Cathy O'Bryant, LDEM, CPM

Certifications and Education

I am a Licensed Direct Entry Midwife (LDEM) as well as a CPM. I have been delivering babies at home in Utah for the past 27 years. I am the mother of ten children, three of which were birthed at home.

I became involved in midwifery in 1982. I took classes from the Utah School of Midwifery (now Midwives College of Utah) and graduated from the school in 1987 as a Certified Midwife. I apprenticed with a senior midwife for approximately two years before assuming any clients of my own. In 1994, I took the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) exam and in 1996, I became certified with NARM as a Certified Professional Midwife. Most recently (2006) I became licensed with the state of Utah as a Licensed Direct Entry Midwife.

In November of 2003, I became a certified Qualified Evaluator (QE) with NARM. This enables me to pass off other midwives certifying to become CPM’s. I am Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) certified as well as certified in infant and adult CPR. I am also IV certified. My education is ongoing and I feel that one can never know too much in the field of midwifery. I try to attend all local birthing conferences and workshops pertaining to the subject of birthing. In order to maintain my CPM status, I have to earn 12 continuing education units per year through service, attending births and educational conferences. Although unrelated to midwifery, I also hold an associates degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and an associates degree from the Institute of Medical Technique in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have worked as a dental assistant and as a veterinarian’s assistant.

Babies Delivered and Experience With Complications

Presently, I have attended over 800 women in childbirth. Seven of those births have ended with C-sections. My transport rate is about 2%. Most of my transports are not a matter of life and death, but rather for pain relief. The women just get so tired that they transport for an epidural. Most complications can be dealt with at home but Cesareans are not available at home and require transport to a hospital. Most complications come with a warning. For example, the fetal heart rate may be an indication that the baby is in trouble and cannot take the stress of labor. Any heavy bleeding during labor is an indication for a transport. A prolapsed cord, septic mother, etc. are all automatic transports. At no time will I ever force a woman to stay home, even if there are no complications. If she thinks that she would be more comfortable in the hospital, then we go.

I have had experience dealing with breech, hemorrhage, baby in respiratory distress, shoulder dystocia, tight nuchal cord, compound presentation, bradycardia, 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree tears, hypertension, woman going in to shock, baby needing CPR, meconium staining, retained placenta, VBAC delivery, prolapsed cord, fetal distress and twins.

Membership and Service Given to the Midwifery Community

I am a member of Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), the Utah Midwives Association, the International Cesarean Awareness Network, and the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. I am currently serving with NARM as a Qualified Evaluator (QE).  I have served the Utah Midwives Association (UMA) as President, Vice-President, Newsletter Editor, and have chaired our UMA Conference for six consecutive years.  I am currently the UMA Secretary.  I am actively engaged in moving midwifery forward, always trying to educate the public through public forums.

Personal Life

I have been married to Dennis O’Bryant for 40 years. We are the parents of 10 children. The last three were born totally at home and the three before that were born minutes after arriving at the hospital. All of my births were natural childbirth, except for the first one, where I was given general anesthesia.

Some of my hobbies are skiing, canoeing, golfing, gardening, fly fishing, white water rafting trips, searching out hot springs and Anasazi ruins. I like to spend time with my family and if I have a free hour, I pick up a book and read.

Contact Cathy at 801-465-4021 or ebms@sisna.com .

Cathy O'Bryant, LDEM, CPM

Midwifery Services

I am willing to travel to any county in the state of Utah, and have helped women birth in almost every county!

As your midwife, I am always available to answer any questions you might have concerning your pregnancy, or help you with any emotional upsets that might affect your pregnancy. I am always available by phone for any type of consultation.

I will do monthly prenatal checks to include blood pressure, urine check (for protein, ketones, blood, glucose and ph), measure your fundal height, palpate the position of your baby, listen to the fetal heart rate, check your weight, and do occasional vaginal checks. We also discuss your emotional well-being and your nutritional status.

Services Include:

• Complete prenatal care
• Lab work and referral for ultrasound
• Education and counseling regarding important aspects of pregnancy, birth, and infant care
• Continuous support during labor
• Delivery of the baby
• Care of the newborn
• Postpartum care of the mother

Beginning at 32 weeks we will do a prenatal every two weeks, and at 36 weeks we will be checking you weekly. All prenatal checks are done at my home in my office. Some time during the last three weeks of your pregnancy, I will come to your home to do a home visit to find out where you live and to check out your birthing area and your supplies.

I will check your hemoglobin at 14 weeks gestation and at 29 weeks gestation. At the birth, I monitor the fetal heart rate every 30 to 45 minutes during first stage of labor, and after every contraction when you are pushing. I monitor with a fetal doppler. I will also check you vaginally for dilatation and to answer any questions regarding presenting part of the baby.

I will come to the birth as soon as I am summoned, or depending on how much support the mother may need. Postpartum care includes a 24-hour check, and a five-day visit for the PKU. In the event that you should tear and need stitches, I do all of the repair in your home, and will need to see you at two weeks and six weeks postpartum.

Contact Cathy at 801-465-4021 or ebms@sisna.com .

Cathy Maintains Privileges At BellaNatal Birthing Suites

For mothers and families who prefer to birth at a birthing suite, Cathy maintains privileges at the beautiful BellaNatal Birthing Suites in Orem, Utah.

These beautifully appointed suites offer a relaxed, homey environment for women and families who would prefer to deliver in a birthing center environment.

From BellaNatal’s website:

Like a hospital or birthing center, BellaNatal Birthing Suites is a facility specifically designed to support the process of childbirth.

BellaNatal Birthing Suite

But unlike a hospital or birthing center, at BellaNatal the care is separated from the facility in which that care occurs.  This means your chosen provider is 100% responsible for your delivery and care.

Why is that so great?  Because this is the person you want to be responsible for you!  This is the person you have chosen, the person you know and who knows you.  Many women are surprised when they go to a hospital for their delivery and they don’t see their doctor until the last few minutes.

Most care in a hospital is provided by nursing staff you’ve never met before.  At BellaNatal, your provider will attend you for your entire labor.

If a birthing suite is right for you, Cathy can provide complete prenatal care and maternity services at the BellaNatal facility.  Please contact her at 801-465-4021 for more information on this childbirth option.

Philosophy of Childbirth

I believe birth to be a natural physiological process and not a medical phenomenon.

My style of midwifery is non-interventive. I encourage and support the laboring woman to make choices surrounding her birth. I feel that in most cases she intuitively knows what is best for her and her baby. I respect this knowledge and always support her desires providing they are within safe limits.

I believe that homebirth and care from a Certified Professional Midwife can be of the highest quality and in most cases of the same caliber as other health care providers. I believe that homebirth isn’t for everyone, but that homebirth should be available as a childbirth alternative for those who desire it. I do not believe that homebirth is risky, providing that the mother is in good health and has researched the subject extensively, until she feels comfortable with her decision.

I do deliver breeches, twins and VBAC’s at home, but would like to say that this type of presentation can sometimes result in more complications. The type of breech or the position of twins would be the determining factor as to the safety of home delivery. I will always communicate any apparent abnormalities or concerns to the couple, and should a serious complication arise, recommend transport to the nearest hospital. I consider childbirth to be a beautiful, sacred and natural sequence of love.

I pledge to do everything possible in assisting you to have the kind of birth experience you desire. Many hours of training and experience have preceded my time with you at your birth, and I continue to study and to learn all that I possibly can about this, life’s greatest miracle.

You also have a responsibility to insure that your birth will be the safe and beautiful experience that you have dreamed of. As mature parents, you will want to be fully informed and prepared for your birth by taking childbirth preparation classes. I can refer you to various childbirth educators in your area. As the time for your birth approaches, you will feel confident that you have had excellent prenatal care, that you have improved your health through the practice of sound nutrition, and have avoided substances harmful to your developing baby.

The time for your “Birth-Day” will soon arrive. You will feel secure in the knowledge that this is a decision we have made together, always keeping in mind that an out-of-hospital birth remains contingent upon optimum conditions for health and safety being maintained for both mother and baby.

The mother has a special responsibility as the guardian of the unborn child. The following guidelines are very important:

1. Mother must refrain from smoking and abstain from all harmful drugs. Remember that no drug has been proven completely safe for use during pregnancy! This includes alcohol, aspirin, anti-histamines and other over-the counter preparations.
2. Mother is highly encouraged to breastfeed her baby, and we will assist you in making this commitment, through education and support.
3. Mother must achieve and maintain radiantly good health by studying and applying the principles of good nutrition.
4. Above all, BE HAPPY! Happy mothers make beautiful babies!

Contact Cathy at 801-465-4021 or ebms@sisna.com .

Special Circumstances

Enlightened Birth Midwifery Services has experience with many special birth circumstances, including VBAC, breech home births, and twin home births.

Other things Cathy has dealt with successfully in her decades of experience are:  hemorrhage, baby in respiratory distress, shoulder dystocia, tight nuchal cord, compound presentation, bradycardia, 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree tears, hypertension, woman going in to shock, baby needing CPR, meconium staining, retained placenta, VBAC delivery, prolapsed cord, fetal distress and multiple births.

Enlightened Birth Midwifery Service is very happy to serve the VBAC client.

The Cesarean section rate has recently reached an all time high of 27.6%. These statistics are appalling, as I believe that only 2% of all women cannot birth vaginally.

These statistics are bound to climb as more and more hospitals are refusing to accommodate those women that want to birth vaginally. Generally it is not cost-effective for smaller hospitals to have an OB and anesthesiologist on call 24/7. Many women are not even given a choice. This is not right and Enlightened Birth is willing to support the woman who wants to have a VBAC.

Cathy O’Bryant is a professional member of ICAN - International Cesarean Awareness Network.

Contact Cathy at 801-465-4021 or ebms@sisna.com .

Why Waterbirth?

Enlightened Birth Midwifery service offers waterbirth to all of our clients. Women the world over have used water in birth. In fact, in England, the House of Commons Health Committee on Maternity Services has recommended that all hospitals provide birthing pool facilities for laboring women.

Thousands of women will attest that water during labor relieves pain, helps them relax, and makes everything more manageable.

Why Is Water So Great?

Water Baby

It eases the pain. Warm water is so effective in reducing the pain of labor that many midwives refer to it as “the home birth epidural.” Water encourages the production of endorphins, nature’s own painkillers. Endorphins produce a sense of well-being which helps you tolerate the physical pain and stops you from feeling overwhelmed by the experience. As one mother said,

When I got into the water, it made such a difference. It really did ease the pain. I still felt pain, but it was different. The pain had diffused. It wasn’t so concentrated, it felt better. The water helped me to separate the pain from the fear, and enabled me to feel more in control.

It helps you relax. Warm water relaxes you and your muscles, and relaxation is the key to lessening pain and having a great birth experience. Because water relaxes pelvic floor muscles, it is easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal, which may shorten labor.

It frees you from gravity and allows you to adopt the best laboring position. Midwives and enlightened obstetricians through the ages have recognizes that “mother knows best” when it comes to finding the least painful and most effective positions for labor. The sheer bulkiness of being nine months pregnant makes it awkward to experiment with different positions on dry land. Water offers a respite from gravity and makes it easier to move and change positions. Your muscles don’t have to support your body so it is less tiring and easier to stay in a comfortable position.

It reduces the chance of fetal distress. The key to avoiding fetal distress is ensuring that plenty of oxygen gets to the uterus. Laboring in water helps to maximize the oxygenated blood supply to the uterus in several ways:

• If the water is deep enough, the muscles which normally maintain posture against gravity don’t have to work so hard so the don’t need so much oxygenated blood. Therefore more oxygen is available for the uterus.
• The water’s buoyancy enables you to lie down without the weight of the pregnant uterus obstructing the heart’s blood vessels. This results in blood flowing more freely into the uterus.
• As the water is the same temperature as the body, less energy and oxygen is needed to maintain body temperature and more is available for the uterus.
• The relaxing effect of the water results in fewer stress hormones being produced and less blood is diverted to “fight or flight” muscles, making more blood available to the uterus.

Waterbirth

“Won’t the baby drown?” No. Babies have chemo receptors around their mouth which initiate the normal breathing response at birth. These chemo receptors are only activated by contact with air. Even with a delay between the birth of the head and the body, the baby will not breathe while under water. In addition, the umbilical cord is still supplying all the oxygen the baby needs, just as nature intended.

AquaDoula Birthtub

Birthing Tub Rental

Enlightened Birth Midwifery Service has an AquaDoula birthing tub available to rent for $125.00.

Enlightened Birth offers an inflatable pool option for $50.

If you have your own tub there is no additional charge for water birth.

Contact Cathy at 801-465-4021 or ebms@sisna.com .