BirthPointe

The contrast is night and day. Those who choose to deliver their baby in a midwife setting are often granted more freedom. 

“I always say this is your party,” said Traci Santangelo, a Fort Worth native and certified nurse midwife. As the owner of BirthPointe, she helps women have natural births safely. She cares for them before, during, and after their pregnancy, offering lots of delivery options. 

Partners can help deliver the baby if they want to, she said. If a person giving birth wants to reach down and deliver their own baby as it comes out of their body, once it’s past the shoulders already, Santangelo and her team can help, and they will do whatever they can to keep the birth safe.

As for who is allowed in the room, Santangelo says she leaves that up to the pregnant person. Anyone and everyone they choose is welcome. 

And yes, you can have a water birth at BirthPointe. Water births have become more common, she said, but what she humorously calls land births also come with the freedom to move. Babies are born in a variety of positions, she explained. Mothers deliver standing, laying on their sides, in a tub, and on all fours, too, she said. They may also get in and out of tubs and showers at the center as much as they want to.

“Moving is the number one thing you can do as far as pain management,” said Santangelo. “When you birth in a hospital, it’s very limiting as far as the positions you can be in.”

A Calling

BirthPointe opened its doors in March 2023, but Santangelo has been delivering babies in DFW since 2013. Santangelo knew she wanted to be a midwife by the young age of 10. First, she grew up, married, and had children of her own. She became a labor and delivery nurse too, but once her children were teenagers, she had time to attend round-the-clock deliveries. Indeed, most babies are born at night, she told us. “Midwifery for centuries has been about the relationship with the woman, and I want to bring that back as an alternative to women who don’t want the typical cultural norm,” she said.

Body and Mind

As an advanced practice nurse, Santangelo is considered a primary care provider and can write prescriptions, she told us. She collaborates with a physician, and refers to them as needed, taking a conservative approach to safety.

Ideally, pregnant people will come to see Santangelo at eight to 12 weeks pregnant, if not sooner. Half-hour appointments cover breastfeeding, choosing a pediatrician, managing toddlers as you breastfeed, overcoming nausea, managing hip pain, and more. The postpartum period is another emphasis, rounding out an education many do not find in traditional birth settings. That way, said the midwife, those going into labor are ready both mentally and physically.