What does gentle MotherBaby Centric Collaborative Model of Care look like at The Samctum? While birth stories, advocacy, knowledge sharing and testimonials are all important in helping mothers-to-be and fathers-to-be understand the immense beauty and safety of physiologic, natural birth, it is equally important to put out birth statistics.

This year, we also had an immense internal physical shift. From being a Midwife Run Natural Birth Center inside of an existing maternity care hospital, we moved into our own premises on November 23rd, 2016. We now are a free-standing Birth Center – The Sanctum, Natural Birth Center. It is not attached to any hospital, but has all the emergency infrastructure like a fully equipped operating theater, a small level 1 NICU, a Lab and a pharmacy built into it. And, after 8 years of having provided collaborative back-up partnership, our main Obstetrician, Dr. Jayanthi Reddy, has also come on board as a full time partner at our Birth Center.

What makes the Sanctum different from the average free-standing birth centers one might see in other developed countries is that though midwives run birth centers, they are restricted to taking on low-risk clients because they do not have the skills, facilities or backup required to manage clients with complex needs or complications. Obstetricians in hospitals do. At our Birth Center we can take on and assist clients with more complex needs. This includes women with twins, Gestational Diabetes, Gestational Hypertension, breech babies, etc. because we have full support of backup Obstetricians, Physicians, and Pediatricians if the help is required, all available on site.

This collaborative model of care has led to some pretty amazing, safely assisted, and satisfying natural births. However, if there are any red flags during pregnancy or labor, we have a number of backup OBs nearby whom we can consult with or have come and perform a c-section if necessary, in The Sanctum itself.

Our collaborative model of care works. We have an amazing team of Nurses (who we have cross-trained to provide excellent labor support), Midwives who have education, training and experience in providing excellent maternity care with the Midwifery Model of care, Ayammas who provide MotherBaby Care from the heart, as much as with their hands, Physiotherapist, Prenatal Yoga Instructor, and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators who teach with unparalleled passion and energy, to help women have a safe and healthy childbirth experience. Of course, our team of back-up OB/Gyns , On Call Anesthetists, Physician, and Pediatrician excel in their respective roles, to provide well-rounded comprehensive care for both the Mother and her Baby, as per their individual needs.

All of this of course happens because mothers and their families want access to good evidence-based, respectful, informed, transparent maternity care. We are really thankful for excellent back-up obstetrical care, even though we very rarely need it. Just knowing that excellent Collaborative Care is available, also allows for the Mother to birth her baby without fear.