Why a birth center

Gentle Landing Birth Center was created so families in the Upper Valley have a place to feel truly seen, supported, and respected during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Our approach combines professional expertise with a gentle, personal touch — because your birth journey deserves more than a one-size-fits-all experience.

A BIT OF HISTORY: After carefully surveying available choices in maternity and women’s health care in both Vermont and New Hampshire, what midwife Katherine Bramhall found was that available choices were filled with gaps, and options were rapidly dwindling for low-risk, healthy families. Not everyone felt comfortable with homebirth and many wanted another choice besides a hospital. Additionally, the recent consolidation and closing of maternity units all over the Upper Valley left the community and beyond with limited choices for care.

The clear solution was to create a new choice in maternity care: an independent, midwife-led, freestanding birth center in a region of the Upper Valley where there remained no other choice but a large hospital for families to get low-intervention care for their low-risk pregnancy.

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Our Philosophy

At Gentle Landing the midwives and staff hold a  deep belief that every woman deserves access to quality, equitable, and respectful maternity care.

CARE at Gentle Landing is based on the essential need that we all want to be seen and cared for as a whole person; that our health exists within the context of our entire life history. Gentle Landing Midwifery and Birth Center holds this wholeness as essential to uncompromising health CARE. We are deeply committed to caring for you from this position. 

We focus on:

  • Individualized care throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum

  • Empowered decision-making with clear, compassionate guidance

  • Holistic support for the whole family — emotional, physical, and practical

Here, birth is intentional, unhurried, and grounded in trust.

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MEET THE MIDWIVES

The heart of Gentle Landing has always been our midwives. They bring a quiet, grounded wisdom and genuine warmth to the families we care for. With open hearts and steady support, they listen deeply, gently guide you, and walk beside you through every shift and season of your journey.

“I feel like given the choice, I could never go back to a hospital setting. Nothing prepared me for how beautiful and calm (amidst the birth chaos) my birth would truly be at the birth center.”

MEET THE TEAM →

TOUR THE BIRTH CENTER

We designed Gentle Landing Birth Center to be a comforting sanctuary that feels like home.

Our birth suites are quiet, private retreats with plenty of room for your support team to gather around you.

Families often tell us that simply being in the space helps them feel rooted and at ease, ready for the beautiful experience to come.

Schedule a tour or consultation to step inside and imagine your birth journey with us.

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BIRTH STORIES

Every birth at Gentle Landing is unique, but the themes repeat: families feel supported, empowered, and heard. Our midwives witness moments of strength, joy, and transformation that stay with families long after birth.

Whether it’s a gentle water birth, a calm natural birth, or a low-intervention birth with thoughtful medical support, these stories reflect what happens when care is personal, intentional, and centered on your family.

WORDS OF PRAISE

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WORDS of PRAISE

  • I've never known someone so briefly and loved so deeply as the midwives at Gentle Landing.

    Thank you for your lovely card for my baby's birthday. I will always, in all ways, be thankful that your hands gave her to me.

  • I feel blessed to have had them attend the birth of my beautiful daughter.

    I came to the midwives at Gentle Landing a couple of months pregnant with my second child. They gave me not only excellent prenatal care in a medical sense but also gave me courage and rallied community support for me in becoming a single mother to my new baby. They were always available for any questions or needs I had and provided amazing support during labor for pain relief/management. 

  • The peaceful and loving demeanor at the birth center is contagious.

    We are so lucky to have found your practice. The peaceful and loving demeanor at the birth center is contagious. You-all helped me be incredibly confident in labor, and I know my husband would have had a very hard time without your support of him. In the end, even though I had to go to the hospital for my birth, your strength beside us reinforced our optimism, patience and courage which gave us such a positive start in our lives and our new family.

  • The team at Gentle Landing were like angels tending to all that needed tending to...

    So that I could labor.  I had nothing to worry about but birthing and welcoming our newest little one into our lives.  Once you have your baby in your arms, they literally tuck you in with your family and tend to EVERY detail. Thank God for this Choice in Birth.

  • I just couldn't explain how I had never felt more safe.

    The midwives listened with such skill and intuition; they connected with our entire family, not just me and baby. Many friends back home were so uncertain when they heard we were planning a birth center birth, and I just couldn't explain how I had never felt more safe. "You just need to meet these midwives...you would totally understand," I said time and time again.

  • Our family is wholly impressed and forever touched by the love and care we received from our midwives!

    I arrived at Gentle Landing at seven months pregnant. My partner and I were brand new to the Upper Valley. Our sweet boy was born peacefully and respectfully at the Birth Center after just a few short hours of labor.

  • I feel extremely lucky to be part of the Gentle Landing family

    As a first time mother, I could not have asked for better care in my pregnancy, birthing and motherhood journey.

  • I feel like given the choice, I could never go back to a hospital setting.

    Nothing prepared me for how beautiful and calm (amidst the birth chaos) my birth would truly be at the birth center.

  • The wisdom, love, and years of experience that the Gentle Landing midwives bring to their clients is unlike any other experience you will have in this area.

    My husband and I always felt heard, seen, respected, and loved when it came to our care throughout this pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Bringing a baby into your life is so much more than the physical act of pregnancy and birth, it’s about your life and your family and the well being of all members in it."

  • I knew right away when I found out I was pregnant that I wanted a more personal experience

    Than what is afforded to women opting to have routine checkups. The midwives are approachable, knowledgeable, nurturing and do an amazing job helping you journey into parenthood.

  • I feel better prepared on this journey as they’ve walked along with me.

    I appreciate fully, the intimate care and regard the midwives gave me, from encouraging my full openness to my emotions, physical experience and all realms of energetic health and well-being. 

  • I couldn't have been happier with my birth experience.

    The midwives were amazing during my birth experience. They not only helped me birth my baby, but they nurtured my soul as well. The midwives at Gentle Landing give the whole woman care, not only physical care, but spiritual care.

  • They almost make me want to have a third child, just to be able to visit with them more often... almost!

    There are so many wonderful things I can say about my birth experience at Gentle Landing, but I think the best way to sum up the love, grace, tenderness, and wisdom is to simply say this:  they almost make me want to have a third child, just to be able to visit with them more often... almost!

  • Thank you for all that you do and for standing up for women, their bodies and their choices.

    Working with Gentle Landing has been an absolute dream. I appreciate that they are both supporting and loving while also confident and matter of fact. It is clear they live for what they do, making sure clients are well-informed and supporting women in their birth choices once they have all the facts from every standpoint.