Kate Hartwell has seen a little bit of everything in her career as a midwife.
Since opening the Concord Birth Center at the Smokestack Center in 2006, Hartwell, a licensed midwife, has been part of close to 600 births – and plenty of unique ones.
There was one mom who didn’t want to go any further and delivered her baby in the center’s lobby. One time she pulled up to meet a laboring couple at 4 a.m. and the husband was about to welcome his child in the parking lot. Then there was the water birth in a client’s gazebo.
“If I go to the farmers market, there’s no question I’m going to see a former client,” Hartwell said.
About 75 percent of the center’s births take place at the brick-and-mortar location; the remaining take place at people’s homes.
It’s a service that Hartwell has always offered to her clients. Because there is a part of the population who want to have their babies at home – like Sarah Geana. Geana is about 30 weeks pregnant with her fifth child and is preparing for her fourth at home birth with the Concord Birth Center staff.
“The big draw for me is that I feel my birth is treated like the unique experience that it is,” Geana said. “I wanted to make sure the birth I had was my birth.”
That’s why she has gone back time after time when her next bundle of joy comes along.
“It’s my show, and they’re there to support me with what I need,” she said. “And the best part for me is that they come to me.”
Even Hartwell’s assistant midwife, Bryn Munroe, had her baby at the Birth Center.
“You don’t have the empathy until you have a baby,” Munroe said. “Kate told me ‘You’re a good midwife, but once you have a baby, you’ll be a great midwife.
“This is my second home and in a lot of ways, it was exactly what I expected.”
As of right now, there are about 75 clients who will have their baby between now and November/December. And that’s kind of near the max that Hartwell and her staff, which includes fellow midwife Cindy Owen, can handle. They like to cap the number of babies delivered per month at around 15, and are currently full for moms due in August and September – just in case you’re looking for someone to welcome your baby in to the world.
The center has two birthing rooms, which seems like it could create a conflict if many women go into labor at the same time, but over 12 years it has never been a problem. Although there was that one time when there were two moms in labor at the same time and the babies were born three minutes apart. There was even one born just an hour before we went to check out the facilities.
Once the baby is born, the family stays for an average of six to eight hours before making the journey home to begin their new life with their new baby.
Then 24 to 36 hours later, Hartwell or Owen will make the trip to the families home to check on the baby and do all the appropriate screenings. There’s another in home visit on day three.
“That way they don’t have to leave,” Hartwell said.
The Concord Birth Center will provide six weeks of after care for moms and babies, which there are currently 35 clients on that side of the equation.
“That six week postpartum appointment is tough,” Hartwell said. “We’ve spent so much time with them.”
But the feeling is mutual – just look at all the pictures of those babies in just about every corner of the facility.
It’s a unique life for Hartwell, who really has to be ready for anything at any time of the day.
Owen is on call the first seven days of the month, while Hartwell takes the eighth through the end of the month.
“It’s a 24-hour commitment,” Hartwell said. “I tend to get 10 to 20 texts a day from patients.”
So it’s safe to say that her phone is just about always blowing up. And when it rings in the middle of the night, it’s not really a question of what will come next.
“It all depends on the when and how they’re doing. They know when they want to come in,” Hartwell said. “But sometimes you have to tell people to get in the car.”
In terms of care, the Concord Birth Center covers it all. From the initial visit when a woman determines she’s pregnant to, obviously, the labor and delivery.
Moms will come in monthly for their regular checkups up until 28 weeks, including to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, ultra sounds and tests. Then every other week until 36 weeks, where the appointments happen every week – until the baby is born. They also offer birthing classes.
“It’s basically the same schedule of care,” Hartwell said.
And she really wants to get to know her clients.
“It’s really important to establish a good relationship with my clients,” Hartwell said. “They need to trust us.”
Just as an FYI, Hartwell only accepts women with low risk pregnancies. That doesn’t mean things don’t arise from time to time, especially during the actual labor, but she’s prepared for what comes up then.
“You have to be ready for certain scenarios,” Hartwell said.
That also means making the call for when a mom needs medical attention – meaning a trip to the hospital.
Having a baby is a different experience for every family. And the Concord Birth Center just gives you a different option to consider.
“I get ‘I didn’t know you were here?’ a lot,” Hartwell said.
So next time you’re at the Smokestack Center, take a peek at the Concord Birth Center – they put a flag out for their neighbors when a new baby comes into the world.
April 17, 2018
I recently welcomed my first with the wonderful help of the concord birth center midwives in January. What an amazing experience! The center is so welcoming. From each appointment to the actual birth, these midwives and students are with you. The amount of time they give is truly amazing. You don’t get that with a regular OB provider. These ladies are truly amazing!
April 17, 2018
The community is so fortunate to have women like Kate and Cindy who are passionate about their life’s work! Kate is truly an inspiration in creating a unique experience for each birth!