My Journey to Having a Homebirth: Phase 1
Before getting pregnant with my little lamb, my husband and I discussed what kind of birth we wanted to have. He wanted a hospital birth and I wanted a homebirth. After a great deal of discussion and research, we agreed on giving birth at a birthing center. We had a wonderful experience with the midwives and nurses at our local birthing center all throughout my pregnancy and through labor and delivery. We felt supported, listened to, respected, and cared for. My labor and delivery went so quickly and smoothly that we both agreed that we would consider having a homebirth when we were ready to have baby number two.
Now that our little lamb is nearing a year and a half, we know it is the right time to expand our family and start trying for another itty bitty baby. This also means leaving the comfort of the birthing center we had such a wonderful experience with, and forging a new relationship with a new midwife in order to have a homebirth. So I hopped on Google and started researching homebirth options in my area. I came across one midwife team that was mentioned numerous times in various forums and resources like Midwives Alliance at http://mana.org/about-midwives/state-by-state, American College of Nurse-Midwives at http://www.midwife.org/find-a-midwife, and Mothers Naturally at http://mothersnaturally.org/midwives/findAMidwife.php. There are many ways to find a midwife in your area, and momma forums, like the ones on www.mothering.com, ended up being the most beneficial to me. Also, it was helpful just Googling “home birth in (your state)”. I was able to get excellent information both ways.
Once I found information on a few midwives, I reached out to the one I was most interested in and contacted them for information. My first email to them was very simple and to the point:
My husband and I had a wonderful experience giving birth to our daughter at a birth center. Now that we are starting to think of trying for baby number two, we are seriously considering a home birth. Do you do home births in (my city)? Also, does insurance cover any part of it? If not, could you tell me the cost of a home birth.
I received a response with in 24 hours that stated:
Yes we absolutely attend births in (my city). Our practice is two certified midwives. The other midwife lives in (my city):) We attend most appointments and all births together so you have two fully trained midwives to care for you and your baby.
Parents pay our fee of 4900 along the way at prenatals. After the birth I supply you with paperwork to file with insurance for reimbursement. Coverage varies but mainly hinges on if you have out of network benefits and a deductible. I'm happy to explain more and answer further questions if you'd like to plan a consult to meet with us at the office.
We are in the office Mon- Thurs 9am-4pm by appointment. Let me know some days coming up that could work for you and I will check our schedule. In the meantime visit our public FB page and website for photos, birth stories and more!
First off, I really appreciated such a quick and timely response. I also appreciated that all of my questions were answered, and that additional helpful and important information was offered. Over the course of the next few emails, I was encouraged to come in and talk with the midwives prior to getting pregnant so I could see if we were a good fit, have my questions answered ahead of time, and have the foundation of a relationship started prior to my first “Woohoo we’re pregnant” appointment. I was also encouraged to come to the meeting with questions ready to ask the midwives. Again, the Internet is a wealth of knowledge full of suggestions on what to ask when you are “interviewing” a potential home birth midwife. I pulled questions from various websites, as well as asking questions my husband and I had based on our experience with our first pregnancy and birth. I asked the following questions:
What is your birth philosophy? (Note: I am so glad I started with this question. It gave me insight on both women’s perspective on the birth process in general, as well as giving me insight on how they viewed labor and delivery. Many of the questions I had were subsequently answered through this one question)
How many births have you attended?
What is your transfer rate?
Under what circumstances would you transfer to a hospital?
Would you stay with us at the hospital if we were transferred?
What if only one of us had to be transferred to the hospital (me or the baby)? Would we both be admitted?
How many people attend the births (midwife, nurse, etc…)?
How many expectant mothers do you accept per month/4 week period? What is your plan if two clients go in to labor at the same time?
How far overdue can I go and still birth at home?
What supplies/medical equipment do you bring to the home birth?
What do we need to have for the home birth?
Are you NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) certified?
Do you do sutures if I tear?
What things would make me high risk during my pregnancy that would make me not a home birth candidate?
How often and how do you monitor the baby during labor?
How often do you do vaginal checks throughout the pregnancy? During labor?
How many ultrasounds should I expect?
Do you do genetic testing blood work?
Will you deliver twins?
Will you deliver breech?
Do you support delayed cord clamping?
Are you familiar with a vegan diet during pregnancy?
Do you allow photography during labor and delivery? (Note: I have a cousin who does beautiful photography who offered to photograph my first birth. We did not take her up on the offer than, but we are considering it this time around.)
What is the total cost and what are your payment plans?
What kind of postpartum care do you offer?
Are you familiar with hypnobirthing? (Note: We are considering using this technique this time around.)
Once pregnant, when should I contact you?
How long do you stay after the birth? Do you help clean up?
What days and times do you see clients?
Do you have any references available for contact?
Thirty questions may seem like a lot, but I was able to get all of my questions answered within an hour’s time during our consultation, even with a one year old adding both humor and distraction to the conversation. Many questions were answered within other questions, and I gave the background information of my pregnancy and birth throughout the meeting. I got a great deal of information in a short time, and I felt that both of the women were incredibly competent and passionate about childbirth. They definitely have more flexibility than the birth center we had our little lamb at did. For instance, they will deliver twins, breach babies, and women over 42 weeks pregnant. All of these situations are conditional based on the health of both momma and baby, but this was a stark contrast to what the birth center was able to accommodate.
There are drawbacks to having a home birth though. The cost is the main one. Most insurance companies will not cover a home birth in its entirety. Some will not cover any part at all. We are going into this assuming that our insurance will not cover any part, so we have started a savings specifically for our home birth. For me, it is a great investment with money well spent, but I know the out of pocket cost is not feasible for everyone. If you have your heart set on a homebirth, but cost is an issue, consider asking for contributions instead of getting gifts at your baby shower. Another potential drawback is the limited amount of clients a home birth based midwife can take on each month. Depending on how many midwives are working together will dictate how many clients they can take. I was told to call the minute my stick showed a plus sign to reserve my spot, so my fingers are crossed we can get in with this particular group. I even bought early result pregnancy tests to hopefully give us an advantage (not to mention I want to know asap!)
This is phase one of our homebirth journey, and we could not be more excited, nervous, and full of positive anticipation. This is truly going to be an adventure, and I do not think I will ever look at my bed the same way after giving birth in it! We know this is the right decision for our family this time around though. Our little lamb will be able to be an age appropriately active participant in the birth, we won’t have to worry about making it anywhere on time to deliver our baby, we won’t have to take that nerve wrecking ride home with an infant crying in a car seat hours after their birth, and we will be in the familiar comfort of our own sanctuary. I can’t wait!
Stay tuned for phase two…….
Love, Laughter, & Light,
