uninterrupted bonding time, while remaining nearby to offer support as needed. During this time, I usually tidy the birth space or make a meal for the mother while the family is resting and settling in.
I remain in the family’s home for approximately 4 hours after the birth to continue monitoring mother and baby and to provide hands-on support, including assistance with breastfeeding. While nursing can come naturally for some, it can be challenging for others. Having breastfed my own babies, completed lactation training, and supported many women through breastfeeding, I offer knowledgeable guidance to help prevent or address common challenges. I do not leave until the parents feel confident, the mother has eaten and showered (if she wishes), and the baby has nursed well.
After I leave, I stay in close contact with the family through text, phone, or video calls to provide ongoing monitoring and support. I return at two days postpartum to assess the wellbeing of both mother and baby, including checking the baby’s weight and monitoring the mother’s bleeding and healing.
Postpartum support is so important, but it is often overlooked or done poorly. I help the families I serve create a postpartum support plan before the birth so meals, childcare, household chores, and rest for the mother is all taken care of beforehand.
I provide in-home postpartum visits for all families at:
2 days postpartum
4 days postpartum
1 week postpartum
2 weeks postpartum
4 weeks postpartum
6 weeks postpartum
Frequently Asked Questions
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My full package is $5,500. I can accept some forms of insurance and I offer payments plans.
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Yes, I have a birth pool that you can use. There is an extra charge for the birth pool supplies.
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Yes! These are situations when I will bring in a third midwife who is a CNM to ensure that we have plenty of assistance to ensure everyone is healthy and safe.
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It is quite common to go past your “due date”. In these situations, I will continues to monitor you and your baby’s health. We will also increase the frequency of visits.
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If there is a transfer to the hospital for any reason, I will go with the family to continue support. Since I am not employed by the hospital, I will act as a doula in this setting.
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I travel up to 2 hours away from my home in Hinsdale. There is a travel fee for families over 30 minutes away. This fee is waved by attending prenatal appointments at my office. Postpartum visits are always conducted in your home.
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Blood work and ultrasounds will be covered by your insurance or paid for out of pocket. I can can place orders for ultrasounds at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, or other local hospitals. I draw labs in my office and a courier will pick them up and deliver them to the lab for testing. Results usually come in within a week.
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You can decline any tests or procedures you do not want. I will give you my professional opinion and provide you with educational resources so you can make an informed decision.
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Yes, I do not require cervical exams during labor.
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Every woman in my care will receive a guide to preventing tears and healing tears naturally. Many times tears will heal naturally without any suturing. Occasionally, I will recommend sutures if it is a deep tear. I am trained to repair tears and I have topical pain medication available. I will assess the healing process during postpartum visits.
Book an interview!
Book a free call to learn more about midwifery care!