Birth at Shiphrah Birthing Home

At the center of every birth at Shiphrah Birthing Home is the woman and her family. Hospitality is an important value for us. We want everyone who walks through the doors of Shiphrah Bahay Paanakan to feel welcome.

At Shiphrah, mothers experience safe and dignified care in a home-like environment, surrounded by those who love and encourage them. We believe that the mother can make her own decisions for her birth and that the support of her family and midwives is essential.

As a laboring woman at Shiphrah Bahay Paanakan, you are free to walk around and to move into whatever position you feel most comfortable in. You may use a birth ball to labor on, you can go for a walk in the neighborhood or you can rest in your room. We encourage you to eat and drink to have the energy to give birth, and we hope that you will have your partner, family members or a close friend with you to support and encourage you during this special time.

You may give birth in a squatting position on our birthing stool, on all fours, in a sidelying position, or laying on your back. Furthermore, we are happy to offer water birth* to our mothers. We believe that every birth is unique and every mother knows which position works best for her and her baby.

After birth, your baby will be placed on your chest for immediate skin-to-skin contact and what we call Unang Yakap in the Philippines. We also practice delayed cord-clamping, so that your baby gets all the blood from the placenta. Newborn exams and your baby's first bath are delayed also, so you can fully enjoy this special time of bonding that you have been waiting for.

Below you can see some photos of births that happened at Shiphrah Birthing Home. If you would like to have memories of this special moment in your life, please contact our mission photographer Isabell.


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Going for a walk in the neighborhood
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Our midwives are making sure baby's fine
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Breathing through contractions while resting on a birth ball
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Surrounded by people who encourage and support her
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Checking baby's heart tones
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A husband massaging his wife's back to help with back labor pain
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Make yourself at home
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Back massage to help ease the pain
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Staying hydrated during labor
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Resting between contractions
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Supported by people who love her
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Surrounded by her birth team
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Just moments away from meeting their baby
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Unang yakap
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Breastfeeding right after birth
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Skin-to-skin time with mommy right after birth
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Happy mommy, happy baby
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*If you are interested in having a water birth, please inquire with our midwives.

To see photos of births at Shiphrah and read some birth stories written by the mothers, click here.