Choosing A Prenatal Care Provider in Las Vegas

Posted on: January 25, 2021 | birth, Community, education, Famillies, Information, Pregnancy

With her pregnancy confirmed and an intimate group of people knowing of the baby gestating in her womb, Claudia entered her 8th week of pregnancy. Knowing the importance of prenatal care, she set out to find a provider that “got her”. Her own gynecologist was not an obstetrician. Therefore, Claudia was on the hunt, with recommendations from her girlfriends and her gynecologist, for the perfect providers in Las Vegas to guide her through this journey.  Hmm…an OB or a Midwife…? She pondered. 

The Las Vegas Valley is littered with a wonderful array of care providers that fit every lifestyle and need. But how do you know which provider is the right fit for you? Unlike socks, one size does not fit all. Deciding on whether to have care through an Obstetrician or a Midwife is not always an easy decision. Your provider will be the one who navigates your prenatal health and care with you.

Birth Providers in Las Vegas

Obstetricians practice and provide their services in a hospital and office setting. An OB has completed years of medical school. They can perform surgeries such as a cesarean section, and administer and prescribe medications. OB standards of care are clinical and follow licensure and regulations set forth by governing bodies. 

Midwives have different classifications: Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), and Direct Entry Midwife (DEM). A midwife follows the Midwifery Standards of Care. Midwives practice a more natural approach to the birthing realms of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum.

A Certified Nurse Midwife is the highest level of midwifery. They have completed licensure as a registered nurse, as well as completion in a midwifery studies program. CNMS are qualified to prescribe medications and treatments. They are recognized to operate legally in all 50 states, and hold state licensure. CNMs can attend births in hospitals, homes, birthing centers. Women’s Health Associations of Southern Nevada has a selection of CNMs in their practice.

A Certified Professional Midwife has achieved certification set forth by the North American Registry of Midwives. A CPM has the knowledge and skills to practice as an independent midwifery practitioner. A CPM conducts service in home or in a birthing center, depending on state regulations. 

Locally, Motherhood Collective, Sweet Beginnings Midwifery, and Well-Rounded Momma have CPMs for your planned home birth.

In Las Vegas, there is the opportunity to have a home or hospital birth safely with certified and credentialed providers. In a hospital setting, there is a team of nurses and doctors that oversee your birth. During the hospital stay, there’s consistent monitoring for the birthing person and the baby. A sense of security and comfort can be found in the hospital for any unknowns and emergencies. The financial aspect of insurance paying for some, most, or all of the birth and stay is also a factor.

There’s the comfort and serenity of being in a familiar environment, as one receives in the home birth setting.  With the selected birthing team by the birther’s side, the overall atmosphere has an aura of empowerment and grounding. In a home birth setting, the birthing person sets the tone for the experience, and the team is there to assist as warranted. 

In the works is Nevada’s first birthing center. A birthing center is often viewed as the best of both worlds of having a home and hospital birthing experience. A birthing center is a stand alone professional facility that is operated by a Certified Nurse Midwife. Giving birth in a birthing center can create the home birth atmosphere, while giving the medical reassurances of a hospital.

With endless community support, Serenity Birth Center will be the first birthing center of its kind serving families in Southern Nevada. 

You’ve found your provider and you’ve selected your birthing space, what about the other aspects of your pregnancy? Outside of the standard monthly check-ups, there’s a world ready to pamper and dote on you and that belly. A labor doula is your guide throughout your pregnancy. A labor doula checks in with you after every prenatal appointment to answer questions and ease concerns. During the childbirth experience, your doula is your connection into your inner birth warrior. 

Childbirth educators are the educational vessels to pregnancy and childbirth. Having taken a childbirth education course in your pregnancy will help one feel empowered and knowledgeable going into the birth. Your childbirth educator is an expert in the field of education on the body, the baby, and the birth.

Alternative providers in Las Vegas

The pregnant body is changing by the day. New aches and ailments may begin to surface as the weeks go by. Even if one is a generally fit and active person, round ligament pains, back aches, and sciatica can plague a pregnancy.  Finding a chiropractor to aid in pregnancy ailments, taking a prenatal yoga class, and/or scheduling in a soothing prenatal massage regularly, are ways to keep the body functioning like a well-oiled machine. Acupuncture has also been shown to be a benefit in pregnancy. While a pelvic floor therapist will help you take control of your pelvic health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Having a baby is a big part of one’s life. The care you receive prenatally can affect your birthing experience, as well as your postpartum period. Birth is an occurrence that will stay with a person for the rest of their life. The impacts of a word, a statement, a receptionist, a nurse, or a provider can be harmful. Selecting your provider is just like speed dating, if it doesn’t feel right, move on to the next one. No matter where you choose to say “Welcome, Baby!”, make the space your own. If you are ready to dive into the support of a labor doula, give us a call! We’re on-call for you every step of the way. 

Several phone calls and interviews later, Claudia began to build her birthing team with confidence. She felt supported and heard with her provider of choice. The provider calmed her fears by answering all of her questions and addressing her concerns.