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Midwives and Natural Birth in Florianópolis

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mbright85

Hello! I’m Misty. I’m from the US and my partner is from Ireland. We now live in Colombia and we are considering Brazil as our second home. We are expecting baby number one and plan to visit in May or June to see how we like different areas and how we feel about birthing facilities (natural birth is a must for us). If we feel comfortable, we will move a couple of months before our due date to get settled in.


Florianópolis is at the top of our list at the moment and we are open to suggestions. I am a total beach and city girl. I hear it’s a bit smaller and less hectic than some of the other major cities while still having an expat presence, which sounds perfect to me.


I would greatly appreciate English speaking recommendations for the following in Florianópolis (unless you have a really recommendation for another city):


  • birthing centers
  • midwife groups
  • facilitators who help with finding and selecting birthing centers and midwives
  • lawyers or facilitators who understand the path to visas and citizenship through birth of our baby in Brazil


I’m excited to visit and get a feel for the culture. I’ve love Colombia and I can’t wait to see what Brazil has to offer in terms of culture and experience.

Thanks for welcoming us newbies to the group. I look forward to connecting with you all and learning from your experience!

Moderated by Bhavna last year
Reason : Title edited as per OP's request
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abthree

04/03/23 @mbright85 Welcome!  Here's a recent thread on giving birth in Brazil:


/forum/viewtopic.php?id=981043


If you go to the Brazil Forum title page and search on "Birth" or "Giving Birth", you should find more.  Post your questions on threads that have had recent activity, and you'll probably get some answers:


/forum/viewforum.php?id=511

Bhavna

Hello everyone,


@mbright85, welcome on board !


I have created a new topic from your post and the response you had on the Brazil forum so that you may better interact and benefit from suggestions of members.


Please go through the links kindly pointed out by Brazilian Expert Abthree.


What made you choose Florianópolis (apart from the beach) ?


All the very best

Bhavna

pup8617

When in Floripa I used Zoega Coelho advogados (google them) because C*** speaks English very well, although I think he is retired now, the firm still specializes in helping foreigners in Brazil. They are probably more expensive, but you get what you pay for. As for birthing, I can pass you the details of a gynacologist I used to teach English to who lives in Downtown, she might be able to connect you with birthing partners etc.  private message me if you want that. Yes Floripa is great, it's not perfect but it has a lot going for it.

mbright85

@abthree Thanks I did read that thread (and the other birth threads) already and the only person who mentions midwives has not replied to any of the inquiries on the thread. I did send a private message.

mbright85

@Bhavna Hi! Thanks!


I just found this thread searching for info. Just so you know, there is no notification to the poster when their post is moved so I had no idea this had happened and just thought my post was deleted.


I appreciate you moving my question so it could get proper attention. Is it possible to change the thread name to “Midwives and Natural Birth in Florianópolis” so it may attract the right responders?


I have gone through all related threads, but I have not found the info I am seeking.


Florianópolis came recommended by a few different people and it seems like a good fit. We’re open to other areas if you have any recommendations. We want a not too busy city and the beach with an expat presence.

mbright85

@pup8617 Thanks! I messaged you. I will google that firm. Good to know Florianópolis has your approval. I’m not seeking perfection. I’ve learned that there is no perfect place, just the perfection you can create out of the experience.

abthree

04/08/23 @Bhavna Hi! Thanks!
I just found this thread searching for info. Just so you know, there is no notification to the poster when their post is moved so I had no idea this had happened and just thought my post was deleted.
-@mbright85


For future reference, you can always find anything you've posted by clicking on your avatar above (between the bell icon and the magnifying glass icon), then selecting "Activity Log" in the dropdown menu.

Bhavna

Hello everyone,


@mbright85 ok good to know that you are open to other areas. I hope members will be able to shed the light on your queries.


All the best

Bhavna


P.S we will check the notification system. You are subscribed to this thread, so you should be getting notifications. Feel free to inform us if you don't.

mbright85

@abthree Thank you!

mbright85

@Bhavna Thank you for updating and for the extra info!

mbright85

Here is an update for those interested in this topic. We will arrive in Florianopolis at the very beginning of my third trimester to begin monitoring with our midwives and a local doctor. We will also start sessions with our Doula to prepare for natural home birth.


Up until now, we have shared all medical info obtained by local doctors so our midwives have a pulse on how the pregnancy is going. We had an advanced ultrasound and bloodwork around 12 weeks. I had additional bloodwork around 18 weeks as recommended due to some abnormal thyroid values. My midwives actually recommended bypassing a 20 week ultrasound and waiting until week 27 or 28 because there is development that takes place during the additional time that is valuable for them to assess and there is nothing found on the additional 20 week ultrasound that would warrant any intervention, so that will be done with our doctor when we arrive in Florianopolis which is perfect since our contract does require we also be under the care of a local doctor.


We interviewed two midwife groups. Both seemed amazing and our decision ultimately came down to the midwife we felt a stronger energetic match with. The two we interviewed were Hanami and Ama Nascer. We found our Doula through the referral of our midwife and felt good about the fact that they have worked together many times. Our birth team will consist of two midwives (plus a third who is on call in case of a very lengthy labor so they can all take turns resting) and a Doula. We will have a doctor on call who will meet us at a private hospital in case of any complication (this would be an additional out of pocket expense whereas going to a public hospital would be free but would not give us the option of choosing our doctor).


I’m happy to share more info with anyone interested in this topic. I’ll make another update as there is more to share.

pup8617

Just one thing I would say - If you need to go to a private hospital make sure you can get there quick enough. Find out where it is and ask them how they would get you there - do they have their own ambulance etc. It can sometimes take a while to get from one part of Floripa to another, not just in rush hour but because the city is spread out over an island etc. Wishing you all the best

mbright85

@pup8617 @pup8617 Yes. Very important. This was one of the things they covered during our initial consult. We were given a list of neighborhoods that allow us to arrive at the hospital we selected within 20 minutes. The Midwives have certain medications and equipment for emergency intervention to stabilize mom and baby for some complications that can allow for private transport. Our Doula would drive us in this situation. Our Doula and Midwives have been amazing in terms of helping with planning.


There is the very small chance of a real emergency that requires an ambulance and immediate care, in which case they only transfer to public hospitals. From there they can transfer to a private hospital once we are stable, either for birth or for aftercare.

inplainview

@mbright8503 I hope you and your family are well. How did your natural birthing experience go? My wife is 5 months pregnant and we plan to give birth at home, if possible. We are currently living in Manila, Philippines, and will arrive in Florianopolis by the end of February the latest. We are looking for any updates you might be able to offer regarding midwifes networks or private hospitals in Floripa. Thank you!

starystar2019

@pup8617


I don't recommend them at all, avoid C*** at any cost !!! They are cheaters who make money out of ignorant foreigners!!! There are so many decent lawyers around but C*** is  not one of them !!!

Moderated by Bhavna last year
Reason : Please share names in private to avoid any risk of defamatory content
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starystar2019

@inplainview


I had home birth in Floripa and I don't recommend it to anyone. Stay away from this new business of Floripa home birth.


Go to private hospital: Santa Helena is great .

mbright85

@starystar2019

I’m sorry you had a bad experience. Mine went very well and probably better than it would have in a hospital. My team was very knowledgable, respectful, and professional. Home birth is no new business. I believe my particular midwife group has been around for 20 years with less than a 10% intervention rate and less than a 5% c-section rate, far lower than any hospital. They’ve had one infant death that was confirmed unavoidable even in a hospital due to a heart defect that the physician did not find on a the scans. They’ve had zero maternal deaths.


Home birth is the way we had babies for centuries before it was medicalized for profit. The majority of women can give birth safely without any intervention as our bodies are designed to do. Again, I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience. I wouldn’t recommend going about trying to scare anyone else out of having that experience for themselves, especially with zero context. Home birth is a great fit for properly monitored low risk pregnancies for a mom who desires to avoid medical interventions and give birth in tranquil envionment to relish in the first moments of her child’s existence and have more control over the situation.

mbright85

Update:


Equipe Hanami was a dream to work with. I had my son at home here in Florianopolis. Their support started before we even arrived in Florianopolis - reviewing scans and blood work, making sure I was prepared and understood the process, helping us choose where to stay and find supporting providers like a pediatrician and chiropractor. They made sure I was a good candidate and had a low risk of having any complications before moving forward with payment and signing of the contract.


They handled my pre and postnatal care and the birth. Everything was done in the most natural way possible. I felt respected and cared for through the entire process. They were the perfect balance of all natural while still having the medical knowledge to handle emergencies for myself and my son. My placenta got stuck and I required oxytocin. My son had trouble feeding at first and his blood sugar became dangerously low. They recognized both issues before they could become a real problem (and before I even recognized them) and handled each in the most conservative way possible. Their genuine care, expertise, and loving energy provided the best possible experience I could have hoped for.


I felt very cared for in the weeks following the birth. My lactation midwife got us off to a great start with breastfeeding. I had no issue thanks to her expertise and I’m still breastfeeding now 8 months later. My doula was very helpful in the days after giving birth. She visited us to check on me and my baby from an emotional point of view and made me feel normal with all the thoughts racing through my first time mom head. The entire team was responsive and attentive in checking in on us and monitoring my healing and my baby’s health and progress.


I highly recommend home birth with this team to any mom who is able and desires to avoid medical interventions and give birth in a tranquil environment to relish in the first moments of her child's existence and have more control over the situation. I was able to choose my music, have a pool, have the fire going, have incense burning, eat and move as I wished, and just go with my own intuition. I didn’t have doctors and nurses trying to take my baby for tests, antibiotics or shots when he should be calmly and lovingly adjusting to his new environment (everything that needed to be done to ensure his health and safety was done with him resting on my belly and hardly noticing).


Midwife group: Equipe Hanami

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