Natural Birth Services Offers the Following Services:

FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
Whether you are absolutely sure that you would like to work with a midwife throughout your pregnancy or postpartum period, or if you are simply wanting to learn more about it, the first step is to schedule an initial consultation. 

The initial consultation is a time to ask any questions that you may have, learn about midwifery care and Natural Birth Services and what we have to offer, and get a sense of whether or not we might be a good fit for one another. ​
We look forward to hearing from you!
Supplemental Prenatal care
Many people want the personalized and holistic care that homebirth midwifery offers, but with access to technology and medical interventions that a hospital birth can deliver.  For this reason, I offer individualized supplemental prenatal care to families planning a hospital birth. This means that you will see your primary Nurse Midwife or OB throughout your pregnancy, and you will see me for additional prenatal support that focuses on your individualized needs. It will be your primary care provider's job to monitor the health and well-being of both you and your baby. It will be my job to support that your emotional and educational needs are being met. I want to truly listen to your concerns and needs and make sure that they are being addressed in the best way possible, and I want to provide you with information, education and resources so that you can make truly informed choices about your healthcare.

Prenatal care can begin as soon as you are established with your primary healthcare provider. All appointments last about an hour and are held in the comfort of your own home. These appointments are a time when we get to know one another and foster a relationship of mutual trust and respect.
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I spend time with you during every prenatal appointment. I will check in with you about your emotions and feelings regarding the pregnancy, birth and parenting, and we will address any concerns or that you may be having.  I'll provide insights, suggestions and information. I understand that forming trusting relationships can take time, and I aim to allow for that time in order to truly get to know you so that I may individualize your care appropriately and create a comfortable and relaxed environment in which to best grow your baby.  I encourage you to bring your family to appointments, and if possible, I always like to spend at least one appointment with just you so we can have a bit of one-on-one time.

​While it is your primary care provider's job to monitor you and your baby's well-being, I will discuss ways to help keep you and your baby as healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy to try to prevent complications from arising. We will talk about lifestyle choices, exercise, nutrition, stress management, and suggestions for additional alternative medicine approaches if appropriate. We will also address any physical concerns that you may be having, and I may suggest specific follow-up care or topics to discuss with your primary healthcare provider.

The ultimate goal of prenatal appointments is to provide you with education and informed choice. You know your body, your baby, and your family best. You are the one person who should make decisions about your care. I will provide you with as much information as possible so that you can make truly informed choices. This means that I always talk to you about what is going on with your pregnancy and your care. We will review upcoming testing options, as well as review any test results. We will also discuss in-depth any procedures you may want to consider. We will always talk about why you are being offered certain tests or procedures, the benefits and risks of doing them, and of not doing them, and any alternatives that may be available, and I can offer you written information and resources so that you can look into them and research them further. 
Supplemental POSTPARTUM CARE
The postpartum period is a time when your body is still reeling from a very intense experience, and many people feel like that is when they need the most care, yet receive the least. Typical OB care in the US usually involves monitoring your care until you leave the hospital 1-3 days after your baby is born, followed by an appointment around 4-6 weeks postpartum. Traditional midwifery care with me typically involves 6 postpartum appointments in the first 6 weeks after having your baby, and each appointment lasts at least an hour. Supplemental postpartum care can involve up to 6 appointments, or it may only involve a few, depending on your needs. 
My trust in a person's own intuition and ingrained knowledge about what their body and baby need continues throughout the postpartum period. I spend time with you in the postpartum period, making sure that you have all of the information and resources you need to confidently begin your journey into parenthood. Postpartum Care is about not only monitoring you and your baby's well being, but it is also about making sure you all thrive!
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During your postpartum appointments I will talk with you about how you are doing both physically and emotionally. I want to make sure that you are healing well and that your baby is growing and displaying normal and healthy physical and behavioral signs. I will work with you to support you in your feeding goals, and ensure that they are going well and that you and your baby are bonding well and are thriving together outside of the womb. I also check in with you about how you are doing emotionally and facilitate processing your birth experience and your transition into parenthood.
PRECONCEPTION COunseling and consultation for at home insemination

Preconception Care

​Preconception care can play a crucial role in supporting individuals and families who are planning to conceive. Natural Birth Services offers a holistic and personalized approach to reproductive health and valuable guidance and support throughout your preconception journey.
 
Preconception care refers to the medical and lifestyle interventions taken to optimize a person's health and well-being before attempting to conceive. I focus on comprehensive assessments, education, and support to enhance fertility, minimize potential risks, and foster overall reproductive health.
Key Components of Preconception Care with Jasmine and Natural Birth Services:
 
  • Holistic Assessment: I  perform a thorough assessment of your physical health, reproductive history, emotional well-being, and lifestyle factors to identify any potential concerns or areas for improvement.
  • Nutrition and Lifestyle Counseling: I offer personalized guidance on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and healthy lifestyle choices to enhance fertility and create an optimal environment for conception.
  • Genetic and Family History Evaluation: I will collect information about genetic conditions, family health history, and prior pregnancy outcomes to identify any potential risks or hereditary factors that may impact future pregnancies. If appropriate, I may suggest that you see a genetic counselor.
  • Emotional Support: I will provide emotional support to individuals and couples, addressing fears, anxieties, and concerns related to conception. I aim to create a safe space for open communication so that clients are empowered to make informed decisions.
  • Referrals and Collaborative Care: In order to ensure comprehensive care and address specific needs, I may suggest that you see other healthcare professionals such as reproductive endocrinologists, genetic counselors, and mental health specialists, if necessary.
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Support for At-Home Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and Intracervical Insemination (ICI)

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into the uterus to increase the chances of conception. Sperm that is used for IUI must be washed before the procedure can be done. Washing the sperm is a process in which the seminal fluid and debris is removed and only the sperm cells are inserted into the uterus. 

Intracervical Insemination (ICI) is a fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into the cervix. This procedure can be done without washing sperm. 
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At-home inseminations refers to performing the insemination procedure, whether it is IUI or ICI, in the comfort of one's own home under the guidance and support of a midwife or healthcare provider.

 Natural Birth Services offers Support for At-Home IUI and ICI:

  • Education and Training: I provide detailed instructions and training on the process of at-home IUI and ICI, including the timing of ovulation, preparation of sperm samples, and proper technique for insemination.
  • Sperm Donor Options: I can help you explore sperm donor options, including known donors, anonymous donors, or sperm banks, and guide them through the legal and ethical considerations.
  • Monitoring and Timing: I help you monitor your menstrual cycle, track ovulation, and I offer guidance on optimal timing for at-home inseminations to maximize the chances of conception.
  • Insemination Procedure: I guide you through the process of at-home IUI, ensuring a sterile environment, proper specimen handling, and precise placement of sperm into the uterus.
  • Emotional Support and Follow-up: I strive to provide emotional support throughout the at-home insemination process, addressing any concerns or questions. I also offer follow-up consultations.
Please note that we do not specialize in infertility. We specialize in individuals and families who are using donor sperm to conceive. 
Pregnancy and Perinatal Consultation
In the past, expectant parents had the support of a close-knit village, a community of individuals who shared their wisdom and expertise. However, as our world has expanded, that sense of community has faded away. Many individuals now feel a profound sense of loneliness, particularly during pregnancy when uncertainties can magnify those feelings. I am here to recreate that village for you.

As a midwife at Natural Birth Services, I understand that the journey of pregnancy is filled with moments of joy, excitement, a multitude of questions, and sometimes fears. Our mission is to provide you with a comprehensive range of pregnancy and perinatal consultation services, ensuring that you have the guidance, support, and expert advice you need at every step.
Pregnancy consultation is a personalized service tailored to meet the unique needs of expectant parents. It involves seeking professional guidance and advice from experienced healthcare providers specializing in prenatal care and the various aspects of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Whether you are embarking on parenthood for the first time or have previous pregnancy experience, our consultation services are here to address any concerns, offer valuable information, and provide reassurance throughout your entire pregnancy journey.

Imagine having someone to turn to when questions arise, whether it's about that unfamiliar rash or understanding why your doctor recommends a specific procedure. I am that someone, the person you can call to discuss any questions that may arise during your pregnancy and postpartum period. Rest assured that I am here to listen, support, and empower you with the knowledge and information necessary to make informed choices that align with your values and desires.
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At Natural Birth Services, we strive to rekindle the spirit of the village, creating a nurturing and compassionate space for you and your growing family. Together, we will embark on this remarkable journey, as I provide the care and understanding that every expectant parent deserves as they navigate this transformative time in their life.
POSTPARTUM DOULA CARE
About Our Costs
Understanding the ​Cost and Value of Private Midwifery Care
​One to one care with a midwife is a tradition as old as time. This model fosters true connection and understanding between the client and midwife, and is focused on the wellbeing of the birthing person, their baby, and their whole family. Time is taken to build this relationship and to ensure full involvement and autonomy for clients as they direct their care. Core values of midwifery care include individualized care, client autonomy, collaborative decision-making, continuity of care, optimizing health and preventing complications wherever possible, social and emotional support for the birthing family, understanding the benefits of physiologic birth and having the skills to support this, minimal intervention in the birth process and thoughtful use of intervention when necessary.
This time honored model of caring for families and welcoming the next generation is outside of the current dominant system of industrialized healthcare. When it comes to the structure of care as well as payment and insurance coverage, private midwifery care and home birth do not fit the mold. Parents often have questions about how the two models differ regarding what they entail, how they function, and fee structures and insurance coverage.

Midwife led care and home birth have much lower costs overall compared to hospital birth, as well as increased client satisfaction, and clearly proven healthy outcomes for birthing people and their babies (especially those from marginalized and oppressed groups such as BIPOC and LGBTQ people). However, the industrialized, for-profit insurance system incentivizes and favors hospital birth and hospital based providers. Despite the fact that most insurance plans include benefits for hospital birth, families are often surprised by large, unanticipated medical bills after their care is complete. There is little to no transparency from hospitals and insurance companies about expected out of pocket costs before care is received.

In the private midwifery model, families are asked to pay the fee up front over the course of pregnancy, but the fee is fixed, and costs are known ahead of time. This allows for planning and budgeting, and avoids the shock of unexpected or higher than expected bills after the fact, when it is too late to consider other options or change course. The cost of midwife care can sound high at first glance, but in truth it delivers far greater value in time spent and scope of support than the standard offered in hospitals today.

So why is it so hard to get insurance to cover midwife care and home birth fully? Part of the issue is that the insurance billing codes are the same for hospital based providers and independent community based providers like me, but the reality of the services provided are quite different. For example, there is one fixed code for a prenatal visit, but with a physician that equates to about 10 minutes of face to face time, covering just the basics, whereas with a midwife a prenatal visit lasts about an hour, takes place in your home, and goes well beyond basic assessments to include lots of time for health education, informed choice conversations, emotional support, sharing of additional resources, and so on. These two prenatal visits are not really the same service, but insurance recognizes only one code - the one that was created for the dominant system and does not adequately reflect the value of midwife care.

I created the following lists as a reference for understanding what these two models of care offer and the associated costs. There are of course variations and exceptions. These lists represent typical care and costs.

Physician attended birth in a hospital - Structure of Care and Costs
  • Approximately 10 prenatal office visits, 10-15 minutes each.
  • Birth attended by physician on call, frequently not the main physician seen for prenatal care. Face to face time with physician during labor and birth is typically less than one hour. Most care during labor and birth is provided by nurses on rotating shifts. Multiple doctors, nurses, and other staff members are likely to participate in care for short periods. Usually three to five or more staff members present in the room for the birth. Limited freedom of mobility. Deep water labor tubs and water birth not available.
  • One to two postpartum office visits (24 hours and 6 weeks postpartum), 10-15 minutes each.
  • No newborn or well baby follow up care is included beyond the hospital stay. The pediatrician relationship and fees are separate.
  • Limited to no detailed informed choice collaboration with physician.
  • Patient care subject to hospital and physician group standard policies, procedures and routines. Limited opportunity for individualized care. Interventions are the norm.
  • Large institutions are inherently slower to adapt to and implement updated evidence based care management practices.
  • Physician and hospital fees are billed separately, are not disclosed up front, and may be covered at different rates by insurance. Insurance typically does cover some portion, small or large, of physician and hospital care.
  • Total time spent face to face with the physician: approximately 2.5-4 hours
  • Cost of care: The average bill for a full course of care before insurance ranges from about $30,000 to $100,000 or more, depending upon the specific events of the pregnancy, birth and follow up care. Cost to families after insurance varies massively, from close to $0 up into the tens of thousands of dollars. It is not uncommon for a family’s out of pocket cost after insurance to equal or exceed the average cost of midwife care for out of hospital birth.

Midwife attended birth at home - Structure of Care and Costs
  • Approximately 10 prenatal home visits, 60 minutes each.
  • Birth attended at your home by the same midwife/midwife team who provided prenatal care. One midwife, one assistant, and possibly a student attend each birth. Face to face time with midwife during labor, birth and immediate postpartum is typically 8-16 hours or longer as needed. All hands-on care and assessments are done by the midwives. Freedom to move, eat, rest as you wish. Labor and birth in any position in any area of your home. Deep water labor tub and water birth available. If a transfer of care from home to hospital is needed, midwife provides detailed records, facilitates the transfer, accompanies the parent(s) and acts an an advisor and support person throughout the remainder of the labor and birth. Midwives may take breaks or take turns staying with the family if the birth is very long.
  • Six postpartum and newborn care home visits, including lactation counseling, 60-90 minutes each. Birthing person and baby are seen as linked, and are cared for in relationship to each other. Both are evaluated and supported at each visit for clinical factors as well as mental and emotional health. Newborn care through six weeks is part of midwifery scope of practice. There is no need for new parents and new babies to leave the house in the first days and weeks to access care, reducing stress, speeding recovery, enhancing breastfeeding, and reducing exposure to pathogens.
  • Continuity of care with same 1-2 midwives throughout the childbearing year.
  • 24/7 direct access to midwife during due date window and early postpartum period.
  • Individualized care based on birthing person’s values, desires and choices.
  • In depth informed choice and collaborative decision-making is ongoing. Client autonomy is central. Minimal intervention is the norm. Care is subject to some legal restrictions (Licensed Midwives in CA are legally prohibited from attending multiples and known breeches at home, and can legally only attend home births between 37 and 42 weeks gestation).
  • Independent providers can be very agile in updating practices and recommendations based on new evidence and research, as well as client preferences.
  • Cost of midwife care is fixed and is known up front. No surprise charges. Midwife fee does not increase if additional visits are needed or care becomes more complicated. (Deep water labor tub is included in midwife fee. Lab work, ultrasounds and birth supply kit are additional costs.)
  • No facility/hospital fees.
  • Payments can be planned and budgeted in advance.
  • No payments to make after the birth.
  • Insurance coverage is not guaranteed, and LMs are out of network providers for all plans. However, clients can rest assured that even if insurance does not cover midwife care, their out of pocket fees to the midwife are capped and will not exceed the predetermined retainer amount. If insurance does cover some portion of midwife care, clients may receive a refund.
  • If a transfer of care from home to hospital is needed, client is responsible for the additional costs.
  • Total time spent face to face with the midwife/midwife team: approximately 24-40 hours, or longer as needed. No time limit.
  • Cost of Care: When midwife care is itemized and billed to insurance, claims for the average course of care total between $8,000-$12,000. This is what is billed to insurance, if applicable. Clients benefit from a discounted cash midwife retainer package fee, which is typically set and capped at a certain amount. Depending upon insurance coverage, the client may receive some reimbursement, lowering their out of pocket cost for midwife care. A kit of birth supplies costs about $115, and is ordered and paid for separately by the client. Fees for lab work and ultrasounds may be billed to insurance by the lab or technician, or may be paid out of pocket by the client. Costs to the client for these services, after insurance, usually range from $0 to $1000, depending upon which services are accessed and insurance plan benefits. If a transfer of care from home to hospital is needed or desired, client is responsible for any additional costs related to hospital care.

There are advantages and disadvantages, benefits and risks to both planned home birth and planned hospital birth. Each family should carefully weigh these against their own values, desires and abilities as they make important decisions about providers and planned birth locations.
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Fees
Our current retainer fee for comprehensive midwifery care and home birth is $_______ (The fee is left blank because I am not currently offering comprehensive midwifery care and home birth).
The retainer is a discounted bundled package fee for cash payment. Insurance, if applicable, will be billed for the full actual cost of care.
Labor tub rental is included in the retainer. Home birth supply kit costs approximately $115 and is purchased separately by the client. Lab tests, ultrasounds are additional charges, which may be billed to insurance by the lab or technician, or may be paid directly by the client.

Insurance
We are not in-network with any insurance companies, however, we can provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. This does not guarantee payment by insurance, as plan details, benefits and requirements vary widely. 

Fee Adjustments
We are sometimes able to offer reduced fees and/or payment plans for families experiencing financial hardship who would not otherwise be able to access private midwifery care. Please keep in mind that when folks qualify for reduced fees or pro bono care, the individual midwives are donating our time and expertise and paying for expenses related to care out of our own pocket. We do this as a way to foster community and increase access to truly comprehensive, high quality care for all. However, before asking this of the midwives, consider asking your own family and community to contribute to your care. This shows respect for your midwives, acknowledges the value of the care you will receive, and helps keep midwifery care a sustainable practice available to you and others.
Midwifery care during the covid-19 pandemic
We are making every effort to stay informed and educate ourselves on developments regarding Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19 infection as well as best practices in midwifery management in a community setting. 

We are grateful that we can be of service at this time. And in order to continue to be available to provide essential midwifery care to as many families as possible, we are putting systems in place to protect you, the greater community, and ourselves.

Registered clients, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you have.

Also, we know this is a strange and stressful time for everyone, but we still care about you and want to hear from you with your successes and smiles too! While we are not longer routinely practicing virtual appointments, we are able to do so should there be another spike in cases, in special situations, or in the even where you as our client would prefer it. Social distancing and virtual appointments don’t mean we don’t want to stay in touch about the fun and meaningful parts of your pregnancy and early days with your baby. Midwifery practices are a little bit different, but our motivation and values are not changing. We are committed to bringing just as much heart, support and connection as we always do to your care.

On this page you will find our current recommendations and protocols for keeping yourselves and us, your midwives, safe and healthy.

AVAILABILITY AND APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE
  • Any appointments and consultations not requiring physical assessments including interviews with prospective clients can be conducted via tele-medicine if desired.
  • The following appointments must be scheduled in person:
    • Initial visit at 12 weeks with labs as indicated
    • 20 weeks, 28 weeks with labs as indicated, 32 wks, 35 wks preparation for home birth, 38 wks, 40 wks, 41+ wks
    • All appointments in the first two weeks after the birth. 
GENERAL GUIDELINES
  • Midwives are experts in providing care to people having healthy pregnancies, normal births, and healthy newborns in a community setting. We do not have access to higher level medical equipment and facilities including full personal protective equipment. Therefore, if a client is sick, it is in everyone’s best interest for the client to be seen in a medical setting for evaluation and treatment.
  • Please let us know asap if anyone in your home is sick or believes they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. We can help you make decisions about how and when to seek medical care.
  • We recommend that all pregnant people and everyone in their household quarantine at home and avoid contact with others as much as possible. The limited research that is currently available indicates that pregnant people are not at an increased risk of developing COVID-19, but pregnant people may be at an increased risk of severe or critical illness if they do develop COVID-19.
  • All midwives and assistants in our practice are wearing masks for ALL in person contacts. We will use our discretion about the type of mask we use for each interaction with the goals of minimizing risk of virus transmission as well as conserving medical grade masks for situations when they are most needed.
  • We request that anyone attending in person appointments wear a mask.
  • Soap and water is very effective for destroying Novel Coronavirus. Wash hands, clothes, and surfaces frequently.
  • Current research shows no evidence of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus from parent to baby during pregnancy.
  • Breastfeeding is still recommended even if a birthing parent has mild illness. Breastfeeding is likely protective for babies, and is as important as always for maternal and newborn health and well-being. Babies can contract the virus from parents after birth, so if a breastfeeding parent is ill, they should wash hands and wear a mask during breastfeeding.
  • We have coordinated with other local midwife colleagues for back up assistance in the event that we get sick or suspect we have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • We are available to registered clients by email, phone and Zoom for any questions you may have about your health.
WELLNESS AND PREVENTION
  • Taking good care of your mental and emotional health as well as your physical health are as important now as ever. Reducing stress and taking good care of yourself is very supportive of normal, spontaneous labor and birth. We recommend doing what you can now to increase your enjoyment of your pregnancy, safeguard your health, and enhance your love and labor hormones!
  • We recommend finding activities and practices that are enjoyable, calming, and supportive. Choose activities that feel right to you, such as getting outside, making art, exercising, reading things that make you feel good, enjoying physical touch and affection with your household members, minimizing social media exposure, playing, enjoying meals, meditating, talking to friends and family by phone, or whatever else helps you feel calm and content.
  • Eat a varied and healthy diet of real foods as much as possible.
  • Get plenty of sleep, plenty of water, and some movement every day.
  • Apps like Calm, Headspace, and GentleBirth can be wonderful resources for calming and focusing the mind and relieving anxiety.
  • Here is a short meditation you can do now and return to as often as you need to, for shifting the experience of fear and anxiety lead by Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Lael Keen.
  • Dr. Aviva Romm is a midwife, physician and well respected expert on alternative and herbal medicines. Her web page and blog on COVID-19 are rich resources with lots of information and recommendations for maximizing health, and they are frequently updated. Click here to check it out.
  • Acupressure or Acupuncture are wonderful tools for supporting pregnancy, encouraging timely labors and births, pain management, lowering stress and anxiety and increasing health and well-being. Here is a link to internationally recognized acupressure expert for pregnancy and birth, Debra Betts. Her website has specific instructions for how to find and use acupressure points at home. And here is a link for a series of points for lowering anxiety.
  • Acupuncturist Alicia Masiulis made a self-massage/acupressure video with techniques you can do at home for labor preparation and anxiety reduction. Click here to watch.
  • Many therapists are still available for phone or video sessions. 
  • Online childbirth classes are a wonderful way to meet virtually with other parents and prepare for your birth.
IN PERSON APPOINTMENTS - DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS
  • In person appointments in your home are available as long as no one in the home has any signs of illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath, congestion, diarrhea, or vomiting) or any reason to believe they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
  • Please limit people at appointments to those who live with you.
  • Prior to an in person visit, please wipe down high touch surfaces (door knobs, faucets, countertops, toilets, etc.) with either a soap and water solution, a solution containing 70% or greater concentration of alcohol, or a solution containing 10% or greater of bleach.
  • Prior to an in person visit, please take your temperature and the temperature of everyone living with you. We can not do in person visits if anyone has a temperature of 100.4 or greater.
PRENATAL CARE
  • Prenatal care can consist of a combination of virtual and in person visits. 
  • We will not be able to attend in person visits for clients who are ill, or where household members have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 (travel from a high infection area in the last 14 days, recent contact with someone with a diagnosed case of COVID-19, symptoms consistent with COVID-19). We can meet over Zoom, and can help you make decisions about whether medical attention and/or hospital birth are appropriate.
  • We are wearing masks during ALL in person contacts. We request that anyone attending your prenatal visits also wear a mask in compliance with safety recommendations.
  • You may wish to purchase or borrow some supplies and equipment to use at home to monitor your health, especially when care is happening virtually over Zoom. This might include: thermometer, blood pressure cuff (arm type, not wrist type), scale, fetoscope or doppler for listening to baby’s heart, baby scale for monitoring newborn weight loss and weight gain. We can teach you how to use these tools at an in person appointment or via Zoom.
  • Normal fetal movement is a very good indicator of baby’s health. In most cases where fetal movement is normal, frequent listening to fetal heart tones is not necessary. Most pregnant parents have a good sense of what constitutes normal fetal movement for their own baby. You can use kick counts to confirm that fetal movement is normal if you wish. There is an educational handout in the Client Portal on how to perform kick counts.
  • Currently, all normal supplies for home birth including birth kits from our supplier, Radiant Belly, are still available. Radiant Belly is experiencing shipping delays due to increased volume of orders, and they anticipate they may run out of some items due to supply chain issues. For this reason, we recommend ordering your birth kit and any other supplies you need as far in advance as is practical.
  • We highly recommend that you hire a doula to be part of your birth team, especially if this is your first birth and/or if home birth is new to you. Doulas are excellent providers of education, resources, hands on support and emotional support. They can join you earlier in labor than your midwives can (especially at the moment while we manage higher client volume), help evaluate labor progress, and help notify us when it is time for us to join you. A doula does not replace your midwives, but rather is a wonderful addition to the team. We are still available for support and education, as always! But we recognize and appreciate the important role doulas play in supporting birth and bringing calm, reassurance and connection to clients, especially during these difficult times. We are compiling a list of available doulas who have home birth experience, agree to follow strict social isolation in their own life to reduce risk of exposure for our clients and us, and agree to follow our requirements for use of PPE and any other safety precautions we ask of them at births. Contact me for details.
LABOR AND BIRTH
  • We are still attending labors and births at home as long as everyone in the household is free of symptoms and have no suspected exposure to Novel Coronavirus.
  • We will not be able to attend births at home for clients who are ill, or where household members have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 (travel from a high infection area in the last 14 days, recent contact with someone with a diagnosed case of COVID-19, symptoms consistent with COVID-19).
  • Before the midwives come to your home in labor, please wipe down high touch surfaces (door knobs, faucets, countertops, toilets/handles, etc.) and ask anyone in the home who has been out recently to shower and/or change into clean clothes.
  • Doulas are welcome and encouraged at births as long as they have no symptoms of illness or suspected exposure.
  • We request limiting people attending the birth to midwives, one doula, and household members only.
  • We request that everyone attending your birth wear a mask when in close proximity to us, including partners, doulas, family members and children. The birthing person is recommended but not required to wear a mask. This practice helps us minimize the chance of us spreading the virus to other families we come into contact with.
  • You are welcomed to use a birth tub for labor and birth, however, there are some questions regarding potential increased risk of virus transmission during water birth, or from tubs being inadequately sanitized between births. 
  • Hospital policies regarding whether or not midwives may enter the hospital with clients during a transfer are changing rapidly. It is likely that in the event of a transfer, we will not be permitted to enter the hospital with you as we normally would do. Also, we may need to make the difficult decision to not accompany clients into the hospital even if permitted in order to reduce our risk of exposure and therefore the risk to all of our other clients and their families. This represents a major departure from our standard practice, and it is difficult for us to contemplate. However, during this unique time, we must consider the health of the whole community. In the event of a transfer we will still provide records and give report to the receiving care team, and we will still be available for support and guidance via phone or video throughout the rest of the birth.
  • If we have two clients in labor at the same time, we will do our best to call in a backup midwife to assist you. 
POSTPARTUM AND NEWBORN CARE
  • Appointments after the first week can be a combination of virtual and in person visits.
  • Prior to an in person visit, please take the temperatures of everyone in the household and wipe down high touch surfaces.
  • In the event of illness in the birthing parent or baby, please contact us asap. We can help make decisions about when and where to seek treatment or testing.
  • Breastfeeding and skin to skin contact is still recommended even if a birthing parent has mild illness. Breastfeeding is likely protective for babies, and is as important as always for maternal and newborn health and well-being. Babies can contract the virus from parents after birth, so if a breastfeeding parent is ill, they should wash hands and wear a mask during breastfeeding.
SOURCES, RESOURCES, AND FURTHER INFORMATION

Your Baby, Your Birth, Your Home, Your Way.
‪(779) 324-2469‬
[email protected]