Sacred Birth Midwifery


			Tanya Rapinchuk Lucinda McGovern Midwifery is an art form — combining the arts of nurturing and guidance with current knowledge, science and evidence-based care. Our practice is based on the belief that the woman is the central decision maker in matters regarding her birth and her baby. Because of this, we respond to a mother as her caring and collaborative partner. We provide comprehensive prenatal visits — each appointment is one hour long, skilled guidance during labor and birth, and complete postpartum care for mother and baby. But what makes homebirth midwifery truly special is the value we place on connecting with a woman and her family to offer a deeper level of care. We recognize that each birth is a unique opportunity for a family to gently bring another person into the world. By doing so, supported in their own homes, we help families make the world a little bit more peaceful — one baby at a time. Families come to choose homebirth for a variety of reasons. For some it is a deeply held belief in the naturalness of birth — a choice made long before the pregnancy even occurred. For others it is a desire for a change — a chance to heal from a previous birth experience or have the birth they have been told they cannot achieve in the hospital. Others still discover somewhere during their pregnancy a desire for a different kind of care — one that honors their unique desires and needs as a birthing family. However you have come to consider a homebirth, we look forward to meeting you and discussing all the options available to you. We provide holistic, full-scope midwifery care to families in Western Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, and Northern Connecticut. Home Birth Comprehensive prenatal / postpartum care Well-woman care Pregnancy nutrition counseling Breastfeeding counseling Newborn screening exams for homebirth clients Continuous hospital support if transport is necessary VBAC and Waterbirth Breech and twin births Pregnancy tests, lab work, & diagnostic referrals Cervical cap fitting / contraception counseling

			TANYA RAPINCHUK, Midwife, CPM, Vermont LM Tanya has been practicing midwifery for nearly 17 years. She began her journey as an apprentice in British Columbia. After the homebirth of her first child, she returned to the Pioneer Valley where her family lives. She continued working with other midwives in the area and at the same time completed the Massachusetts Midwives Alliance Midwifery Program. She went on to student teach in the program following her completion. Shortly thereafter she completed a clinical intensive at Casa de Naciamento, a busy maternity center on the Mexican border, in El Paso, Texas. When she returned from El Paso she gave birth to her second child at home and later that year opened Sacred Birth Midwifery. She has been in continuous practice now since 1998.

			Lucinda McGovern, Midwife Lucinda McGovern has been involved in midwifery for more than 15 years. She apprenticed with Mary Lawler, CPM, for many years and has also completed the Massachusetts Midwives Alliance Midwifery Program as well as a clinical intensive at Casa de Naciamento in El Paso, Texas. She is the mother of two grown sons and a teenage daughter, all born at home.

	All midwives maintain current certifications in Adult/Infant CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation. They regularly attend workshops, conferences and training in midwifery and related areas in order to remain current on research and protocols as well as skills. In the media: BIRTHING AT HOME by MAUREEN TURNER, Special to Valley Kids.