<![CDATA[Doula, Photography, Lactation - Blog]]>Sat, 16 May 2026 18:46:55 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[VBAC in Northern NJ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.birthvoice.com/blog/vbac-in-northern-njVBAC Friendly Provider Listing plus info
Having a VBAC is not easy. It takes so much perseverance and determination on the part of the birthing person. It also requires a network of support - not just one supportive provider. 

This post will offer a little primer on VBAC in NJ and also a list of supportive providers.

For starters, attending a HBAC or out-of-hospital VBAC for a physician is not supported by NJ law, so to plan for a VBAC you will need to research hospitals, doctors, and certified nurse midwives - who work in the hospitals. 

If you wish to go for a VBAC, you will need to research and pursued a vbac friendly midwife or MD. If you wish to work with a Midwife, they will need to work with a collaborative physician who is ALSO VBAC supportive. Lastly, it is imperative to make sure these providers work in hospitals where the hospital staff and protocol is also VBAC friendly.
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If you have Medicaid Insurance - this will all be much more challenging. We are hoping to receive more info, in response to this post, on the Hospital Midwifery Programs in Newark, Elizabeth, and Paterson that may be meeting this need for more VBAC Friendly Providers who accept Medicaid Insurance. Please let us know if you have additional information. 

Once you have everything in place and are given a green light for TOLAC by the collaborative physician, you can lean into the support offered by your birth team - hopefully a midwife and doula. Eventually your birth team will include the hospital staff - who can provide support medically as well as via words of encouragement (verse ignorant comments you really don't need to hear when you are trying to VBAC).

It truly takes a village with VBAC, so start building your village! As Roseanne Ebert of Mind, Body, Birth said, "Birth is like squares in a warm quilt and for VBAC you need a mighty big quilt!" 

Resources: 
VBAC Friendly NJ Facebook Group
ICAN of Bergen County (meets monthly)
ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 184 on VBAC (see file below)

Thank you to Trish of Women's Holistic Healing in Westwood and Anne of Mamma Mia Doula (who together lead the monthly meetings at Bergen County ICAN) for all their help and support. Thank you also to the VBAC Friendly NJ Group for help with the listing. 

NJ Birthworkers we hope you find this posts helpful and birthing people, good luck as you pursue your VBAC!  

#birthdoula #vbacdoula#birthphotography#cesareanawarenessmonth#cesareanawareness #vbac #tolac #cnm #vbacsupport #vbacfriendly#bergencountyican #vbacsuccess#vbac #doula #doulalife #birthdoula​

List of VBAC Friendly Providers in Northern NJ:

Dr. Abdelhak and Kristin Mallon, CNM
Hackensack University Medical Center, NJ

Michelle Aristizabal MD
Montclair, NJ
http://www.wombkeepers.com/
Mountainside and St. Barnabas, Livingston
 
Avalon Midwives
Morristown Medical Center
https://www.avalonmidwives.com/

Michael J. Bimonte MD
Rutherford, NJ
Jersey City Medical Center
 
Theresa Brennan-Turi CNM
Jersey City Medical Center

Damalli Campbell-Oparaji, MD
University Hospital Newark

Paola Escobar, CNM
Pascack Valley, Westwood
https://www.holisticobgyn.com/

Dr. Garfinkel
Morristown Medical Center
http://www.1to1femalecare.com/
 
Dr. Charles Haddad
Clifton, NJ
Mountainside, Glen Ridge
Pascack Valley, Westwood

Midwives of NJ
midwivesofnj.com
Morristown Medical Center

Lonnie Morris CNM
Clifton/ Montclair
http://www.thechildbirthcenter.com/
Mountainside, Glen Ridge
Pascack Valley, Westwood

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Hospital Midwifery Program
(not verified who collaborative physical is & if they are VBAC Friendly)
   
Winsome Parchment MD
Maplewood, NJ
http://metroobgynnj.com/
Mountainside, Glen Ridge/Overlook, Summit

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A few listings for South/Central NJ:

Dr. Giovine
A Woman's Place
Monmouth Medical Hospital
Colts Neck, Little Silver, and Lakewood, NJ
  
Midwifery Care Associates
midwiferycare.org
Pennington, NJ
Capitol Health, Hopewell, NJ
 
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Can you help? These are people and places we need to know more about:
  • St. Peter's Midwifery Practice and upcoming Birth Center - is it VBAC Friendly?
  • Trinitas Hospital Midwifery Program - is it VBAC Friendly?
  • St. Joseph's Hospital Midwifery Program - is it VBAC Friendly?
  • Newark Beth Israel Medical Center - Midwifery Program - is it VBAC Friendly?
  • Can people TOLAC at Birth Center of NJ if they have already VBAC’ed elsewhere?
practice_bulletin_no__184__vaginal_birth_after.48.pdf
File Size: 146 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[Birth and Labor Tubs in Northern NJ]]>Fri, 12 Apr 2019 12:16:28 GMThttps://www.birthvoice.com/blog/waterbirth-northern-njPictureClear birth tub at The Birth Center of NJ.
Below is a database of waterbirth tubs and labor tubs in northern NJ for those researching options - sometimes referred to as aquatherapy or hydrotherapy (please click on the individual record to open the image link).

As you can imagine, water is wonderful for creating more buoyancy for the birthing person. Another added benefit is that is creates a little bubble of a birthing space for the birthing person.

Places with the most options include: The Birth Center of NJ and Our Birthing Center and Morristown Medical Center. Please note that some of the hospitals will say they have waterbirth tubs, but they may ONLY have inflatable tubs that rarely see the light of day.
PictureCelestial skyscape overhead at The Birth Center of NJ.
Also, please note that if you wish to birth in a hospital tub, you will need to check with your provider if they will catch your baby in the tub or will want you on the bed for the actual delivery. Oftentimes, the birthing person does not think they want to birth in the tub, but then regret not lobbying for the option, because they felt disturbed having to get out of their birthing space in the tub (something to think about and chat with your partner and doula about).

In addition to the Birth Centers and Hospitals, Homebirth is another wonderful option for waterbirth and many people arrange to have an inflatable tub brought into their home.

Feel free to get in touch with Rachel (via the contact page) if you have any questions or want her to find more info for home, hospital, or birth center. Good luck researching your waterbirth options!
Instructions for Database:
- Click on record to see more info.
- Scroll down to view all records.
- Send us any updates. Thanks! 
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Older (longer but more shallow water) tub at Morristown
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Newer (shorter but deeper water) at Morristown
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Labor tub at Pascack Valley Westwood.
If you have updates to this database or have updated links for images, please let us know. Thanks!
]]><![CDATA[Homebirth Birth Photography (Westchester County) featured on HuffPost Parents]]>Fri, 01 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.birthvoice.com/blog/maiden-voyage-into-homebirth-photography
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As featured in HuffPost Parent's, "29 Gorgeous Photos That Give Midwives The Credit They Deserve"
What an incredible honor to attend the homebirth of this NY family. It was the first time this NJ birth photographer attended a homebirth, so I was a little nervous, but the midwives at Seventh Moon Home Birth were very gracious (not to mention skilled and experienced). I wish EVERY birthworker the opportunity to attend a homebirth early on in their pursuits, so they can see for themselves the possibilities of birth. Personally, I had only seen homebirths in movies and read about them in books (thanks to The Farm). Now I look for those possibilities even more when attending hospital births. To this family - thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for welcoming me into your sacred home for this once-in-a-lifetime event and thank you for proceeding to share your photos for others to see. You have surely inspired and empowered others with the images you have shared. Blessings to you both, to your sweet dog, and to your beautiful baby boy.
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