Stay Home. |
Considering homebirth due to COVID-19?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in pregnant people reaching out to home birth midwives like myself to transfer to planned home birth care. Community midwives are in a unique position of providing a model of care that works well in pandemics because our clients have less exposure to waiting rooms, hospitals, and only see one provider during visits and two providers during your birth. Our midwifery community is doing everything we can to increase our capacity to absorb the volume of new clients, and tailor our care to support folks who are now choosing to birth at home.
COVID-19 Best Practices.
Update March 26, 2021: The situation with the global pandemic is constantly evolving. The following protocols remain in place, even for people who are fully vaccinated. I will update this page as things continue to change. I'll update my current clients verbally or by email right away if there is a change in my protocols during their care. I am eager to return to my pre-COVID-19 policies as soon as it's safe to do so. In the meantime, safety for everyone concerned remains my primary focus. All of my clients, their babies, and families are so very precious in this world. Even though it's been more than a year, there is still so much we don't know. It is paramount that we stay careful even though we're likely in the homestretch.
In alignment with CDC guidelines for supporting social distancing, I have made the following changes to my prenatal and postpartum care:
In alignment with CDC guidelines for supporting social distancing, I have made the following changes to my prenatal and postpartum care:
- Because I come to your home for your prenatal and postpartum visits, I request that only the people who live in the residence be present while I'm there.
- I will be wearing a KN-95 or N-95 for all client contact. I request that everyone wear masks during your prenatal appointments. During your birth, I request that anyone who does not live in your home wear a mask throughout your labor, birth, and immediate postpartum.
- To minimize exposure and navigate increasing midwifery capacity, I will no longer have the second midwife/assistant meet clients at the 36 week visit. I will invite her to join us at one of your video appointments instead. If you will have a doula or other support person at your birth, I would love to meet them during a video visit as well.
- At your birth I ask that you limit attendance to one additional support person aside from partner (doula, mom, best friend, etc.) and that all attendees answer no to all of the COVID-19 screening questions.
If you decide to proceed with homebirth, we will work together to determine a plan that minimizes risk of viral transmission while maximizing your access to care. This means some of your visits will be in person, and some will be via video conferencing.
If you are interested in transferring to midwifery care, I am accepting late transfers who have had a normal course of pregnancy, are negative for gestational diabetes and have no other health concerns. Please fill out the form below to schedule a video consultation.
If you are interested in transferring to midwifery care, I am accepting late transfers who have had a normal course of pregnancy, are negative for gestational diabetes and have no other health concerns. Please fill out the form below to schedule a video consultation.
Screening for Symptoms.
If we have an in-person visit scheduled and you answer yes to any of these questions, please stay home and call me to set up an online appointment:
- Have you had a cough, fever, body aches, or a sore throat in the last 14 days?
- Has anyone in your household had the above symptoms?
- Have you been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or a person whose test is pending?
- Do you currently have a temperature?