Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of Midwife are you and is it legal in NC?
Certified Nurse Midwife
Yes, we are legal in North Carolina
We have obtained the Master’s Degree in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Midwifery. We hold national certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board. We hold a CNM license from the NC Midwifery Joint Committee and a RN license from the NC Board of Nursing
How often are prenatal visits?
Our routine visit schedule is about:
Every 4 weeks until 28 weeks
Every 2 weeks from 28-36 weeks
Every 1 week until birth
Do you provide care to the baby?
Our CNMs are able to provide routine care for baby for the first month of life
Our FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) provides care from birth throughout life
How often are visits after the baby is born?
Our routine postpartum visit schedule for client and baby is:
24-48 hours - CNM or FNP, routine assessment of both client and baby; also included is newborn metabolic screen, newborn hearing screen, and the critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screen
1 week postpartum – Birth Assistant (BA), routine check in of vital signs for mom and baby, newborn weight, feeding and diapering. Lactation support as needed.
2 week postpartum – BA, same as above
5-6 week postpartum – CNM or FNP, routine client postpartum visit and exam as indicated
Do I need to also have visits with an ob/gyn?
No, we provide prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care to low risk clients and healthy babies
You may wish to have parallel care (care from both us and your OB/GYN) to maintain a relationship with your OB/GYN. We do not require this care. This expense will likely be out of pocket as insurance companies cover care only from one licensed provider for the same service.
If you are no longer considered in the low risk category we would transfer your care to a higher level provider like an OB/GYN
Who attends the birth?
Minimum - 1 Certified Nurse Midwife and 1 Birth Assistant
What equipment do you bring to the birth?
Included but not limited to:
Vital sign equipment including fetal doppler
General supplies needed for birth including some cleaning supplies
IV supplies
Neonatal resuscitation supplies including oxygen tank
Medications in case of postpartum hemorrhage
We do NOT offer any pain medications or narcotics
INCLUDED in all of our homebirth packages is a birth tub rental and supplies
Do you offer ultrasounds?
We do not offer ultrasound in our office. We offer referral for ultrasound. This can be done in a general diagnostic center or a specific OB/GYN office that is familiar with home birth.
How much does it cost?
Our cost for routine prenatal care, birth, postpartum, and newborn care starts at $7,200
Some insurance companies cover part of the cost
Some health shares cover most of the cost
Do you accept health savings account payments?
Yes. It typically works like a debit card and can cover insurance copays/cost share and most fees not fully covered by your insurance company. You need to verify based on your particular plan.
What insurance companies do you work with?
Please call for specific information.
Aetna - (they do not cover the birth portion of the homebirth package) - in network
Healthy Blue (a BCBS NC Medicaid plan) – in network for most office visits. We do NOT accept this insurance for homebirth.
TriCare – non-network Tricare certified provider
Others on a case-by-case basis
Currently, we are negotiating contracts with additional insurance companies
What if we have care but don’t have a homebirth due to transfer?
If you transfer care during the prenatal period we charge for what services are rendered (you may be due a reimbursement)
If you transfer during labor we charge for services rendered (labor support and travel) but it is likely there is no reimbursement available
What trainings have been attended by your team within the last 5 years?
At least one team member has attended; this is a list of the most important skills:
Neonatal Resuscitation program
Basic Life Support
Breech Without Borders
Birth Emergency Skills Training
Spinning Babies
Spinning Babies: Resolving Shoulder Dystocia
Doula Training
Lactation Counselor Training
Tummy Time Method
What about the “mess”?
We offer suggestions of how to set up the birth space to minimize “mess”
We help clean up birth related items and “mess”
We start a load of birth laundry and take out the birth trash before we leave
Our goal is to return your home to its previous state before we leave