“ Helping families explore the idea of having an out-of-hospital birth and settling into parenthood is my career passion ,” Brown said .
An added bonus for Brown is connecting with the clients . “ Watching first time parents settle into their new roles is a very beautiful thing to me .”
Brown ’ s list of the benefits of a birthing center is extensive . “ The support and personal attention from all of our midwives during the hour-long prenatal visits , the incredible postpartum support , and the one-day home visit are at the top of the list ,” Brown said . In addition , she feels the water birth pools , ( large two-person tubs utilized by both parents during the birth ), is an extremely beneficial feature for a natural birth .
Client Ashley Lopez , of Morgan Hill , had Finley , two and a half and Piper one and a half , at the center . Although she began her prenatal care with an OBGYN , sixteen weeks into her first pregnancy Lopez and her partner Matthew visited the center .
“ I couldn ' t shake the desire to have a non-hospital experience . We decided after that first meeting that we would switch to Melissa ' s care ,” Lopez said . “ Looking back on both births , I can say that I couldn ' t have asked for better care .” In addition to the attentive and professional staff at the center , Lopez appreciates having a local community of birthing professionals and new moms to chat with at the facility in the months after her births .
The success of the Morgan Hill birth center encouraged Dean to expand in 2019 , which led her to Los Gatos . After securing the location , renovations began . Then Covid hit , resulting in a postponement of the new location ’ s opening to October 2020 .
Despite being at the height of the pandemic , both centers were overwhelmed with clients , as no one wanted to go to the hospital during that time . “ So , then our practice just blew up . Our phone just rang off the hook , it was great ,” Dean said . It still surprises Dean as to the wide range of clients the centers attract . “ We have a few [ clients ] now from Los Banos , some Livermore clients , and a couple that come from way up the Peninsula ,” Dean said .
For those considering an alternative option for childbirth , Dean offered this advice . “ It ’ s your opportunity to show yourself that you can do hard things … with the support of your amazing partner , and the two of you are doing it together ,” Dean said . “ We want you to have the fastest , easiest birth possible .”
Other services offered at Casa Natal include :
• chiropractic care
• lactation and childbirth education classes
• breast thermography .
For more information about both locations : 246 Union Avenue , Los Gatos , or 50 West Main Avenue , # D , Morgan Hill
Visit : https :// casa-natal . com / birth-center-morgan-hill / or call , 408-337-2830 .
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