We strive to make out of hospital pregnancy care accessible to all families through adjustments for income, payment plans and insurance. We will work with you to set up a payment plan that fits your budget. We bill all major health insurers, and will work to get you the reimbursement you deserve. The average out of pocket cost for our care is $6,100, with adjustments for income and household size. Please schedule a consultation to discuss these options further, and visit our financial page page for more details.
We can bill most insurances for reimbursement at an out-of-network rate. We accept Medicaid, and also love working with cost-sharing insurance companies. Our staff can walk you through the process and answer any questions.
Our midwives are contracted with Fee For Service Medicaid. Our facility is not contracted with Medicaid so there are some out of pocket expenses for our Medicaid clients.
We offer elective ultrasounds in our office and are able to order ultrasounds at several other facilities as well, depending on which place is more convenient for our clients. We do recommend an anatomy scan around twenty weeks of gestation and occasionally recommend ultrasounds to confirm the baby’s position, rule out multiple gestation, or at the request of our clients. There are a few other potential reasons to get an ultrasound which we will discuss with you during your care. Breast screening ultrasounds for early breast cancer detection also available.
We are able to process labs and bloodwork. We inform clients of any tests before administered in order for them to choose what is best for them and their baby.
Certified Professional Midwives are licensed to provide complete prenatal care for the childbearing year. Your midwife will serve as your primary care provider for your pregnancy and postpartum. However, there are times when we may refer clients to a physician for specialized care, or for a transfer of treatment if deemed necessary.
Anyone both parents agree to have present is welcome to be at the birth. This can include family, friends, and even siblings! Our birth suites are spacious, including a private patio area, and are adjacent to a comfortable waiting area and kitchen. We do ask that anyone who attends be supportive of your birth decisions, and that a designated adult supervise any children who may be present.
While we do not provide pain medication, we do provide many natural techniques for coping with pain at your birth. These include massage, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy and, our favorite, water! We have two deep immersion birth pools available in our birth suites, and offer rentals for home births.
For mothers who prefer to give birth at the hospital for safety concerns, pain relief or other reasons, we offer a planned hospital birth midwifery care package. If a mother in labor at home or the birth center desires narcotic relief, we will transfer her to the hospital for it.
If you choose to have your baby at the birth center, you will not need to do any clean up at all. 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 keep 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 don't stay to fold and put it away – sorry, dad!) If you plan on having several friends or family members attend the birth, we suggest a designated person to help with tidying up kitchen and waiting space so this is not left for mom or dad after everyone leaves.
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. They can also do the honor of "catching" when baby comes out.
Yes! As long as the pregnancy remains healthy and low risk, we welcome and have great success with natural twin, breech and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean births. We also offer our Easy Access Midwifery Care package for anyone who wishes to receive our holistic prenatal / postpartum care, but give a planned birth at the hospital due to safety or other concerns.
We offer weekly free group tours and consultations. During this session you are given a tour of our facility with a thorough overview of our care model and practices including, statistics, protocols, scheduling, services, cost, and billing. You also get to meet some of our staff including a midwife who will take the time to answer all of your questions. We do ask that if you schedule a consultation 28 weeks gestation or beyond, please bring a copy of your medical records with you.
We also offer private 45 minute consultations for those that cannot make a group tour date or who desire privacy for asking questions. We charge a $75 fee for this service which can be put toward your total midwifery care fee.
It has been strongly proven that out of hospital birth with low risk mothers is as safe, and in some regards safer, than hospital birth. In the case of a complication during labor and delivery, we are just a mile away from Sentara RMH and have procedures in place for conducting a transfer. However, transfers to the hospital are typically non-emergent, and occur due to seeking pain relief or other medical interventions to help with labor.
We encourage families to do research and consider what birth option is best for them. Our Easy Access Midwifery Care package is a great fit for those who wish to receive holistic prenatal care from our midwives, but give birth at the hospital due to safety or other concerns. If you have specific questions about your medical conditions and birth options, please schedule a free consultation with us. We welcome twin births, breech births, and vaginal birth after cesarean.
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 with an emergency, we would activate EMS and take an ambulance. In a non-emergent event we will simply transport via private vehicle. Brookhaven’s location was chosen for its proximity to the hospital, just a mile away.
Below are our current stats as of the end of 2021. Please call us if you have any questions about these statistics. We’d love to tell you more!
Vaginal Birth Rate = 93.55%
C-section Rate = 6.45%
VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) Success Rate = 100%
Episiotomy Rate = 0%
Water birth Rate = 29%
Home birth Rate = 22%
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