Willamette Birth - Ash Johnsdottir, Midwife Serving Corvallis and Oregon's Willamette Valley
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Home Corvallis Midwife Blog, by AE Johnsdottir MIDWIFE Image
First Cesarean Risk

Risk of the First Cesarean

AE Johnsdottir September 4, 2015 Corvallis Midwife Blog Leave a Comment

CesareanHBACVBAC

Willamette Birth offers Oregon’s best Maternity & Home Birth Care.

Talk to a Midwife today by calling (541) 908-9188

or send a message through the contact form.

Recent Posts

  • Eugene/Springfield OHP Trillium Covered Homebirth & Midwifery Care
  • Introducing the Resus-A-Cradle: a Midwife-Invented Support for Newborn Resuscitation!
  • If you only have one baby at home, make sure it is your first!
  • Pelvic Floor Health & Pregnancy: An Interview with Corvallis Physical Therapist Kerry Boysen
  • Birth Affirmations for the Skeptical Mother

Tags

Cesarean childbirth education corvallis dental health dentist Embryology first baby HBAC homebirth home birth insurance kids Midwife Midwifery Care Neonatal resuscitation Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy postpartum education pregnancy Resus-A-Cradle Safety VBAC waterbirth Women's Health

Recent Comments

  • Whether You Should Have a VBAC or Not? on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon
  • Jazmin Johnson on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon
  • Stephanie Preston on Introducing the Resus-A-Cradle: a Midwife-Invented Support for Newborn Resuscitation!
  • Monica Wood on If you only have one baby at home, make sure it is your first!
  • Rocelle on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon

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  • Had a great experience with Ash, this was my second baby and decided to do something different as it was not a good experience with my first in a hospital. I am happy to say home birth and everything was awesome. Ash is very informative and takes time to explain, she helped and guided me on things that helped during pregnancy and labor, was always reassuring and making sure I knew what my body was capable of. Would not change anything.

    aide novella Avatar
    aide novella
    5/15/2022

  • Ash is wonderful. She takes time to explain things to make sure her clients can make informed decisions. She also had a wealth of knowledge for all the resources I needed!

    Natasha Anderson Avatar
    Natasha Anderson
    9/05/2017

  • Ash is absolutely wonderful!
    She was always sure to make me comfortable during each visit, and during my labor she was wonderful!
    I am the type of person who wants personal space and she was very respectful of that.
    As an LGBT couple we were a bit nervous about finding the right midwife who would be accepting and she was just that!
    I have recommended her to several friends already and I will continue to recommend her!

    Aleah Burris Avatar
    Aleah Burris
    5/16/2020

  • Ash gave me the empowering prenatal and home birthing experience I have always wanted. From my very first appointment, Ash was compassionate and respectful of each choice I made. If I was unsure about a decision, she was there to provide objective and thorough information to help me. Her philosophy is a perfect blend of medical and midwifery practices, and she was readily available by call or text the entire pregnancy. I brought my 6-year-old son to most of my prenatal appointments and Ash was so great with him! He learned a lot through the experience and she was sure to always include him. When it came time for delivery, our in-home care was exactly as I had imagined. The experience was filled with warmth, peace and extraordinary care. I’d return as a patient of Ash’s without hesitation!

    Elizabeth Martinez Avatar
    Elizabeth Martinez
    1/27/2020

  • Ash is a very medically minded midwife who will provide the optimal medical experience in the comfort of your home.

    Ash helped me question all my birthplan intentions and helped me dig down deep to make sure I was confident in all my choices. Frustrating and rewarding at the same time.

    Ash respected my birth plan intentions even when they went against common practice and provided an atmosphere of acceptance and respect which is something I’m very grateful for.

    Aah is a great midwife for someone who wants an out of hospital birth experience but wants the optimal medically minded midwife with a holistic caring provider.

    Elizabeth Roemhildt Avatar
    Elizabeth Roemhildt
    10/23/2018
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Willamette Birth offers Oregon’s best Maternity & Home Birth Care.

Talk to a Midwife today by calling (541) 908-9188

or send a message through the contact form.

Recent Posts

  • Eugene/Springfield OHP Trillium Covered Homebirth & Midwifery Care September 20, 2018
  • Introducing the Resus-A-Cradle: a Midwife-Invented Support for Newborn Resuscitation! February 18, 2017
  • If you only have one baby at home, make sure it is your first! July 28, 2016
  • Pelvic Floor Health & Pregnancy: An Interview with Corvallis Physical Therapist Kerry Boysen May 2, 2016
  • Birth Affirmations for the Skeptical Mother January 15, 2016
  • Corvallis Childbirth & Postpartum Education for 2016 December 28, 2015
  • Morning Sickness, X-Rays, & Crazy Hormones- Dr. Laster Tells You Everything You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know About Keeping a Healthy Smile During Pregnancy! December 15, 2015
  • Resources & Referrals for Oregon Mothers in Crisis November 18, 2015
  • Simple Statements to Help You Cope with Anxiety During Pregnancy or Other Times November 13, 2015
  • The Cochrane Collaboration: Midwife Led Models Benefit Mothers & Babies September 17, 2015

Tags

Cesarean childbirth education corvallis dental health dentist Embryology first baby HBAC homebirth home birth insurance kids Midwife Midwifery Care Neonatal resuscitation Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy postpartum education pregnancy Resus-A-Cradle Safety VBAC waterbirth Women's Health

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Recent Comments

  • Whether You Should Have a VBAC or Not? on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon
  • Jazmin Johnson on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon
  • Stephanie Preston on Introducing the Resus-A-Cradle: a Midwife-Invented Support for Newborn Resuscitation!
  • Monica Wood on If you only have one baby at home, make sure it is your first!
  • Rocelle on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC/HBAC) in Oregon

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  • We chose to have a home birth for our third baby, and could not have made a better decision going with Willamette Birth! I never thought a birth experience would leave me feeling so empowered and whole. My previous two births took place in a hospital, and when we found out we were having a third, it felt like the perfect opportunity to get the healing birth experience I deeply wanted. We transferred to Ash’s care just before the third trimester, so we did not get to walk through the early prenatal appointments together. Nonetheless, Ash treated my partner and I with so much respect, and took extra time with us to answer questions and explain things. Ash offered new perspectives, shared research and evidence based information, and helped me process and make sense of my previous prenatal and childbirth experiences. She is a great listener, and makes no assumptions about what I wanted or what I knew/didn’t know about pregnancy and childbirth. Ash brings a depth of knowledge with so much passion. Her confidence and experience increased my own confidence in my body’s ability to do something incredible. Every time we walked away from our prenatal appointments, my partner and I had a new energy and confidence in our decision. Our excitement and anticipation grew and grew after every appointment.

    My partner was an incredible birth partner for our previous children, and Ash complimented our dynamic perfectly. She read the room, and supported at all the right moments to help me progress. Ash allowed my partner and I to share this incredibly intimate process, but knew when to step in, creating a really great balance. I think it's really special that she is able to carry so much knowledge in an area, and still trusted me as the expert with my body.

    One thing that really stood out to me was how Ash would ask permission to do anything related to my body. I think I had grown so accustomed to relying on medical professionals to do whatever they deemed necessary, but learning how to trust my body, listen to myself, and be in charge of what I needed was one of the most empowering experiences I’ve ever had. She allowed that growth for me, and there are not enough stars in a review that can thank her enough for giving me that gift. Ash is a talented and knowledgeable midwife, but she also has a depth of skills that can’t be learned from books. She is gentle, caring, genuine and safe, and choosing her for our home birth helped us achieve so much more than the birth of our sweet baby – it gave us this beautiful life experience that we can be proud of and cherish forever.

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    Billie Cannon Avatar
    Billie Cannon
    12/16/2021

  • Ash is the best! She was extremely informative, caring, professional, and organized. Knowing our child would be born into her hands, provided our family with the confidence necessary to have a successful, life-changing at-home birth. Thanks Ash!!!

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    Joseph Maurer Avatar
    Joseph Maurer
    5/13/2022

  • Both of my children were welcomed to the world by Ash, and I would choose her again in a heartbeat.

    She gave me tough love when I needed to do my part in setting up for the easiest birth experience possible, she stayed cool headed yet compassionate when issues came up, and was consistently respectful of my physical being and my choices for my child. (The latter of which is especially important to me and rather hard to find in a health care provider.)

    Ash is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable, and was an invaluable guide through both of my pregnancies and into motherhood. I couldn't be more grateful to have found her.

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    nashira bohlman Avatar
    nashira bohlman
    5/15/2022

  • And the year was 2020....
    I was hoping to have a homebirth with my daughter that ultimately ended up a hospital birth and a very traumatic one at that. When I found out I was pregnant in late 2019 I was 100% going to respect my partner and his wishes for a hospital birth, I guess to make us both feel better just in case something went wrong this time around and then a pandemic hit and everything I wanted for my secure hospital birth went out the window and I started seeking out midwifes to have a homebirth.
    When I realized I would have to wear a mask in labor and delivery and my daughter wouldn't be able to meet her sibling immediately after birth I was pretty upset by both these factors and to add in only one support person or no support person could be present, I threw the idea of a hospital birth out the window and knew a homebirth was the way to go for me, personally.
    In a way I wanted to redeem myself and say "I did it, I birthed my baby at home, my way!" And I 100% did and it's all thanks to Ash!
    When I first met Ash I really felt I vibed with her and she was definitely going to be the midwife to help me deliver my sweet babe. I contacted her at about 35 weeks and was uncertain if I'd be able to have a homebirth due to insurance but I was very low risk and passed with flying colors. At about 37 weeks my partner and I weren't in a great place and I didn't think I would be able to continue care with Ash but when I talked to her she put my mind at ease, told me everything was going to be okay, that this was my path and it'll all work itself out, and it absolutely did.
    Ash is so special and a kind soul and she got me through a very rough time in my life and this pregnancy and I absolutely recommend her.
    Ash has an assistant midwife, Anita. When my doula didn't show both Ash and Anita kept me calm and helped me birth my little guy. At one point during contractions I didn't think I could really do it and was ready to throw in the towel and go to the hospital, I was already invested at this point. Ash reassured me everything was fine, it was going to work out and everything in this moment is perfect and she was absolutely correct. Everything worked out the way it was supposed.
    I'm so thankful and grateful for both Ash and Anita. My baby had a shoulder distocia, they knew exactly what to do when to do it. I feel if I was in the hospital things might have not worked out the exact way it was supposed to and ultimately I'm not sure what would have happened.
    I completely redeemed myself with this birth and am overjoyed with the way things fell into place, in a way this birth helped me heal from the traumatic one I had with my daughter and 100% of that goes to Ash, she got me through it and knew I could do it when I doubted myself. Ash absolutely knows what she's talking about and can help you birth your baby, your way!
    Thank you Ash for all you do, you're a saint and an absolute asset to the community.

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    Brytney Gillingham Avatar
    Brytney Gillingham
    7/15/2020

  • Ash is such a great midwife! She made me feel secure and knowledgeable about our home birth. She also adapted very well to my family's needs and performed her services up and above the standard midwife. 10/10! See you next time!

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    James Lewis Avatar
    James Lewis
    7/12/2016

  • She was so helpful throughout the whole process. Let’s you make your own decisions and doesn’t judge you or push you. I highly recommend her!

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    gavin benton Avatar
    gavin benton
    7/30/2021

  • Ash was an absolutely wonderful doula. She supported me before, during and after my baby's birth by meeting with me to work out my birth plan, attending an appointment with me, answering any questions that I had from her strong knowledge base, and helping me to stay grounded and focused during labor for my successful unmedicated VBAC. She shared excellent resources with me including a binder of birthing and postpartum info and websites with current research to help me make decisions. She always responded right away to any communications and got to the hospital very fast when my labor was moving at lightning speed. She stopped by for her postpartum visit and jumped in to doing chores around the house. She was both friendly and professional. I would highly recommend her doula services and imagine that she is an excellent midwife as well.

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    Emmy Woessner Avatar
    Emmy Woessner
    1/21/2016

  • Ash is a fantastic midwife. The personalized and comprehensive care you get from her practice is second to none. She was always there to answer any questions we had day or night and the appointments are lengthy so you never feel rushed. I also really appreciated the combination of modern innovations and practices mixed with a more naturalistic approach. We would definitely have her as our provider again!

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    Amanda Maurer Avatar
    Amanda Maurer
    8/10/2017

  • What I appreciate most about Ash as my midwife, is her constant respect for my body. I She always asks for my consent before touching me, talks to me honestly yet compassionately about the choices regarding my body, pregnancy and birth. She is a great blend of western medicine and natural alternatives, and my partner and I left our appointments feeling well informed.
    Laboring and giving birth at home was a deeply empowering experience for me. Ash’s lack of intervention, gentle instruction and encouragement let me know that I could trust my body fully and that I was already doing what I was supposed to do. It felt so good to bring my baby girl into this world in my home knowing every step of the way that I was doing a great job.
    After giving birth, I felt very emotional, and struggled a lot with the physical changes my body was going through. Ash listened compassionately, spoke frankly about my options and was so kind with the support that she offered. I always felt better after talking withy her. She was easily available by phone, and always called me right back if she missed a call or received a text.
    I’m glad I chose Ash as my midwife and would recommend her to anyone seeking an empowering home birth experience.

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    Aña Marjenka Avatar
    Aña Marjenka
    1/15/2019

  • As a first time mother choosing Ash as a midwife was the best decision I made during my early pregnancy. She is very knowledgeable in all stages: pregnancy, delivery and post-partum. Before I found Ash I had three appointments with my OBGYN. In my first appointment with Ash I learned more about my pregnancy than I had during all my previous OBGYN visits. Ash provides a comprehensive Handbook covering everything from pregnancy to child-birth and post-partum. I found this extremely useful and informative. At all times during Ash’s care I felt safe and confident in her skills and knowledge trusting in her ability to provide the best care possible, which she did. I could not imagine going through my birth without Ash as my Mid-wife, she empowered me, giving me the best possible birth imaginable!
    I highly recommend Ash Johnsdottir!

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    Aubree Minten Avatar
    Aubree Minten
    7/15/2016

  • Amazing! That's the words I would use!! I had two previous births, both in a hospital. I was looking for something different, something personal and unique. Ash was just that. She was thoughtful, caring, reliable, and really listened to my concerns and worries. She was always prompt in getting back to me when needed. As far as birthing, she came when I called no questions asked. I really couldn't have asked for better care for my in home birth. I highly recommend Ash!!

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    Katelyn Bobeda Avatar
    Katelyn Bobeda
    8/16/2018

  • We feel so lucky to have had Ash as our midwife. It was my first pregnancy so we appreciated that she would spend at least an hour with us during each appointment answering all our questions. If she didn't know an answer she would openly admit it and then walk us through her logical, evidence based suggestion. Once on our way home after an appointment my husband voiced a worry that he had. I texted Ash about his concern and she immediately called us. Not because it was an emergency but because she wanted to ease his worry right away. She took the time to walk us through the evidence as to why it likely wasn't a concern and even offered that we could turn around and come back to do a stress test if it would ensure that we could be completely at peace from worry that evening. After each interaction with Ash our excitement in having her on our 'birth team' grew.

    The home birth was beautiful and Ash's patience and expertise made it all go smoothly and peacefully.

    Our postpartum period was very difficult due to nursing issues and Ash was the only medical provider that was recognizing that there was an issue. She checked in with us multiple times and even let us know that, while our contract had us ending care with her at 6 weeks postpartum, she would work with us as long as needed, until we got through our difficulties.

    She went above and beyond to give us professional, compassionate care, time and time again. You get a sense of that right away from her client handbook. It's full of science based information for all the stages of pregnancy but in a book beautiful enough to be a scrapbook. She seems the perfect mix of very science based meets herbal/alternative medicine. If we become pregnant again we would have Ash as our midwife without hesitation and we would highly recommend her!

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    Jami Ivory Avatar
    Jami Ivory
    9/22/2021

  • I originally planned to have a regular hospital birth with my first daughter since I couldn’t find a midwife in my area that I was excited about, who would also accept my insurance.
    I resigned myself to the whole hospital experience but could not shake the discouraging feeling I had before and after every OB visit. I had imagined pregnancy to be a special time in my life but left all my appointments feeling like I was being treated for just another medical condition.

    Halfway through my pregnancy, I decided to scrap my hospital birth and search for a midwife and by some luck found Ash! And she accepted my insurance! Switching to Ash was the best thing I could have done for my daughter and I.

    Ash was very accommodating and had no problem taking me on halfway through my pregnancy. She was exactly what I was looking for: extremely knowledgeable regarding the medical side of pregnancy and childbirth but also very in touch with her intuition. Many of the midwives I had looked at initially seemed to lean too far to the woo woo side for me personally. Ash is the perfect blend of everything, down to earth, spiritual, with heavy emphasis on medical practice, while also being very well versed in holistic care.

    During my appointments with Ash, she thoroughly explained all the medical tests and procedures in a way that was easy to understand. She never jumped to worst case scenario, but instead outlined all the possible outcomes, how likely they were to occur, and what could be done to have a healthier pregnancy.
    She always took my questions and concerns into consideration so I never felt silly asking her about anything, although she honestly does such a good job explaining everything that I rarely had many questions!

    Ash’s home office is a breath of fresh air! Clean, comfortable and nicely decorated with soft lighting. Appointments with Ash always felt more like visiting a friend who also happens to be extremely knowledgeable in all things pre and postnatal. I really appreciated her attention to detail about what might make a pregnant woman more comfortable such as little pillows for lower back support, beverage offerings, as well as the light but not overpowering scent of citrus to calm a nauseous stomach.

    During labor, I could not have asked for better support. Ash gave me plenty of space to labor alone with my partner during the early phase, as I had requested. When I went into active labor she never left my side and was the best cheerleader! She was gentle yet firm in her encouragement and never ran out of new positions or techniques to try if one wasn’t working for me.
    All of her encouragement was true and genuine. I never felt like she was trying to give me false confidence or say something just to make me feel better.

    Ash is not only stellar during pregnancy and birth, but exceptional during post delivery and the weeks after. I always felt like my babies were in good hands during post birth checkups. I was so impressed with the level of care I received postnatal, as it consisted of multiple visits instead of the single visit checkup so common with an OB. Even months after my care with Ash had ended, I always felt that she was available to address any questions or concerns that I might have, as well as fawn over cute baby pictures!

    I’ve had Ash as my midwife for two pregnancies and couldn’t be happier. Her level of pre and postnatal care is outstanding! She is so knowledgeable, experienced and such a genuinely sweet and down to earth person.
    I can’t think of a better woman to guide a child into this world than Ash 💕

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    Amanda Bristow Avatar
    Amanda Bristow
    8/20/2021

  • We enjoyed relaxed informative prenatal visits with Ash. She took the time to explain the pregnancy and birth process. We felt very prepared and supported. Ash also encouraged good life style choices throughout the pregnancy and we now have a very healthy baby. For us, having our baby at home was the right choice and Ash was instrumental in making that successful.

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    Moksha Rainbowlight Hatton Avatar
    Moksha Rainbowlight Hatton
    7/09/2016

  • From the birthing person: Ash was such a wonderful choice for our family. All throughout my pregnancy I felt so safe in her hands and she had ready answers for any questions I might have - always asking permission before touching my belly or taking any vitals. During labor & delivery she was respectful of giving me space, but was there as soon as I needed her - which left me feeling empowered but also so cared for. She is deeply knowledgeable and I so appreciated her holistic approach with herbal & nutritional support. During the postpartum period, she was deeply caring and solution oriented, she made us feel so taken care of. Thank you Ash, from our whole family!

    From the birthing partner: As a first-time father, I was of course very nervous going into the whole thing, and unsure of where to put myself and how to support in the best way. I found Ash to be so, so calming. she has such strength and confidence in the way that she directed the whole thing, and in the last hours of labor, she was an impressive force, gently and firmly carrying us over the edge and into parenthood.
    10/10 would ask for her in the future, when we are blessed with more children.

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    Abigail Reno Avatar
    Abigail Reno
    6/08/2021

Ash Johnsdottir, BSM CPM LDM

Call 541.908.9188 to talk about Midwifery Care

152 NE Conifer Blvd, Corvallis, OR 97330

Willamette Birth is the midwifery practice of Corvallis midwife Ash Johnsdottir, who is a licensed & certified professional midwife serving women & families in Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, Springfield, Newport, Albany, Philomath, Lebanon, Junction City, Sweet Home, & surrounding areas. We provide complete prenatal, birth, postpartum, and maternity care in Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. Private Insurance and Oregon Health Plan (OHP) accepted.

Willamette Birth Ash Johnsdottir, MIDWIFE Serving the greater Willamette Valley.
Call 541.908.9188 to talk about midwifery care or submit this form to ask a question or request a consultation with midwife Ash Johnsdottir, BSM CPM LDM.

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