http://www.fullwellmidwifery.com/

Full Well Midwifery, 4370 Starkey Road, suite 4E, Roanoke, VA (2026)

06/05/2026

How does the epidural affect baby?

We talk about epidurals almost exclusively as pain relief. And they do provide pain relief. But there is so much more happening that nobody explains.

Labor pain is not just pain. It is a physiological process driving a hormonal cascade that serves a purpose for both you AND your baby.

When you labor without an epidural, your pain drives the release of oxytocin, cortisol, and catecholamines. These hormones don’t just help you cope with labor. They cross the placenta. They help regulate your baby’s heart rate and stress response. They are your baby’s labor support system.

Your pain also drives your movement. The hip sway. The rocking. The position changes. That movement is helping your baby navigate your pelvis, find the angles they need, work their way through.

When the epidural goes in, your pain stops.

But your baby is still experiencing the stress of labor. Without your protective hormones crossing the placenta. Without your movement helping them navigate. Laboring hard, without the hormonal buffer your pain was providing.

This is why we see more fetal heart rate changes after epidural placement. It is well documented. What is less often explained to mothers is why it happens.

And then there’s Pitocin.

Epidurals lower your body’s natural oxytocin production. Women with epidurals are almost three times more likely to receive Pitocin to keep labor moving. Pitocin itself causes fetal heart rate abnormalities. The combination of both significantly increases the risk of operative delivery.

And we are only beginning to understand what flooding the body with synthetic oxytocin does to oxytocin receptors long term. The questions are worth asking.

This is not an anti-epidural post.

Pain relief in labor is valid. Sometimes an exhausted mama getting rest changes the entire trajectory of her birth. The epidural is a tool and sometimes the right one.

But informed consent means understanding the full picture. You deserve to know that your labor pain is doing something. That your hormones are protecting your baby. That removing pain from the equation has downstream effects worth understanding before you decide.

That is what informed consent actually looks like.

06/04/2026

This is my IV setup at a birth last week.

Not because something went wrong. Because this mama needed fluid support and we had exactly what she needed, right there.

This is what licensed midwifery actually looks like.

We are trained medical professionals. We carry and administer medications, start IVs, manage hemorrhages and emergencies. Every person on our team is NRP certified. We have the skills and the equipment. We simply use them when they are truly needed, not routinely.

We are comfortable with birth on land and in water, in any position, including the ones that aren't convenient for us.

The Cochrane Review concludes that for low-risk women, planned homebirth attended by a licensed midwife results in comparable outcomes to planned hospital birth, with fewer interventions and fewer complications.

But here's what I want every family to know:

Birth carries risk in every setting. What matters is having a skilled provider who will tell you the truth, give you real options, and respect your right to make decisions about your own body and birth. What matters is genuine informed consent. What matters is a provider who trusts your body's ability to birth and knows the difference between supporting that process and interfering with it unnecessarily.

You should birth where you feel safest. With the team you trust. In the environment where you can do the work of labor without fear.

For many families, that's home.

If you're curious whether homebirth is right for you, we'd love to have that conversation. No pressure. Just real information and genuine care.

06/02/2026

A toddler drove a toy truck across his mama's belly just before we listened to his new siblings heartbeat.

Just checking on the baby. As you do.

Then as I was getting ready to leave, he grabbed our hands, joined them together, and asked if we could pray.

So we stood in their living room - mama, dad, their toddler, my birth assistant Caley, and me - hands joined, and we prayed over this mama, this baby, and this birth that's coming.

I've been doing this work for seven years and I will never get used to moments like that.

We had started the morning with breakfast at her table. Her home. Her space. Her toddler weaving in and out, trucks scattered across the floor, the ordinary beautiful chaos of a family on the edge of growing.

We talked through her birth plan. Her hopes. Her preferences.

And her fears.

Because her first birth was hard. She was not heard, supported, or respected. The kind of experience that leaves marks and makes you approach the next one with both hope and a protectiveness you didn't have before.

She deserved time and space to talk about all of it.

Not a rushed appointment. Her own kitchen table, with breakfast and someone who wanted to hear every word. What did she need to feel safe? What would help? What did she never want to experience again? What did she hope for this time?

We covered all of it.

I was heading out the door when her toddler grabbed our hands, joined them together, and asked us to pray.

So we did. Right there in the living room. All five of us, hands joined, hearts open. Coming to our Lord together asking for His providence.

Praying over a mama who has already shown such courage. Over a baby who has the most wonderful, faithful family waiting. Over a birth that is going to be so different from the last one.

This is what care looks like at Full Well Midwifery.

Breakfast at your table. Time to process the hard things. Space to speak your hopes out loud. A toddler who somehow always knows what the moment needs.

And prayer in the living room before we leave.

We are so honored to walk with this family. ❤️

05/29/2026

Heads up! Our June Nurturing Motherhood meetup is moving to Saturday, June 20th due to some prior obligations this month, including our As Intended childbirth class on June 6th.

We will be at Starkey Park South in Roanoke from 10am to 12pm. All ages and stages welcome, bring the kids and let them play while we hang out!

Our focus this month is babywearing, and we are bringing ALL the things for you to try. Woven wraps, ring slings, structured carriers, you name it. We will have people there to help you get your little one into each type of carrier so you can really get a feel for it. If you have been torn on what kind to buy, this is the perfect opportunity to learn, try before you buy, and ask all your questions. We will also be talking about the amazing benefits of babywearing and we even have a few carriers available to borrow!

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by all the options, unsure where to even start, or have questions about how to babywear safely, this meetup is exactly for you. Come and let us help you figure it out!

05/29/2026

Things people say when you tell them you're having a homebirth:

"But what if something goes wrong?"
"Is that even legal?"
"You're so brave." (They mean: you're insane.)
"I could NEVER."
"My cousin's friend's neighbor had a homebirth and…"
"But don't you WANT the epidural?"
"What does your doctor think?"
"Isn't that really dangerous?"
"But what about the mess?"
"I would be so scared to birth at home."

Now imagine if we asked hospital birthing families the same things:

"But what if something goes wrong in the hospital?"
"You're letting strangers deliver your baby?"
"I could NEVER give birth somewhere I've never slept before."
"But don't you WANT to eat during labor?"
"What does your midwife think?"
"Isn't being strapped to a monitor the whole time really uncomfortable?"
"But what about the hospital gown?"
"You're okay with whoever is on call delivering your baby?"
"You're going to try to sleep with people walking in and out all night?"
"I would be so scared to birth in a hospital in a country with the highest maternal mortality rates of any industrialized nation."

Funny how that works.

Every birth deserves respect. Every family deserves to make informed decisions without unsolicited opinions.

We just think more people deserve to know that homebirth is a safe, valid, beautiful option. Everybody should birth where they feel safest.

05/28/2026

Who's having a 2027 baby?

Because we want to hear from you.

We're already filling our calendar for next year, and since we only take on 1-2 families per month, now's the time to reach out if you want midwifery care.

2026 has been incredible.

Beautiful births in Franklin County, Henry County, Roanoke, and the NRV. Mamas rocking their homebirths. Babies born into their own spaces. Families choosing physiologic birth.

Each birth a testimony to God's design. Each mama discovering the strength He built into her body. Each baby a precious gift.

And I can't wait to see what 2027 will hold.

More amazing families. More powerful births. More babies born at home with the care and support they deserve.

If you're due in 2027 (or planning to be):

Let's schedule a consultation. Have a conversation about what you're hoping for. Talk about whether Full Well Midwifery is the right fit for your family.

2027 is going to be a beautiful year. Let's make your birth part of it. 💚

05/22/2026

This mama just rocked her birth. Brought her baby earthside in her own space. On her own terms.

Then she took a nice warm shower. In her own bathroom. With her own products.

We got her tucked into her own bed.

Clean sheets. Her pillows. Her space.

Thawed some frozen soup she'd prepped ahead. Served it with warm buttered sourdough bread.

She ate. She nursed her baby.

We left.

About 3 hours postpartum. After ensuring mom and baby were stable. Vitals good. Bleeding normal. Baby nursing well. Everything settled.

We cleaned up. We tucked her in. And we left her family alone to rest and bond in peace.

Then she took a FAT nap with her fresh baby. Probably the best rest of her life.

This is the difference.

Home. Her bed. Her baby. Her family. Rest.

The way postpartum is supposed to begin.

In peace. In comfort. In your own space.

This mama worked so hard. She deserves to rest in her own bed, eat real food, and snuggle her baby without anyone bothering them.

And that's exactly what she's doing. 💚

05/21/2026

60 seconds is not delayed cord clamping.

Let me say that again: clamping the cord at 60 seconds is NOT true delayed cord clamping.

It's just slightly less immediate than the old practice of clamping within 10 seconds.

Actual delayed cord clamping means waiting until the cord stops pulsing.

Until it's limp. White. No longer transferring blood (like the cord in the photo below).

That can take 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Sometimes 15 minutes or longer.

Why does this matter?

Because that cord is still doing its job. It's still transferring blood from the placenta to your baby. Blood that contains:
- Up to 1/3 of baby's total blood volume
- Oxygen for the transition to breathing
- Stem cells
- Iron stores for the first 6-12 months of life
- Immune factors

Your baby's heartbeat acts like a pump, moving blood from the placenta into their body.

As long as that cord is pulsing, blood is transferring. Why would we interrupt that mid-process?

A 2023 meta-analysis found that delayed cord clamping is beneficial for improving oxygen saturation, APGAR scores, and mortality rates in newborns. This isn't just about blood volume - it's about better outcomes across the board.

"But don't we need to deliver the placenta quickly?"

No. Barring actual emergencies (hemorrhage, true cord prolapse, severe fetal distress), there is NO medical reason to rush cord clamping and placenta delivery.

The only reasons are convenience. Routine. "That's how we've always done it." Provider preference. Time management.

None of those are good reasons to cut off your baby's blood supply before the transfer is complete.

Your baby just worked incredibly hard to be born.

They're transitioning from getting oxygen through the cord to breathing with their lungs. That's a MASSIVE physiological shift.

The cord continuing to pulse means they're getting oxygen both ways during that transition. It's a backup system. A safety net while they figure out breathing.

Why would we eliminate that safety net at 60 seconds just because the clock says so?

At home, we wait.

5 minutes. 10 minutes. 15 minutes or longer. We usually wait until after the birth of the placenta to clamp or cut the cord.

The birth of the placenta isn't hurried. Barring emergencies such as hemorrhage, there's no rush. We let it come when it's ready. However long that takes.

Because there's no arbitrary timeline.

Just your body and your baby, finishing the work they started.

Transferring every last bit of blood that belongs to your baby. Allowing the placenta to separate naturally. Trusting the process.

This is what "delayed cord clamping" actually means.

Not 60 seconds to check a box on a birth plan.

But genuine patience. Waiting for completion. Letting your baby receive everything that's already theirs.

You can ask your provider to wait until the cord is no longer pulsing to clamp the cord. Let them know that you want the cord to be white and limp before they clamp it. It may take a few extra minutes, but it’s worth it ❤️

05/19/2026

The same hands.

In the first photo, Madeleine’s hands on my hips while I labored with Cyrus- providing pressure and relief.

Five months later, my hands on her hips while she labored. Cyrus on my back.

The same support. The same trust. The same sacred work.

This is what midwives do for each other.

We show up. We hold space. We provide the kind of support we give our clients because we know how much it matters.

But this felt different. More profound. Because we weren’t just midwife and client.

We were sisters. Partners. Friends walking through the same journey.

I knew what those hip squeezes meant when Madeleine gave them to me.

Relief. Pressure. Someone physically holding you together when you feel like you might fall apart. Steady hands that say “I’m here. You’re not alone. Your body knows what to do.”

And five months later, I got to give that back to her.
With the baby she helped me birth resting peacefully on my back. Full circle. Complete.

Midwives supporting midwives through the hardest, most beautiful work.

We don’t just attend each other’s births. We understand them. We trust each other’s bodies the way we ask our clients to trust theirs. We know what matters and what doesn’t.

And we show up.

Through contractions and pushing and transition and the overwhelming intensity of bringing life into the world.

We show up for each other.

This is partnership.

Not just professionally. But in the deep, transformative moments that change you forever.

I’m so grateful our journeys overlapped this way.
That we got to support each other. Hold each other. Be present for each other in these profound moments.

Midwives supporting midwives.

05/18/2026

Special Edition Sunday Shares -

Full Well Midwifery has grown again, Midwife Madeleine Hall had her sweet Eleanor Rae yesterday at home. She gave me permission to share her birth story of her first baby, her journey from maiden to motherhood- from my point of view as her midwifery partner, friend and midwife ❤️

Madeleine’s Birth Story

The call came at 6:15 in the morning. I recognized her voice before she said a word, but I listened anyway, hearing something beneath the steadiness of it. Contractions every few minutes. Some vomiting. That quiet, certain knowing that something had shifted. She wanted me to come check her, to see if it was time to call in the team.

I grabbed Cyrus and we were out the door.
The drive felt both quick and so so slow, the way these early morning calls always do. When I arrived around 7:30, I checked her right away at her request (midwives just know too much 😅). Three centimeters, fully effaced, already settling into her labor rhythm. She was doing the deep vocal work, the kind that moves a baby down, and doing it well. But I could also see the intensity catching her off guard the way early labor does, even to women who know exactly what is happening inside their bodies.

The shower helped. The toilet helped. We started setting up the birth pool and called Jessica, Amanda, and Caley. By the time Caley arrived to help fill it, I could hear the shift in Madeleine’s voice. This is too hard. I don’t think I can do this. Why is this so hard.
It’s one thing to hear that from a client. It’s another thing entirely to hear it from one of your best friends, your partner in this work, someone who has sat beside other women in this exact moment and spoken the same truths back to them that I was now trying to speak to her. You are strong. You have everything you need to birth this baby.

And through all of it, Zeke was right there. Hip squeezes through every contraction, his hands steady and sure, and in the quieter moments between, stroking her head. He knew what she needed without being asked. That kind of presence matters more than most people realize.

When Jessica and Amanda arrived, we all recognized it at the same time. She was moving fast. Good bloody show on the toilet, and then into the pool, where she found some relief in the water between contractions, though the contractions themselves still felt enormous to her. This all felt like too much and in that moment I prayed words of life over Madeleine, we asked Gods presence to be felt in the birth space. It helped all of us in that moment- knowing all of this was going according to His plan.

By 11:35, she was asking to be checked again. She couldn’t do this anymore, she said. It was too hard. I could hear the pressure building in her voice, could see her body beginning to push almost without her permission. So I checked her- because I was seeing all the signs.

Complete. Ten centimeters. Her baby right there.
We all cried. Every one of us. I asked if she wanted to reach and feel her head, she did and sobbed tears of joy then asked Zeke if he wanted to feel - he touched his daughters head and the awe in his eyes was visible.

She moved to all fours and I watched her baby move down with each push, that steady, beautiful downward progress. We tried the birth stool for a few pushes, then we moved to the bed on her side in a more gravity neutral position- and suddenly there it was: a head, right there, dark hair. And then I got to say the words I have said so many times before, but never quite like this. I told her she could feel her baby.

She reached down and touched her daughter’s head.
I don’t have the words for what that moment holds. I don’t think any words are quite big enough for it. A mother’s hand on her baby’s head, that first touch before the world has even fully changed yet.
and with the next pushes, Ella’s head was born. I found her cord looped once around her neck, slipped it free, and she came right out into Zeke’s waiting hands. 12:16 in the afternoon. Ella came out crying, perfect and whole and entirely theirs.

And then Madeleine said the thing I will carry with me for the rest of my life. After attending hundreds of births, after walking so many women through their pregnancies and labors and postpartum seasons, after knowing better than almost anyone what birth costs and what it gives, she whispered it like it was the most true thing she had ever known.

“This is my baby. I get to keep this baby.”

Seven thirty in the morning to twelve sixteen in the afternoon. Not quite five hours. A first baby. A perfect birth. A becoming. A midwife who has known birth so deeply, so intimately, for so long, finally getting to know it from the inside.

What an honor to be there. What an honor to witness her strength, to see her become a mother, to be the one standing at the foot of that pool, that birth stool, that bed, watching my dearest friend step into the most sacred work of her life.❤️

Full Well Midwifery

06/05/2026

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06/02/2026

05/29/2026

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05/22/2026

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05/18/2026

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