- Woman-centered, family inclusive care
- Privacy and security of a familiar environment
- Choice of and comfort with care providers
- Freedom of movement & position during labor & delivery
- Water Birth
- No arbitrary timelines to dictate progress of birth
- Non-pharmaceutical forms of pain management and promotion of labor progress
- Individualized attention & continuity of care
- Reduction of unnecessary interventions and cesarean delivery
- Uninterrupted bonding between baby and parents
Joscelyn believes that in the home environment, women can receive the full benefit of the Midwives Model of Care™ which she utilizes. The model includes:
- Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- Minimizing technological interventions
- Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention (©1996-2007 Midwifery Task Force, All Rights Reserved)
Midwifery + Birth at Home = Normal Birth
Because their specialty is normal birth, midwives are trained in unique practices to maintain normal birth using non-pharmacological methods to assist labor progress and pain management. As a result, low-risk births attended by a midwife in the home environment have far lower rates of technological interventions, use of drugs, cesarean delivery and higher maternal and family satisfaction, while the rates of morbidity and mortality are the same as for low-risk counter-parts in the hospital.
To read more about the safety of birth at home and the efficacy of the care provided by the Certified Professional Midwives in North America, read the article published in the British Medical Journal, or check out this fact sheet that summarizes the findings of the study. To read more scientific research done on the safety of out-of-hospital birth, click here for a resource page of research articles on home birth.
Understanding the Value & Safety of Low Risk Delivery in the Home
The professional education and training of midwives provides them expertise in normal pregnancy, birth, and their variations. Midwives are trained to recognize the early signs of conditions that are not “normal”, including medical conditions or complications that may occasionally arise during pregnancy or the birth process. If the conditions that arise are not within her scope of practice, she will help families access the appropriate level of care. During the prenatal process, Joscelyn will explain how she will handle the unexpected or respond to the rare emergency so families have a thorough understanding of the full scope of their care.
During the birth process she will carefully monitor the fetal heart tones as well as the vitals of the mom to monitor the progression of normal low-risk labor and delivery. Joscelyn is certified in neonatal resuscitation and carries oxygen as well as anti-hemorrhagic pharmaceutical drugs. Joscelyn practices by the Medical Board of California’s Standard of Care for Licensed Midwives.
To read more about these standards, click:: Standards of Care.pdf
When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, we knew very little about home birth. We, like most people, wondered if it was safe. Through a series of events, we ended up meeting with Joscelyn Flowers just to see what home birth and midwifery was all about. She quickly answered all our questions and quieted all our fears and concerns. After one meeting with her, we knew without a doubt what we kind of birth we wanted. Having a home birth and working with Joscelyn was one of the best decisions we ever made. She was caring, compassionate, and extremely patient. We never felt rushed in our appointments and we always walked away feeling confident in her abilities and encouraged by her wisdom. My pregnancy wasn’t without its complications but she would work with me tirelessly until a solution was found. I have never experienced such quality of care before. She is such an easy and comfortable person to have around that by our six week postpartum check up she had become to feel like another member of our family. Were it not for Joscelyn’s caring and gentle spirit and wealth of knowledge walking with us every step of the way, I know without a doubt, my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum time would not have been such positive experiences. My husband and I are now strong advocates for home birth, midwifery and, most especially, Joscelyn Flowers.
- Jennifer, Jeff & baby Lilian June
I am happy and honored to have had Joscelyn as our midwife. I knew when I first met her that she was the perfect fit for our family. She is extremely knowledgeable and professional and yet so warm and caring as well. I had some issues with my pregnancy that Joscelyn really helped us through with her wisdom and recommendations. I always felt she was there for me and available when I needed her. Although my water broke and I went into preterm labor at 34 weeks, Joscelyn came immediately and stayed with us until well after our baby girl was born. Her support and care was amazing and I am so thankful for her presence. I am also so happy that she came to our home for the postpartum visits. I had so many fears and concerns that she so calmly addressed and she helped ease my transition in such a nurturing way.
Joscelyn goes above and beyond in loving service as a midwife. I cannot recommend her highly enough. My older daughter who is 7 also really took to her and we were all sad at the 6 week postpartum visit that we wouldn't be seeing her as often anymore. She is a true wise woman and healer.
- Angela, Emiliano, Anais and baby Isla Naemi
Joscelyn is an incredible midwife – she’s knowledgeable, experienced, caring, tender, and she has a strong and reliable intuition. Throughout our prenatal care we were repeatedly and pleasantly surprised with the wealth of information that she carries in her brain – she met every question or topic of discussion that we posed with a host of facts and references to research projects. It is extremely comforting to have such a well-informed care provider! She supported us through the pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum period with, loving guidance, encouraging us to make careful, educated decisions all along the way. Her calm presence at the birth gave us the confidence we needed to stay present and engaged in the process. We are eternally grateful to her!
- Courtney, Qadir, Adam, and baby Aliyah Grace
A home birth was new in my family but not a foreign idea. Heather and I immediately knew that we would have a home birth, there was no decision making process. The same can be said for who our midwife would be. Throughout the prenatal visits, home visits, and occasional speed bumps, we never wavered in our belief in you. Joscelyn’s compassion and care are sincere and heartfelt. The homebirth decision often raises eyebrows even in Santa Cruz, we always have nothing but positive things to say about the entire homebirth community that we discovered together. Joscelyn’s follow-up care after the birth was exceptional, Heather felt at ease and loved every minute of the way. We look forward to including her in family events for years to come and are pulling for her all the way. We are so thankful for all her love and care, I am fairly certain that in a few years we will invite her over begin the whole process over again!
- James, Heather & baby Sienna Rose
We had expected to have another uneventful pregnancy, well, things don't always go as expected. But Joscelyn was there every step of the way providing amazing wisdom, support, and guidance. Our home birth for our third child in the end was a wonderful experience and we could not have asked for a more caring midwife. And Joscelyn really goes above and beyond for post-partum care. Even though it was a fairly easy labor and delivery, we really appreciated her coming to check up on us and making sure all of us were doing well.
- Jenny, Dennis Amelia, Vello and baby Elli Shin
We interviewed Joscelyn late in my pregnancy (at 28 weeks) because we were still undecided about choosing a homebirth (This was our 3rd child, but 1st homebirth as well as 1st natural childbirth). We were somewhat nervous as we continued to explore this idea until we met Joscelyn. We were thankful she was very informative about what we may experience during any given time- prenatal, during labor and birthing, as well as postpartum. She strived for us to have good, clear understanding in all situations.
Though we were expecting an uneventful last 11 weeks of pregnancy, I actually began having symptoms of threatened pre-term labor about the same time we chose to go with Joscelyn. Under the care I was previously receiving, I felt these contractions were dismissed and too easily overlooked. With Joscelyn's attention to detail, she was thorough in her search for the cause of the contractions and her response to them as well. Following her advice, I went on bed rest from week 34-37 of pregnancy to do my best to prevent a hospital birth, and the possibility of a premature baby in the NICU (You have to deliver at 37 weeks or later for a safe homebirth). Joscelyn’s commitment shined through to us by her calling to check up on us and making extra home visits while I was on bed-rest. Her holistic approach to wellness by incorporating herbs and homeopathic remedies was of great benefit during this time as well.
I am ever grateful for her advice because I went into labor 2 days after getting off bed rest. I couldn't believe how fast Joscelyn arrived at our home, along with an associate midwife, and also our childbirth class instructor who happens to be apprenticing for midwifery. My labor was fast and furious, lasting only 3 1/2 hours. I was excited to have the experience of laboring in the birthing pool provided by Joscelyn. Joscelyn assured me my body would do the work it needed to do, and for me to help it along with whatever I felt was right for the moment. I only gave a few pushes and my baby daughter came out all in one last push in the pool. It was actually our plan to birth out of the tub so my husband and daughter could catch the baby, but it all went too fast. Yes, there were brief moments the pain was so intense I did not think I would make it through the home birth, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat just to have the specialized care we received from Joscelyn. From beginning to end (28 weeks pregnant- 6 weeks postpartum) her dedication toward us was above and beyond our expectations.
- Michelle & Jeff Lloyd with Jessica and baby Sierra Rose
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