Unfortunately, the United States Military threw a huge wrench in our plans when they sent my husband to Afghanistan in late October.  So now I was off to deal with all that pregnancy entails while parenting a 2 and 5 year old - solo.  I’m not sure how I got through those first couple of months as I had very bad morning sickness which caused me to lose about 10 pounds.  The stress of pregnancy and raising 2 kids during an unexpected deployment was a lot on me.  I constantly worried about how the stress would be affecting my unborn child. 

I'm so glad I had Brandi as my doula. I had a successful HBAC (Home Birth After Cesarean) at 41+6. She was such great support to my whole family. It's been 5 weeks and my 3.5 year old still talks about her. It was such a great familiar experience. If you're lucky enough to have her, you will love her!

"I remember sitting at home watching Law and Order and feeling contractions. Nothing crazy intense, just light cramping. I had been whining to my husband, Jared, because I had spent the better part of 2 weeks in prodromal labor....."

Florida Midwife Charlie Rae Young of Barefoot Birth

An amazing thing about having a home birth is that birth is allowed to happen in its own time. This baby decided to come after watching the "Why Not Home" screening. The power of suggestion!

The fourth trimester is all about learning about that new baby and how they fit into your (new) life. It can be a doozy. Perhaps these ideas will help.

"Charlie doesn't treat her clients like one size fits all - she cares for each family based on their individual needs and considers each family's unique circumstances."

"After a fairly traumatic birth with my 3rd baby, I knew as soon as I found out that i was pregnant with my fourth that I wanted to use Charlie as my midwife. "

Hello families!  This blog was originally going to be a “VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) options in Hernando County”, as I have been noticing a lot of women in the local breastfeeding facebook group asking about VBAC-friendly providers.  The more I started digging into Hernando’s cesarean rates vs successful VBAC, the deeper into the rabbit hole I fell.  The numbers are alarming and unpromising, to say the least.

Beginning Monday, January 9, 2017 we will have weekly Yin Yoga at the Roots! Blair Williams, longtime yoga teacher in the area, will be bringing her magic to her weekly class Mondays at 7pm. 

Every year for the holidays we try and do something a little unexpected, unusual, and usually downright absurd.

"I can't begin to explain how wonderful my experience with Barefoot Birth has been. Our homebirth far exceeded the expectations we had...."

"Wow!" That's what I tell people when they ask me about my home birth. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Charlie accepted me and took over my prenatal care at 30 weeks. I had a c-section with my first baby and I knew that is not how I wanted to have this baby. "

Midwife Charlie Rae Young LM, CPM, CLC of Barefoot Birth speaks about home birth midwifery in Florida, particularly her practice in Tampa. From home birthing on a national and international level to discussing fear and culture based misconceptions. 

One of the top questions we answer is "will my insurance cover home birth?" The answer is not nearly as simple as the question so we thought it is about time someone broke it down clearly for families! In this explanation please know that we are speaking solely to our community here in Florida and things change region by region.

"In 2014, we started care with Barefoot birth at roughly 18 weeks gestation. After a horrendous loss seven months prior due to a severe neural tube defect I was left with a such a bad taste in my mouth. All the mainstream doctors appointments, rotating doctors (who dont remember your names btw) and zero affection shown towards us as a family.

'I really enjoyed going to my prenatal visits. She takes her time and is never rushed. It was like visiting a friend not going to the doctor. She let me trust my body during birth and I truly got my "dream birth".'

"From the first email inquiring about services before I was even pregnant, to the 6 week postpartum visit, Charlie and Barefoot Birth provided exceptional care. I had experience with an ob/ gyn practice and also a midwife practice that delivered at a hospital with my first pregnancy and knew that I wanted something different for baby number 2."

I never thought as a (soon to be) midwife, that I would get duped into thinking that I was in labor… when I wasn’t.  But it happened. 

LOVED my home birth with Charlie. After having my first son in the hospital, I knew I wanted a more intimate experience with my second and my home birth was everything I wanted and more.