Midwifery services

Midwifery Care with Mountain Home Birth

for Pregnancy, Labor & Birth and Postpartum

Frequently Asked Questions

A Midwife is a primary health care provider who is trained and educated to provide comprehensive, clinical care for low- to moderate-risk women throughout their childbearing year. Midwives assess the health of mother and her unborn baby prenatally, monitor mother and baby during labor, catch the baby, manage most emergencies, repair lacerations, conduct newborn examinations, provide postpartum care for mother and baby for up to six weeks after birth, continue to assist with breastfeeding support as long as mother and baby nurse, and provide well woman care, within their scope of practice, for those mothers.

A Doula is a trained labor support person. S/he is specially trained to inform parents of birth options, give emotional support, and provide physical and emotional comfort measures and assistance during labor, birth and postpartum. Some doulas help women during the postpartum period with support services such as: meal preparation, light housekeeping, some childcare, breastfeeding support, and newborn care (diapering, bathing). Others concentrate solely on pregnancy and birth. S/he does not perform any clinical duties such as taking blood pressure, doing vaginal exams, monitoring fetal heart tones, or catching babies. These skills are outside the scope of practice of a doula. The advice a doula offers should not interfere with the relationship between the mother and her maternity care and newborn care providers.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was published by The Lancet. It looked at 14 studies including data from around 500,000 intended home births. The authors found that, “The risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital.” For a list of links to more studies regarding the safety of midwifery care, take a look here: Evidence about Safety with Certified Professional Midwives and Home Birth.

The short answer is yes. We are currently taking late-to-care clients who meet the following criteria:

• Had at least one vaginal birth.

• Are no further along than 36 weeks.

• Live within a 1 hour radius of Rome, GA.  

• Had a normal course of pregnancy with adequate prenatal care.

• Are negative for gestational diabetes and have no other health concerns

• Have records in hand including labs, ultrasound reports and prenatal appointment information.

For those transferring late or due to COVID19, this guide is a good resource for deciding if home birth is right for you.

Yes!

Upon enrolling in care, we will discuss and arrange a payment plan that accommodates your personal budgetary needs. The standard payment plan consists of a deposit to reserve your place on our schedule, with 50% of the remainder due at 20 weeks and all fees paid by 36 weeks. We accept payments from Health Savings Accounts/Flexible Spending Accounts, cash, and credit/debit cards through an online portal.

Although we do not accept insurance, we can provide an invoice at the completion of care for you to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

Pricing is subject to change without notice.  We will honor financial agreements that are in writing before the pricing change.

Since all care is customized, there may be additional expenses.  Some of these include (not inclusive):

• Routine Labs (can bill through your insurance or Medicaid, or discount self-pay through our lab)

  • Including Full OB panel including blood typing & complete blood count, as well as testing for Vitamin D, 3rd trimester CBC, Gestational Diabetes, Group B Strep

• Ultrasounds (Dating, 20wk Anatomy, BPP) $100-$250

• Rhogam for Rh- clients ($60-$150, depending on dose needed)

• Newborn Metabolic Screening Kit ($199) Insurance may cover this cost.

• Additional necessary lab work (G&C Screen, CMP, Newborn blood typing, Pap Smear, etc. Pricing available upon request.)

• Birth Kit ($69-$107) Available from In His Hands (You can remove items from the birth kit to reduce costs IF you have them on hand, and add a birth tub liner to the kit, if borrowing a birth tub from the practice.)

• Consultations/Appts/Transfer to other medical providers

• Childbirth Education Classes

• Extra Home Visits ($50)

• Supplements

Although Maria is an experienced VBAC provider, Alabama law does not currently allow her to care for mothers who have had a Cesarean section. Maria does have experience with, recommend and provide waterbirth services!