What We Do
What is Midwifery
Midwives offer complete comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, labor and birth. We continue to provide care for women and newborns for the first 6 weeks postpartum.. Midwives can also provide annual well body care throughout the childbearing years.. Midwifery care is built upon creating a trusting relationship with our patients. A pillar of quality midwifery care focuses on informed choice. We strive to provide quality information and resources which help guide our families in making educated informed choices about their pregnancy, birth, postpartum and newborn.
Home Birth
Before deciding if a home birth is the right option for you it is important to evaluate both the risks and benefits of a home birth. At home a woman who is laboring may be able to feel more comfortable, safe and in control. Family members may be present and even participate in the labor. In a normal low risk pregnancy, a home birth is a safe choice. Most risk factor associated with labor are able to be detected prenatally. However, labor is a dynamic process and complications can arise quickly and unexpectedly. If an emergency complication occurs and one is birthing at home a transport to the hospital may be needed. A home birth is an amazing option to have, but not everyone, or every pregnancy is suited for a home birth. It is important for the women and family to feel safe wherever they decide to give birth.
Labor and Birth
Our birth team is on call for you at the end of your pregnancy so when active labor is established we arrive at your home. The midwives will set up our equipment and begin to monitor you and the baby. We encourage you to experience the freedom to move around as needed, eat what you'd like, and relax in whatever way feels good for your body. We rent birth tubs to our birthing families, and our birth tubs have heaters keeping the water warm throughout your labor. The combination of support and comfort from your family and our birth team is there to empower, support and guide you through your labor and birth.
Postpartum and Newborn Care
To ensure that you receive the best possible care for you and your newborn baby, our team will stay in close contact with you after your birth to provide support, physical exams, assist with breastfeeding, and answer any questions you may have. All of these services can be provided to you in the comfort of your home. We return to your home three times in the first week postpartum to continue to provide care for you and your baby, and ensure breastfeeding is successful.
Covid 19 Response
Morningstar Midwifery has shifted some of our protocol in response to the cover 19 pandemic. Dani is continuing to evaluate the most current available research, look at the most up to date guidelines and best available date to help create protocols that help keep our Morningstar Families safe during this pandemic.
Currently Morningstar has temporally halted our office visits. Dani is doing midwifery care in the homes of our clients. We are currently unsure when we will return to office visits but looking forward to welcoming families back into our office soon.
Dani's is wearing a face mask during all of our in care including all prenatal visit, throughout labor and birth and at all our postpartum encounters. This helps to protect all of our families. We are doing many of our prenatal outside when he weather is nice, and frequently cleaning our midwifery tools between uses. We are not requiring mask use during labor and are supportive of families having the support they need at home to feel safe and well supported.
We are offering tele heath visits if families request, or as indicated based on current case load in the counties we serve.
Photo Gallery
Our Team
Midwife
Dani Scanlon began to pursue midwifery while finishing her Bachelors of Science at Mount Allison University. In 2009 she enrolled at Birthwise Midwifery School in Bridgton, Maine. The first two years at school were spent learning the science and art of midwifery. Then starting in 2011 Dani had the opportunity to apprentice with Ellie Daniels and Donna Broderick at Morningstar Midwifery. For two years Dani worked alongside the Morningstar midwives and fell in love with the midcoast Maine community. In 2011 she had the unique experience of working in a remote birth center in Haiti, where she provided prenatal, birth and postpartum care.
In 2013 Dani graduated from Birthwise Midwifery School and passed the NARM exam to become a Certified Professional Midwife. Since becoming a CPM she has continued to provide midwifery care for the midcoast Maine community. She served on the steering committee of the Maine Association of Certified Professional Midwives.
In 2017 Dani took over Morningstar Midwifery when Ellie and Donna retired. She loved having the opportunity to support midcoast Maine families grow and supporting birthing people through the pregnancy, labor and postpartum journeys. In 2019 Dani and her husband Jeff welcomed their third son at home. Dani has recently moved her midwifery office to their farm to balance the joys of being a mother and a midwife. Dani enjoys playing with the boys, cooking delicious food, fermenting vegetables, crafting with her hands, and growing organic raspberries on the farm.
Photo Gallery
Client testimonials
It was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life to have a homebirth with Dani as my midwife. Her confident, gentle presence offered calm assurance, empowering me for this miraculous journey.
Although this was not my first birth, it was my first home birth, and the first time I felt I was able to be fully present in labor, partnering alongside my body and baby with the affirming guidance of our midwives. The home visits before and after birth were also tremendously convenient and enjoyable. Many thanks for this rich opportunity for our whole family to welcome our new baby in the peace and comfort of our home.
- Michelle Boyle,
We were so lucky to have Dani with us as our midwife through the pregnancy and birth of our second child. Dani brought so much knowledge and care to the 9 months we spent together. We felt she always gave us the space and information to make the best decisions for us on each step of the journey. She was the steadfast support we needed while we labored at home and was the incredibly organized professional we needed when we had to make an unexpected transition to a hospital birth. She always made it clear that her main focus was to make sure we had the information and support we needed to feel in charge of the experience. And she did exactly that. We feel so grateful to have had her to help bring our son safely into this world. If we ever have number three we know she will be the first person we call.
-Emily Dubovy
I have known Dani for the better part of 10 years and during that time she has been my midwife, a midwife to others, and a dear friend. Her presence as a strong and supportive midwife has reassured me through tough times in birth and her empowering words have helped me find my own inner strength to birth my babies. Her prenatal care has always been professional and thorough, researching every question and concern to be sure her information is current and safe. I believe Dani is a generous human, sharing her light with those around her and lifting people up with her inclusive compassion. I would recommend her to anyone who was interested and able to have a homebirth.
-Alessandra Martinelli
When I first found out I was pregnant, like most people I went to the local hospital for care. But I didn’t feel like my ideas for how I wanted my birth to go, matched up with theirs. We started looking for alternatives and we’re so lucky to have found Dani. From our very first meeting, she truly saw us. She saw capable parents wrapped up inside these scared young kids, and she was one of the first people to make us feel like we had a say. Even when I went postdates with my first, she supported me with all the information and care I needed and then accompanied us to the hospital. When I found out I was pregnant with my second I knew I wanted to try again for a homebirth. And we have been blessed to have Dani with us to welcome both of our children into the world. I feel so grateful to have been able to have a homebirth and through both postpartum periods, the thing I looked forward to the most was the constant support, days, weeks and even years after the birth is over.
-Kelsye McGrath
Dani helped guide two of my four children into this world. Both births were beautiful experiences, but each for its own reasons. With Oggie, Dani arrived about four hours before delivery. She gave my husband and I the space to be ourselves, laughing and laboring with our older children moving in and out of the birth room easily. I expressed a desire to hold my baby as he passed through me into the water and Dani honored my request with gentle guidance and encouragement. We felt supported and respected in all of our wishes. Dani was a perfect balance between trusted friends and competent medical professionals, providing safety in both a physical and emotional way for the birth of our third son.
My son Ezra’s birth was more difficult. Labor progressed from easygoing and peaceful to emergency in less than five minutes. It might seem strange to describe such an incredibly urgent and scary birthing scenario as beautiful, but for me, it was a window into the power of my own body, as well as the skill, dedication, and love that go into midwifery. Dani was calm, honest, and committed to the wellbeing of my baby. I will never forget locking eyes with Dani in the crucial moments before Ezra came into the world. Her quiet intensity gave me the strength to do what I needed to do, and when my work was done, Dani’s wealth of experience and incredible skill as a midwife shone through. It became immediately apparent to everyone that we were lucky to have chosen Dani for this journey. That night in our sunroom, her hands, heart, and mind were holding my Ezra tight.
I cannot recommend Dani highly enough. She puts everything she has into midwifery. She is extremely knowledgeable, constantly searching for ways to improve her practice, and diligent in all that she does. But perhaps just as important, there is no disconnect between the quality of her care and her love for mothers and babies.
-Jenny Boright
Contact Us
Intimate, personalized care
Please contact us directly with any questions, comments, or scheduling inquiries you may have.
Fax any documents to (207) 805 6479.
Morningstar Midwifery
Morningstar Midwifery 943 Belfast Rd. Knox, ME 04986 US
Hours
Center Hours:
Monday - Friday: By appointment
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Lab Service:
We have the ability to draw lab at any of your visits
Copyright © 2021 Morningstar Midwifery - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder