Questions?
If you have general questions about midwives or safety of homebirth, we recommend starting at the Oregon Midwifery Foundation. They are a local organization that Kelsey is the president of. OMF is dedicated to midwifery in Oregon including public education about care and home birth. You can find their website here.
We do have answers to some frequently asked questions below. If you want to know more or have questions about your particular circumstances, please Contact us.
Care Questions
How many visits will I have?
You're welcome to initiate your care as soon as you find out about your pregnancy and it's great to see you by 12 weeks. We then tend to see clients every 4 weeks until they are 30-32 weeks (7 months), every 2 weeks until 36 weeks (8 months), then at least every week until the baby comes. We're there for labor, birth, and at least a few hours after the birth. We return for visits 24-36 hours after the birth, three days out, then one week, two weeks, 3-4 weeks, and have our final visit 6-8 weeks after the birth. If there are concerns or problems at any point, we may see you more often.
How long are appointments?
Our standard prenatal and postpartum appointments are typically an hour. Not that you're waiting for a while, see the midwife for 10 minutes, and then wait longer to have your blood drawn or for something else... You'll actually spend an hour with your midwife. It only takes a few minutes to do the standard clinical stuff (take your blood pressure, listen to the baby, etc), but we spend a significant amount of time addressing your concerns, getting to know each other, and preparing for birth.
Do you offer delayed cord clamping?
Absolutely! This is the default in our practice. There are very few circumstances that necessitate the cord being cut early. Even if baby needs to be resuscitated, that can often be accomplished while leaving the cord intact. Typically the babies in our practice are kept attached until after the birth of the placenta, or until the parents ask us to cut the cord.
Can I have a water birth?
We do offer water birth, including the use of an inflatable birth tub. There are a few circumstances where we may ask you to get out of the tub, for your or baby's safety. Let us know if you're interested in water birth, and we'll discuss it more during prenatal care.
Can I hire a doula for my birth too?
Of course! We do like to meet your doula ahead of time and have a chance to chat. Sometimes being a doula at a home birth can be a very different experience than the hospitals that many doulas are used to. We just want to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Do I have to have X, Y, or Z test?
It's your care, you don't have to do anything. That being said, there are some tests that will make it easier for the midwife to care for you to the best of her ability. We practice informed consent and shared decision making. For any test that we'll do, there is a discussion about it first. We explain what the test is and why someone may want to have it (or not). There are a few circumstances where insurance or licensing rules will require certain tests or monitoring for continuing to be covered (paid for by insurance) or staying in the scope of the midwife's practice.
Is the birth team prepared for emergencies?
Yes. As a licensed midwife in Oregon, Kelsey carries medication and equipment to deal with many emergencies at home (or manage them until more advanced care is available). These include, but aren't limited to: anti-hemorrhage medications, oxygen, and resuscitation equipment for adults and newborns. The whole team is trained in CPR and neonatal resuscitation.
Is there a specific set of guidelines my midwife has to follow?
As a licensed Direct Entry Midwives we follow the guidelines set forth by the board. You can access those here. Please note that they are long, complicated, and include lots of scary things that can happen over the course of care. If you have any questions about what you find there, please do not hesitate to ask!
Financial
How much does it cost?
You can find out more about costs in our Services page. When you're having a baby, we bill for everything as a package or "bundle". This includes all prenatal and postpartum appointments, the labor and birth. There are significant discounts for pre-paying for your care, but we understand this isn't always possible. We're also open to payment plans. This is a topic we're happy to cover in more detail at your free consultation visit.
Do you take insurance?
This is a complicated topic, unfortunately. The short answer is, "I will try". Many insurances don't cover community birth, or don't cover direct entry or licensed midwives. Even if your insurance will cover the birth, sometimes they refuse if there are additional circumstances, such as wanting a home VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Because of this sad state of insurance coverage, we typically ask for payment up front, then whatever the insurance company pays will go straight back to you. One bright side to insurance is that even if they won't cover our services, they will still often pay for all your ultrasounds and lab work.
Do you take Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid?
Another somewhat complicated question, but this short answer is "Yes". We do take OHP insurance. However, there is quite a lengthy process we will have to go through to gain approval from OHP. In the event that OHP won't pay for your birth, your OHP eligibility automatically qualifies you for our sliding scale discount.
If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to ask! info@bridgetownmidwifery.com
Bridge Town Midwifery offers free consultations, so you can see if we're a good fit before signing up for care.