SUSTAIN YOUR MIDWIFERY PRACTICE
Incorporate the Birth Social© group prenatal model of care into your midwifery practice.
EMPOWERING MIDWIVES
A self-study manual for midwives.​
Birth Social is a grassroots group prenatal care model built on years of experience and practiced in a home birth midwifery setting. Empowering Birth outlines the model. ​
Within this book, I have poured my experience, wisdom, and insights on group prenatal care, spanning 135 pages of detailed instruction, 30 pages of worksheets, and several sample documents, capturing the essence of the workshop experience. It is a turnkey system that enables you to set goals and implement a sustainable midwifery practice.
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Empowering Midwives offers practical insights on scheduling appointments, maximizing participation, troubleshooting, and fostering a supportive environment that enhances group cohesion. With a strong emphasis on essential organizational skills, midwives will learn how to conduct effective group sessions, establish clear agendas, and build a sustainable midwifery practice. This manual will empower you to transform your practice into a group prenatal experience that creates a lasting difference in your personal life and the lives of the families you care for now and long into the future.
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To fully utilize the "Empowering Birth" program, purchase the Birth Social Bundled Documents.
The group prenatal program centers on the educational material laid out in Your Birth Journey. It is the centerpiece for conducting the Birth Social Model of midwifery care. The book’s three sections and eight chapters correlate with prenatal visit topics generally found in a midwifery “checklist,” so each parent has a chance to read relevant material before attending their prenatal visit. That is the first big step to sustainability!
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Chapter One, “Empowering Midwives,” explains how to easily navigate the Birth Social Program, guided by checklists, questionnaires, and journaling. Throughout the book, each prompt will walk you through essential steps to help you understand and engage in learning. You will also discover how to access the necessary documents and resources for conducting group prenatal care, including the required books, and how to purchase the necessary bundled documents to complete the program. Additionally, we will explore strategies that enable you to complete the program at your own pace.
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Chapter Two, “What Makes Birth Social Sustainable,” is here to help you discover ways to incorporate sustainability into your personal life, midwifery career, and community with a focus on human connections, values, and purpose. By the end of the chapter, you’ll be able to set meaningful goals and objectives, as well as outline your mission and vision for your life, practice, and community efforts.
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Chapter Three, “Identifying Burnout,” is designed to help you recognize signs and symptoms of burnout, such as physical exhaustion, emotional fatigue, and a sense of reduced accomplishment. Additionally, it will provide an overview of holistic strategies aimed at reducing burnout and promoting overall well-being. These strategies may include lifestyle adjustments, rearranging your midwifery priorities, and setting healthy boundaries. Understanding and addressing burnout is critical to maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical health, making this chapter an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to overcome this challenge.
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Chapter Four, “Office Bliss,” covers the importance of a well-structured prenatal office environment, detailing the steps for setting up your space to maximize efficiency and comfort for women and families as they navigate the group prenatal experience. Additionally, the chapter outlines the specific office supplies that are necessary to create a functional workspace, as well as the midwifery supplies needed to provide group prenatal care. By organizing these elements thoughtfully, you can ensure a smooth workflow, improve client interactions, and enhance the overall experience for yourself, staff, and the families you care for.
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Chapter Five, “Calendar Method Madness,” dives into designing a detailed group prenatal schedule using a formula that lays out an entire year of group prenatal care. You will learn about specifying times, dates, and designated days that best fit your schedule. This chapter also emphasizes several essential factors, such as the size of your midwifery practice, the availability of staff to support the group process, and the development of guidelines for assistants.
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Chapter Six, “Keeping Things Straight,” focuses on organizing your calendar schedule for the year and developing group session outlines to share with parents. Additionally, it addresses various appointments that women may need who are not part of a group, such as consultations, initial visits, appointments for women who have completed group sessions, clients who have missed sessions, and postpartum mothers. Additionally, this chapter explores how to manage scheduling conflicts, optimize your time, and recognize when clients require additional attention outside of group sessions. It also covers your communication style with clients and offers strategies to maximize your time effectively.
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Chapter Seven, “The Heart of Midwifery,” guides you through every aspect of setting up your midwifery practice using the Birth Social group prenatal model. It provides insights into organizing paper charting, the electronic health record, and promoting self-care among mothers, the heart of midwifery care. The chapter also highlights the midwife’s role in the care process, including conducting belly checks, reviewing prenatal forms, and inviting mothers and their families into the group prenatal room. Additionally, it underscores the significance of midwifery charting, ensuring that it is not overlooked.
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Chapter Eight, “The Art of Organizing,” will help you make the most of the essential documents and resources you’ll need to support your clients effectively. This chapter shines a spotlight on the book Your Birth Journey, which plays a key role in the Birth Social Model of Care. I’ll walk you through each item, sharing why it’s important and how it fits into the organizational process. You’ll find tips on gathering, managing, and sorting through these materials in your practice, so you can feel fully prepared to meet your clients’ needs. Plus, I emphasize the value of keeping an organized filing system, which can really boost your efficiency and bring you a sense of peace.
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Chapter Nine, “The Initial Visit and Beyond,” is all about helping you prepare for that first visit with your client using the Birth Social Model of Care. It walks you through all the important paperwork needed for the initial visit, making sure both you and your client are ready for a meaningful conversation. One of the highlights of this chapter is the emphasis on providing clients with crucial informed consent materials right at the beginning of their care. This way, you can help them feel empowered to make proactive choices for their health and well-being as they journey through their pregnancy. Plus, this chapter shares some great tips on how to gather signed informed consents in a group setting.
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Chapter Ten, “New Concepts,” offers guidance on introducing group prenatal care to both new and existing clients. It emphasizes the importance of having an open conversation about the benefits and structure of group care as well as ensuring that all necessary paperwork is organized and readily available, including printed materials or handouts that detail what they can expect from group prenatal care, the advantages of participating in such a program, and any specific protocols or practices unique to your practice.
The highlight of a consult is when you can show them the book, Your Birth Journey, which every parent should receive at the beginning of care. Ensuring that parents leave with this essential information will help them feel informed and confident about their choices in prenatal care.
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Chapter Eleven, “Facilitation,” emphasizes the essential skills required for leading group prenatal care sessions. This chapter addresses how to structure your discussions and includes various techniques for teaching, lecturing, and facilitating. It examines each session to help you understand and clarify your role as a facilitator, providing you with the necessary tools to foster a supportive and informative environment for expectant parents.
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Chapter Twelve, “Storytelling,” emphasizes the art of narrative as an effective communi-cation tool for engaging expectant parents in a group setting. The chapter highlights how storytelling captures attention, fosters meaningful conversations, and provides a sense of belonging among the group. It also offers practical tips for integrating stories and facts into your conversations, ensuring that interactions are not only informative but also inspiring and thought-provoking.
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Chapters Thirteen through Twenty focus on the eight chapters in Your Birth Journey, each covering relevant topics designed to help you facilitate discussions in a group setting. Each chapter provides examples of information blended with storytelling, providing a template for effective discussions and instruction. The intention is to provide insightful and relatable narratives that enhance the understanding of pregnancy and birth, while also empowering parents with knowledge to make informed decisions.
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Chapter Twenty-One, “Wrapping it Up,” provides a short review of session outlines, where to find lab information in Your Birth Journey, and scheduling appointments after the group ends. It concludes with a big congratulations on completing the program!
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Journal Questions, “Journal Writing” is your self-study guide, a way to reflect on what you have learned in the self-study course. Throughout the book, you are prompted to check boxes, answer questions, and respond to journaling prompts. It provides a way for you to examine your thoughts, feelings, and insights on group care
TESTIMONIALS
Jessica Johnston, CPM
It was truly kismet that Birth Social and I collided. I was feeling called to integrate a group care approach into my midwifery practice, and within a week of speaking it to the world, I met Carolyn and joined the Birth Social group. With Birth Social, I went from running frantic between clinic and home visits to a streamlined practice where I hand mothers their schedule of care at the first appointment. I can now complete up to 40 prenatals in 14 hours, and my moms are getting MORE education and connection than ever! The sustainability of group care for a midwife is phenomenal, and the quality of care my moms receive has substantially increased because they aren’t turning to just me for answers – they are turning to each other as well. I cannot even fathom returning to individual care practice. It robs mothers of the social childbirth experience that is inherent to a well-rounded care experience. And now my family gets the benefit of more of my time and undivided attention.
Thank you Carolyn for pioneering this fantastic approach. The Midwives Model of Care makes the midwife the sacrifice, and you are unwinding that paradox and giving midwives back their time and wellness. Cheers to you from us all!
Bethany McKinnon, CPM
I was introduced to the Birth Social Model of Care while working with Carolyn during my apprenticeship. When I opened up my own practice and birth center in Oregon, I returned to this model after months of private care. I will never turn back. What this does for my practice is allows me to take care of myself and take care of my clients better. I can take 30-60min before the group and refresh myself with each client coming in and any issues that I need to follow-up with. When I was doing private care, I did not feel that I had enough time to chart, check-in, and follow up with each client in the ways I do now. My clients enjoy the camaraderie of group care and many of them continue their friendships after my postpartum care is complete. Birth Social is truly building a birth community and providing sustainability and longevity to midwifery!
Shalmai Hollingshead, CPM
The group model of prenatal care was my first introduction to midwifery visits. I was fortunate to apprentice with my mother, Carolyn Reisman, who developed and used the Birth Social program. I knew that it was different than private prenatal care, but I wouldn’t fully understand just how much until the pandemic struck. When Covid struck, I finally understood how not having group prenatal care would impact my personal and professional life. After dissolving the groups due to Covid, I was busier and more stressed than ever before. I had less personal and family time, and I felt exhausted at the end of each day. I was going over the same information separately with each client that I would have done together. I began to miss groups, especially for the organization and time management. The families were also missing out. I observed families develop kinship, support, and community ties in their groups. Some found close friends, others just acquaintances, but most gained meaningful connections that otherwise would not have been possible.
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​By the end of 2021, I felt comfortable starting group prenatal again. Now I have more time to review charts, faxes, research, catch up on emails, create documents, and do various things that I had been putting off. I would never go back to doing private visits on a full-time basis. I know I will be doing group care for the duration of my midwifery career. I believe in the powerful connections formed and peer-to-peer learning in a group. I genuinely believe that it is the most essential element of sustainable practice in midwifery
THE BIRTH OF BIRTH SOCIAL
I feel as though I am revisiting a cherished book, its pages worn from years of frequent reading. The concept of Empowering Midwives: Group Prenatal Care for a Sustainable Future has developed gradually, taking years to fully come to fruition. It was a journey born from several converging ideas that took shape through innovation and experimentation, leading me from one path to another as I developed a group prenatal model. Each thought and idea gradually coalesced into a vision, leading me to create this manual, which aims to empower midwives and foster sustainable practices. It started with a simple idea: Birth Social – bringing families together in a group prenatal setting.
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Birth Social is a grassroots group prenatal care model that grew into a several-year trial-and-error process of conducting group care in my living room. I didn’t have financial or organizational backing, clout, peer reviews, or the blessings of medical or midwifery establishments. My venture began as a dream to provide education to first-time parents.
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The program began in 2010 when I invited first-time parents to educational sessions centered on topics that frequently arose in my midwifery practice. I gathered handouts on these topics, edited the content, organized them, and bound them in a small book titled Birth Social: A Complete Prenatal Guide, which would later be named Your Birth Journey: A Holistic Guide for Pregnancy.
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This ever-evolving book served not only as a resource for the sessions but also as a lasting guide for parents as they navigated the journey of pregnancy and parenthood. Little did I realize at the outset that these small gatherings would transform into a comprehensive group prenatal program. The positive dynamics within the first-time parent group were so remarkable that I quickly began offering group prenatal visits to all my clients. This shift required me to completely restructure my entire prenatal care system—every aspect demanded a fresh approach.
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Through this initiative, the Birth Social Model of group prenatal care was established. The books Your Birth Journey and Empowering Midwives offer a unique approach to midwifery by blending holistic care with sustainable practices.