ABOUT THE MIDWIFE
Birth is always an ordinary miracle
Charis Cooper, Midwife
Charis Cooper is a Boston-born Michigan-grown certified professional Midwife licensed by the State of Michigan. She has lived in Michigan since 2006 with her husband and 2 home-birthed little girls.
Charis started pursuing Midwifery in 2016 as a dream that grew into a passion. She believes every human being deserves to be able to give birth where they feel safe and supported by their team of choice and is committed to working towards a world where home birth, and equity in birth, isn't reserved for the few and the privileged.
Charis finds joy in dancing, luxuriating in the Great Lakes, baking sourdough (amidst other goodies) and laughing as often, and with as many dear friends, as possible.
At River City Home Birth, we believe in supporting autonomy in pregnancy, birth and postpartum and providing evidenced-based care to ensure our families have everything they need to make the decisions that are right for themselves and their babies.
We believe birth is as safe as life is and tends to work best when undisturbed. We also believe that there are times when medical intervention is needed, just like in the rest of life, and we make sure our clients know that we will counsel them and support them through whatever twists and turns may arise throughout their maternity care.
-Charis Cooper LM, CPM-
HOME BIRTH SUPPORT
PRENATAL EDUCATION
Our maternity services are individualized to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to expectant families throughout the prenatal, birth and postpartum seasons. Our desire is to create a safe, calm and empowering environment, ensuring that each family feels seen, respected, and in control of their birthing experience.
We offer home births in the greater Grand Rapids, MI area, including water births, believing that home birth can be a safe and accessible option for many low-risk pregnancies.
Throughout our care, we aim to equip expectant parents with the knowledge, confidence, and tools necessary to navigate the journey of pregnancy, labor, and early parenthood. We create ample room in each appointment to cover various aspects of natural childbirth, postpartum care, and breastfeeding, allowing parents to make informed choices and embrace the transformative experience of parenthood.
POSTPARTUM
Throughout the 4th trimester, the first 6 weeks following the birth, we focus on providing compassionate and practical assistance to new parents as they navigate the initial weeks and months after giving birth. From emotional needs to real time guidance, we are dedicated to ensuring that new parents feel like they have all the resources they need to care for themselves and their precious newborns in this tender and vulnerable season.
Our postpartum appointments include comprehensive newborn care up to 6 weeks, breastfeeding help, birth processing as well as physical, mental and emotional support for new parents.
LACTATION SUPPORT AND NEWBORN CARE
At the birth and beyond, we want to ensure that anyone who desires to breastfeed their baby has the education and resources they need to do so. Our midwife can help troubleshoot breastfeeding in those initial weeks and can connect you with experienced and local lactation experts who can navigate more difficult situations and create an environment where the parents feel confident and the baby is well fed.
Our team is also able to direct you to experts in the fields of cranio-sacral therapy, chiropractic care, pediatric dentistry, myo-facial body work, and professional counseling if the need for additional assistance arises. We believe in an integrated wellness system that incorporates many health modalities that allows you and your baby to thrive throughout this transition.