How does the group practice model work and what are the benefits?
With a three midwife group practice, our clients will meet with each midwife many times throughout their prenatal care. One to two midwives will be present at most visits, allowing everyone to build a deep sense of connection and trust. Traditionally, in solo midwifery practice, there are two midwives present at every homebirth and the assisting midwife usually meets the clients one time at 36 weeks. In our model, two of our three midwives will attend your birth, ensuring both midwives are care providers that you know and trust.
We utilize this group model because we find it to be the safest way to care for families, as it ensures the midwife at your birth is well rested and sharp. In traditional solo midwifery practice, there is limited back up, which means that a midwife might go from one birth directly to another without a full night of sleep. Research supports that care providers who are sleep deprived are more likely to make medical errors, have poor clinical judgment, or react slower when dealing with an emergency scenario. To combat this, we work in teams of two and are able to rotate midwives when dealing with back-to-back or multiple births. We found three midwives to be the sweet spot allowing us to give the best clinical care to our clients while being a small enough group, so clients can feel truly held and comfortable with a team they trust.
Is homebirth safe? Who can have a homebirth?
Homebirth is safe for low-risk and healthy birthing people. “Low-Risk” is defined as a pregnant person with a single, head-down baby who births between 37 and 42 weeks gestation, and a pregnant person who is free of any specific condition which might make spontaneous birth more risky for them.
Questions of safety and risk are deeply personal and something that all birthing people should examine- regardless of birth location. Birth inherently comes with risk. There is risk to birthing at home just as there is a risk to birthing at a hospital. The question becomes which set of risks feel safest to you.
Here are some studies and other material to explore:
-Film: Why Not Home
– Article : Why Choose Homebirth
– Study on Perinatal mortality and morbidity
– Outcomes of planned home births with midwives versus physicians
Do I also need a doula if I have a midwife?
You do not need a doula if you hire a midwife, but you may still want one! The role of the doula is different from that of the midwife. A doula is an emotional, physical, and informational support person. Doulas act as labor “coaches”, guiding you through the stages of labor using labor positions, comfort measure tools, affirming language, and other tools. A doula will often arrive at your home before the midwife does. A midwife’s role is clinical and she is responsible for the health of you and your baby. Midwives often arrive after the doula and stay longer into the postpartum. The differing roles of the doula and the midwife make them a comprehensive care team! We recommend doula support to all our clients, especially first-time birthers.
Do I need a doctor if I have a midwife?
No! Midwives are primary care providers trained to support normal pregnancy, birth and postpartum. If you are choosing hybrid care, you may decide to see an OBGYN concurrently.
What happens if I need to go to the hospital?
Midwives are trained to handle a wide spectrum of labor and births. However, if something falls outside of our scope, looks as if it is trending that direction, or if we are in need of an intervention that is not available in the home setting, we will transfer to the hospital. Most of our transfers are non-urgent and we often go by personal car. If an ambulance is needed, we call to initiate their services. We accompany you to the hospital, relinquish clinical care, but stay present with you as your advocate.
Is my home too small for a homebirth? What about the noise or the mess?
Birth doesn’t need a lot of space. If you consider the size of a hospital room, most homes are of adequate size. Laboring people often gravitate towards small spaces, like bathrooms or a cozy corner of the bedroom. We are used to working in small spaces. And contrary to what Hollywood would like us to believe, birth is a relatively quiet event. As for the mess, it’s not much. Your birth kit comes with protective layers that we use to cover your mattress and areas of your floor. We make sure to leave your home on the day of birth with it looking tidy so you can fully rest and enjoy your babe.
Where do I give birth?
Anywhere you want! There isn’t a room in the house where we haven’t seen a baby be born!
Can you do lab work and ultrasounds?
We can do all blood draws, lab work, and cultures from your home. As for ultrasounds, we can easily refer out for those.
Can I have a water birth?
Yes, water can be a great tool for integrating the sensations of birth. We have several birth tubs that can be rented for the month you are due, as well as other local rental contacts if ours are booked.
What do you bring to a birth?
We carry a hefty EMT bag to births. It contains: a fetal doppler to listen to baby’s heartbeat, anti-hemorrhagic medications, IV supplies, suturing equipment, resuscitation equipment, an oxygen tank, stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, instruments, gloves, a flashlight, a birth stool, a TENS unit, herbs, and homeopathic medications.
Do you take insurance or payment plans?
Homebirth is covered through most PPOs at your out-of-network rate. We work with an insurance biller to get you a return on what you have paid upfront for services. We also offer payment plans. It feels extremely important to us that this service is accessible to all people. Please inquire even if your funds are limited, we will work with you.