Over
the years we have come to realize that dads arrive at consultation
visits with their own unique set of questions about out of hospital
birth with midwives. We also recognize that dads input and valuable role
is sometimes set aside as women celebrate the miracle that is happening
within them and pour over information in preparation for the coming
birth. Therefore we have created this page for and in honor of dads.
Enjoy!Welcome Dads! We have created this page just for you. We recognize that you may have unique questions, desires, and needs during this transition into parenthood. We hope that this page can answer many of your questions, encourage you to take an active role in your partner's care, and help you be more at ease with out-of-hospital birth. Below are some of the most common questions we are asked by dads:
Is it safe?
For low-risk women out-of-hospital birth is very safe. In fact, in regards to unnecessary interventions,
it is actually safer than hospital birth. Check out these studies for out-of-hospital statistics on safety.
CPM 2000 (113 KB)
millbank (954 KB)
Netherlands Study
Deadly Delivery (1824 KB)
How much does it cost?
Homebirth midwifery care and birth center birth are generally about a third of the price of an unmedicated hospital birth. We offer payment plans and accept credit card payments. We also bill insurance companies. Check out our financial contracts for more details and bring any additional questions about billing to your consultation visit. You may also contact our office manager at brookhavenbcbilling@gmail.com.
Self-pay financial contract (89 KB)
Insurance Billing Financial Contract (226 KB)
How messy is it? And who cleans up the mess?
If you choose to have your baby at the birth center you will not need to do any clean up at all (unless you throw your dirty socks on the floor).
Birth is not nearly as messy as many people imagine and we do a good job of keeping any mess contained. At a home birth we have one garbage bag designated for trash and one for laundry. Before we leave your home we have all trash in the bag and ready to be placed on your curb and we throw a load of laundry in the washer, we do not however stay to fold and put it away! Sorry dad.
We sometimes even do a few dishes if there is downtime and we have gotten some sleep in the past 36 hours!
What if there is an emergency?
Certified Professional Midwives have extensive training in birth emergencies and are certified in neonatal resuscitation and infant and adult CPR. In the event that we need to go to the hospital we would activate EMS and take an ambulance. Brookhaven's location was chosen for its proximity to the hospital. We are 1/10 of one mile from the hospital. It does not get any closer than that.
What is my role?
Your main role during the birth is to simply be present with your partner. She will be doing a lot of hard work and will want to know that you are nearby throughout the process. Some women have specific expectations of their partners, so ask her what she has in mind, but remember that it may all change once she is actually experiencing labor. The things we most often see men do for their partners are offer her a drink, rub her back, hold her hand, and/or place a cool rag on her neck or forehead.
Who can we have at the birth?
Anyone you want to be there with you is welcome as long as both parents agree and that person is supportive of your decision to birth out of the hospital. Some families want their older children to attend the birth as well. We are perfectly fine with this, but we ask that you have a designated adult who will be there for the children attend as well.
The links below are to some helpful blogs and resources for fathers who want to know more about out-of-hospital birth.
http://naturalpapa.com/natural-parenting/homebirth-natural-parenting/homebirth-dads-10-questions-with-jerry-shannon/
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/blokes.htm
http://homebirthdads.com/index.htm
