Frequently Asked Questions.You have questions? I have answers.
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Below you'll find the most common questions I get asked when people first contact me. I'm still happy to discuss each of these things during your free consultation, but I thought you might like to get some questions answered right away!
What is a homebirth midwife?
A homebirth midwife is a trained practitioner who attends births at home. Many of us now use the term community midwife instead of homebirth midwife to reflect that we can (and do!) attend births at home, in birth centers, and at birth suites. Essentially, community midwives attend births anywhere outside of the hospital setting. Wisconsin licenses Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), both of whom are able to attend births in the community. Even though CNMs can attend community births, the vast majority work for hospitals and only attend births in the hospital setting.
Who is a good candidate for homebirth?
People are good candidates to give birth at home, in a birth suite, or at a birth center if they did not have any of the following c before their pregnancy: Insulin dependent diabetes, thyroid disease, active tuberculosis, chronic lung disease, severe anemia (especially congenital) that does not respond to treatment, epilepsy, clotting abnormalities, Rh negative with antibodies, acute viral infections, congenital heart disease, renal disease, hepatic disease.
It also means that during your pregnancy, you haven't experienced: Bleeding in third trimester, fetal anomaly detected during pregnancy that may compromise baby if born at home, impairment of the liver (i.e. eclampsia, HELLP, pre-eclampsia), persistent hypertension, premature labor (before 37 weeks), placenta previa at term.
Additionally, families who choose community birth will be asked to take responsibility for learning about their pregnancies and the various screenings, tests, and treatments so they can make truly informed choices regarding their care.
It also means that during your pregnancy, you haven't experienced: Bleeding in third trimester, fetal anomaly detected during pregnancy that may compromise baby if born at home, impairment of the liver (i.e. eclampsia, HELLP, pre-eclampsia), persistent hypertension, premature labor (before 37 weeks), placenta previa at term.
Additionally, families who choose community birth will be asked to take responsibility for learning about their pregnancies and the various screenings, tests, and treatments so they can make truly informed choices regarding their care.
What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?
A community midwife is a trained healthcare provider who specializes in caring for low-risk birthing parents in the childbearing year, and for their newborn babies in the first six weeks of life. That care includes reviewing your health history and evaluating your current health to ensure that you are a good candidate for community birth. As your midwife I provide prenatal care, attend your birth, and provide you with care in the postpartum period. That care includes monitoring and recording blood pressure, pulse, fetal growth and well-being, as well as ordering and/or reviewing appropriate labs and ultrasounds.
Doulas are a vital member of your birth team, but their responsibilities are vastly different than those of a midwife. A doula is a support person who is trained to provide hands-on comfort measures, prenatal and postpartum education, and emotional support during pregnancy and birth.
Doulas are a vital member of your birth team, but their responsibilities are vastly different than those of a midwife. A doula is a support person who is trained to provide hands-on comfort measures, prenatal and postpartum education, and emotional support during pregnancy and birth.
Should I get a doula if I also have a midwife?
Yes, yes, yes! Doulas fill an important role during your birth: they are focused on your emotional and physical comfort. They work with your partner(s) to ensure that everyone has the best possible experience during birth. If you are giving birth without a partner, your doula is able to step in and be your primary support if you want.
How much does a homebirth cost?
Each community midwife sets their own prices, and many offer flexible fees, discounts, and payment plans. In the Milwaukee area, the range is between $3000 and $6000. That fee generally includes all of your prenatal care, attendance at your birth, and care for you and your newborn until six weeks postpartum. Each midwife also creates their own package, so it's important to ask what's included when you interview a midwife. My fees are outlined here.
Is it cheaper to have a baby with a midwife?
It's often less expensive to have a homebirth with a licensed midwife than to give birth in the hospital. However, it's also not a good idea to pick a homebirth because you're trying to save money. Giving birth at home means having your baby with very few interventions like pain medications, continuous fetal monitoring, and others. That means that you, the birthing person, need to have a pretty high level of trust in your body, your strength, and your relationship with your midwife. It also means that you need to be comfortable telling your birth team (your partner[s], your doula, your midwife, etc.) what you need during your pregnancy and birth.
Does BadgerCare cover homebirths?
Yes, licensed midwives in Wisconsin can accept BadgerCare if they are Medicaid providers. Each midwife decides if they want to be a Medicaid provider. I have chosen to accept BadgerCare because I think everyone should have access to the reproductive healthcare they choose.
Why have a midwife instead of a doctor?
Most people choose midwifery care because they want to be active partners in their healthcare. They want to make informed choices about what happens to them and to their babies. Routine prenatal and postpartum appointments last 45 to 60 minutes with a midwife, but only six to 15 minutes with an OB/GYN. The longer appointments allow midwives and their clients to get to know each other. Midwives care for the clients holistically, meaning they see them as a whole person with many systems that are dependent on each other. Often western medicine sees patients as an individual symptom, illness or body part to be managed.
In nearly every highly developed country besides America, midwives are the default care providers for low-risk birthing people. That means that if you're having a typical, low-risk pregnancy, you would automatically be cared for by a midwife and not a doctor.
It's important to acknowledge that not all pregnancies and births are low-risk. For those families, care with an OB/GYN is absolutely the best choice.
In nearly every highly developed country besides America, midwives are the default care providers for low-risk birthing people. That means that if you're having a typical, low-risk pregnancy, you would automatically be cared for by a midwife and not a doctor.
It's important to acknowledge that not all pregnancies and births are low-risk. For those families, care with an OB/GYN is absolutely the best choice.
Can you have a homebirth after 35?
Yes. As long as your pregnancy remains low-risk, there is no reason not to plan a homebirth with a licensed midwife in attendance.
Midwives are trained to watch for deviations away from typical health patterns and to take appropriate action to bring things back into the range of normal. Sometimes that action is as simple as making dietary suggestions or recommending more rest. Other times the appropriate action is a referral to a doctor for more testing or even a transfer of care for the remainder of pregnancy.
Midwives are trained to watch for deviations away from typical health patterns and to take appropriate action to bring things back into the range of normal. Sometimes that action is as simple as making dietary suggestions or recommending more rest. Other times the appropriate action is a referral to a doctor for more testing or even a transfer of care for the remainder of pregnancy.
Can I have a VBAC at home?
Most people who have had a cesarean section or belly birth will be able to give birth vaginally the next time. And most of those folks could safely have their VBAC at home. There are a lot of factors that will need to be considered when choosing the location for your VBAC. A few of those are: How many cesareans have you had and how were they performed? Did you develop any infections during your recovery from your surgical birth? Once you're pregnant again, it will be important to know the location of your placenta in your uterus. To determine the safety of HBAC (homebirth after cesarean) for you, a midwife will ask you to complete a thorough health history including asking several questions about your belly birth(s). Once the midwife confirms that you are low-risk, you can happily plan to give birth in the location of your choosing! That includes in your very own home.
What is needed for a homebirth?
The midwife brings along most of what's needed for your homebirth. The next question has more information about what's in my birth bag. When you're planning a birth with me, I ask you to round up a few household items that you probably already own like a cookie sheet, a large bowl, clean towels, baby blankets, and those sorts of things. At your 36 week visit, we'll go through all of the supplies and talk about what each one is used for.
What does a midwife bring to a homebirth?
Each midwife packs her own birth bag (usually more than one). What's in that bag varies a little from midwife to midwife, but overall the contents are pretty similar! My bag has standard birth items like gloves, gauze pads, umbilical scissors and cord clamps, smelling salts (just in case!), and a measuring tape and scale for checking on baby. It also has the equipment I use to monitor you and baby's wellbeing: blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, doppler, pen light, glucometer, and a few other things. I also carry the supplies to manage emergencies, like oxygen and resuscitation equipment, herbs and medications to manage postpartum bleeding, and suture material and instruments to do stitches (including medication to numb you up).
What happens if there's an emergency?
During your pregnancy, you and your midwife will spend a lot of time getting to know each other. Your midwife will become very familiar with your health and what's "normal" for you. Midwives use that knowledge and combine it with their skills and experience to assess your well-being and that of your baby. If at any point, your midwife thinks that your pregnancy or birth has deviated from low-risk, then a transfer of care to the hospital is the safest option for you and your baby. Midwives are trained to facilitate smooth transfers to help you have the best experience possible while still safeguarding your health.
There are some situations that come up and need an urgent response before a hospital transport can take place. For that reason, licensed midwives are certified in CPR and neonatal resuscitation. We bring resuscitation equipment to every birth, as well as herbs and medications to manage heavy bleeding. Midwifery training includes extensive education in resolving the trickier situations we encounter in birth, as well.
There are some situations that come up and need an urgent response before a hospital transport can take place. For that reason, licensed midwives are certified in CPR and neonatal resuscitation. We bring resuscitation equipment to every birth, as well as herbs and medications to manage heavy bleeding. Midwifery training includes extensive education in resolving the trickier situations we encounter in birth, as well.
How long do midwives stay after a homebirth?
Midwives stay with you at home until you and your baby are stable and have passed a couple of important postpartum milestones. In my practice, those milestones are: your placenta has been delivered; baby has latched and fed; you have had a meal (even a small one); you've been able to pee; we've checked for tearing and repaired (if necessary); the baby has received a full head-to-toe exam; and your family is tucked into bed for a nap. This usually takes three to four hours after you give you birth, though I've stayed much longer whenever necessary.
More Questions?Do you have a question I haven't answered? Use my contact form and send it to me! I can add it to my FAQ, or set up a Zoom meeting to talk to you about it directly.
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I respectfully and humbly acknowledge that I live and work on the stolen land of the Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Menominee, Myaamia, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Peoria peoples. I honor the land itself and the countless generations who have always been stewards of this land.