Frequently Asked Questions...
You're not alone! Many people first exploring homebirth find themselves asking many of the same questions that others have. In this section we try to answer as many as possible, it'll definitely be a work in progress.
NOTE: If you are a Netflix user we highly recommend streaming The Business of Being Born. It's a great documentary.
What can I expect in a consultation? Consultations are generally an hour long. There is plenty of time to talk in a relaxed environment and for us to get to know each other. We do not try to "talk" anyone into a homebirth, we simply give you the information about our practice, how midwifery care differs from standard OB care, and take the time to listen to your wants and needs. This is a once in a lifetime event and we know it's a huge decision. Like any big decision - house buying, marriage, etc - it makes sense to thoroughly research your options. You will never feel pressured and we make it a practice to send the paperwork home with you to review before making a decision.
Do you do.. everything? Yes! Prenatal care, birth, newborn exam, and post-partum care is provided by licensed midwives. This also includes the filing of your birth certificate (required) and social security number (if desired). WE are able to obtain lab work and order ultrasounds, for those desiring those. We are able to order any typical testing offered in traditional maternity care.
What areas do you serve? We serve from Richmond to Va Beach, including the Hampton Roads communities. Our offices are located in Williamsburg & Greenbrier (Chesapeake).
Is homebirth safe? At your consultation, we will go over your personal history and make sure that this is an option for you. CPMs serve low-risk folks. If you have questions about something you may consider a higher risk status, please contact us. Age, weight, previous c-section, etc are generally not high risk factors. Diabetes, twins, stroke, poor health, current herpes outbreak, hepatitis, and some other things do fall under the higher risk category.
All parents are encouraged to research for themselves and explore all of their available options. We have a comprehensive informed consent document that we provide with each consultation. And please, ask us the tough questions, we welcome them!
Safety of Homebirth Studies:
Conclusions: Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.
“Recognizing the evidence that births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at medical
risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely in various
settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes. ...Therefore, APHA supports
efforts to increase access to out-of-hospital maternity care services...”
American Public Health Association, “Increasing Access to Out-of-Hospital Maternity Care
Services through State-Regulated and Nationally-Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (Policy
Statement)”. American Journal of Public Health, Vol 92, No. 3, March 2002.
What other services do you offer?
We offer placenta encapsulation at a discount for our clients and regular fee for non-clients. Herbal bath mixes and tea blends are also available. We are also providing doula and monitrice services. Doulas are professional labor support persons who assist you with the emotional and physical coping aspects of your birth. A monitrice can provide that support, or in conjunction with a doula, as well as offer clinical monitoring of the birthing person and baby during labor. This is more for those wanting a hospital birth but want to decrease interventions and time spent in the hospital. Birth pool rentals are also available for use in specific hospital settings and other homebirths.
Should I take childbirth education classes? Yes, they are highly recommended. We support a large variety of methods or no method at all. We will talk a lot about your preferences for birth and we can help you find a class that suits your desires. Which method is best? The one that resonates with you. We do not require that our homebirth clients take a childbirth class. We have a large lending library and we also spend time during prenatal visits talking about childbirth preparation.
How can I make sure my birth team is on the same page? At your 36 week home visit, everyone that will be at the birth is invited to get together. Grandparents, doulas, birth photographers, etc are all encouraged to attend and ask questions. We will discuss the logistics of a homebirth -- where your outlets are located, locations for the tub (we do have a pump for emptying it), go through your birth kit, etc. This is done shortly before we go on call for your birth (37 wks) so you feel well-prepared for the big event. Your home, your birth plan, your family, and your birth is unique so this visit allows for us to individualize the care to you.
Do you offer hospital care? No. As a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) we specialize in homebirth and birthing center care. If we should need to transport to the hospital, we will continue to provide labor support and postpartum follow-up.
How many clients do you see per month? Our preference is to keep a practice level that allows us to balance being moms (and a grandma!) and midwifery. We feel that "practicing our practice" is important for our integrity. We can't tell mothers to keep their stress low and focus on the Big Picture if their midwives are overstressed and missing the Big Picture too. A small client load also ensures that you get the focus you need post-partum. For this reason our practice often fills up swiftly. Please contact us early! We do accept late entry clients if our calendar allows.
Will insurance cover? What about self-pay ?The great news is many insurance companies are now covering Licensed Midwives and homebirth at out-of-network benefits -- call yours to ask! An in or out-of-network exception is sometimes an option as well. We can discuss this at your consult and we're more than happy to do everything we can to work with your insurance company. We'd prefer to NOT have an unpleasant surprise down the line and find out they won't cover, so all of that is done upfront.
Self-pay is always an option, with great discounts given for early pay. Plus, we have flexible payment plans. It is our goal for -every- person that wants a homebirth to able to do so without money being the stopping point.
How would you describe your personality and birth philosophy? We believe that birth is a normal, healthy part of the life cycle. We also believe this experience is an important milestone in baby's life and that needs to be respected. Your birth will be catered to you. We love to love our families and serve them. Tell us your birth wishes, ask us whatever questions you have and know that we'll be warm and willing to help in any way. We want to be your midwives and we want you to have the birth of your dreams.
Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you wouldn't dream of pulling open the petals of the tightly closed buds and forcing them to blossom to your time line. ~ Gloria Lemay
You're not alone! Many people first exploring homebirth find themselves asking many of the same questions that others have. In this section we try to answer as many as possible, it'll definitely be a work in progress.
NOTE: If you are a Netflix user we highly recommend streaming The Business of Being Born. It's a great documentary.
What can I expect in a consultation? Consultations are generally an hour long. There is plenty of time to talk in a relaxed environment and for us to get to know each other. We do not try to "talk" anyone into a homebirth, we simply give you the information about our practice, how midwifery care differs from standard OB care, and take the time to listen to your wants and needs. This is a once in a lifetime event and we know it's a huge decision. Like any big decision - house buying, marriage, etc - it makes sense to thoroughly research your options. You will never feel pressured and we make it a practice to send the paperwork home with you to review before making a decision.
Do you do.. everything? Yes! Prenatal care, birth, newborn exam, and post-partum care is provided by licensed midwives. This also includes the filing of your birth certificate (required) and social security number (if desired). WE are able to obtain lab work and order ultrasounds, for those desiring those. We are able to order any typical testing offered in traditional maternity care.
What areas do you serve? We serve from Richmond to Va Beach, including the Hampton Roads communities. Our offices are located in Williamsburg & Greenbrier (Chesapeake).
Is homebirth safe? At your consultation, we will go over your personal history and make sure that this is an option for you. CPMs serve low-risk folks. If you have questions about something you may consider a higher risk status, please contact us. Age, weight, previous c-section, etc are generally not high risk factors. Diabetes, twins, stroke, poor health, current herpes outbreak, hepatitis, and some other things do fall under the higher risk category.
All parents are encouraged to research for themselves and explore all of their available options. We have a comprehensive informed consent document that we provide with each consultation. And please, ask us the tough questions, we welcome them!
Safety of Homebirth Studies:
Conclusions: Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.
“Recognizing the evidence that births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at medical
risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely in various
settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes. ...Therefore, APHA supports
efforts to increase access to out-of-hospital maternity care services...”
American Public Health Association, “Increasing Access to Out-of-Hospital Maternity Care
Services through State-Regulated and Nationally-Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (Policy
Statement)”. American Journal of Public Health, Vol 92, No. 3, March 2002.
What other services do you offer?
We offer placenta encapsulation at a discount for our clients and regular fee for non-clients. Herbal bath mixes and tea blends are also available. We are also providing doula and monitrice services. Doulas are professional labor support persons who assist you with the emotional and physical coping aspects of your birth. A monitrice can provide that support, or in conjunction with a doula, as well as offer clinical monitoring of the birthing person and baby during labor. This is more for those wanting a hospital birth but want to decrease interventions and time spent in the hospital. Birth pool rentals are also available for use in specific hospital settings and other homebirths.
Should I take childbirth education classes? Yes, they are highly recommended. We support a large variety of methods or no method at all. We will talk a lot about your preferences for birth and we can help you find a class that suits your desires. Which method is best? The one that resonates with you. We do not require that our homebirth clients take a childbirth class. We have a large lending library and we also spend time during prenatal visits talking about childbirth preparation.
How can I make sure my birth team is on the same page? At your 36 week home visit, everyone that will be at the birth is invited to get together. Grandparents, doulas, birth photographers, etc are all encouraged to attend and ask questions. We will discuss the logistics of a homebirth -- where your outlets are located, locations for the tub (we do have a pump for emptying it), go through your birth kit, etc. This is done shortly before we go on call for your birth (37 wks) so you feel well-prepared for the big event. Your home, your birth plan, your family, and your birth is unique so this visit allows for us to individualize the care to you.
Do you offer hospital care? No. As a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) we specialize in homebirth and birthing center care. If we should need to transport to the hospital, we will continue to provide labor support and postpartum follow-up.
How many clients do you see per month? Our preference is to keep a practice level that allows us to balance being moms (and a grandma!) and midwifery. We feel that "practicing our practice" is important for our integrity. We can't tell mothers to keep their stress low and focus on the Big Picture if their midwives are overstressed and missing the Big Picture too. A small client load also ensures that you get the focus you need post-partum. For this reason our practice often fills up swiftly. Please contact us early! We do accept late entry clients if our calendar allows.
Will insurance cover? What about self-pay ?The great news is many insurance companies are now covering Licensed Midwives and homebirth at out-of-network benefits -- call yours to ask! An in or out-of-network exception is sometimes an option as well. We can discuss this at your consult and we're more than happy to do everything we can to work with your insurance company. We'd prefer to NOT have an unpleasant surprise down the line and find out they won't cover, so all of that is done upfront.
Self-pay is always an option, with great discounts given for early pay. Plus, we have flexible payment plans. It is our goal for -every- person that wants a homebirth to able to do so without money being the stopping point.
How would you describe your personality and birth philosophy? We believe that birth is a normal, healthy part of the life cycle. We also believe this experience is an important milestone in baby's life and that needs to be respected. Your birth will be catered to you. We love to love our families and serve them. Tell us your birth wishes, ask us whatever questions you have and know that we'll be warm and willing to help in any way. We want to be your midwives and we want you to have the birth of your dreams.
Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you wouldn't dream of pulling open the petals of the tightly closed buds and forcing them to blossom to your time line. ~ Gloria Lemay