FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(REVISED 11/2010)
Hello and welcome! Thank you for visiting our website!
Our mission statement: We give choices back to women.
Sit down for a statement that is shocking in its simplicity: for low risk women, home birth is safer than hospital birth. We didn’t say so. Research has. Go to the “But is it safe?” page (link is at the bottom of this page), and read the abstracts of several studies supporting the safety of home birth. Home birth is easier, more comfortable, and more family centered than hospital birth. But it’s also safer.
For women coming to us who want a home birth, there is an 80 to 85% chance that she’ll get one. If she is among those transferred, she can know that the interventions she received were needed. Of the women who transfer to the hospital, almost half will still have a vaginal birth. Our c section rate is 7%.
Following are our FAQ’s:
WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION HAVE YOU HAD?
JENNIFER has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing. Jennifer went to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio for both of her degrees. She has experience as a labor and delivery nurse in large hospitals in Cleveland-MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals of Cleveland.
LYNNE has a diploma in nursing from St. Francis Hospital (1965), a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mundelein College (1985), and has held certificates in massage therapy and lactation consulting.
HOW MANY BIRTHS HAVE YOU ATTENDED?
Including her student experiences, JENNIFER has attended about 400 births, about 100 of them at home.
LYNNE has been a labor and delivery nurse since 1983. She stopped counting in 1992.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRANSFER WOMEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES?
Since 1/2005, 364 patients registered for care with us. Of these, 35 transferred for medical reasons and 60 for other reasons (moving or insurance). Some of the medical reasons for transfer include twins, high blood pressure, or experiencing a miscarriage.
269 began labor with us. Of these, 43 (16%) transferred to the hospital during labor. The most common reason for during labor transfers are first time mothers experiencing a long labor or a long time of broken water who need labor stimulation and/or pain relief. Other reasons include high blood pressure developing during labor and concerns about fetal well being.
Our cesarean rate is 7%. This means that almost half of the women that transfer still have a vaginal birth!
Other fun fact: our water labor rate is 42% and our water BIRTH rate is 24%.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRANSFER?
We would transfer the woman to our collaborator, Dr. Gomez, who is the department chair at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park. We accompany the woman as a doula. In the event of this occurrence, our fee remains same.
All of our women will go to one visit with Dr. Gomez in her third trimester. This visit is not billable to insurance and is $150 which must be paid at the time of the visit.
Women have the option of arranging their own transfer plan; however, Dr. Gomez is a known quantity with regards to our birth philosophies.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE UNAVAILABLE?
One of us is always available. We have never had three women in labor at once, and when we had two in labor at once was when we had ten patients due in those months. We currently limit our monthly volume to eight.
Generally, when two are in labor at once, one is finishing while another is getting started. In this case, Lynne would do an early labor check and early labor sitting or finish a recovery while Jen goes to the other birth. In the event of three in labor at once, or if two CNMs are truly needed in two different locations, there are four other home birth CNMs in Chicagoland who we may call to help us out.
WHAT SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT DO YOU BRING?
We bring oxygen, emergency medications to stop bleeding (pitocin, methergine, and cytotec), and IV equipment. We bring antibiotics for women who are GBS positive or for women who are GBS unknown with more than 18 hours of broken water.
We also bring monitoring equipment-blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, dopplers to listen to the baby.
Most important, we bring our knowledge and experience. We are both certified in neonatal resuscitation and CPR.
WHAT SUPPLIES MUST WE PROVIDE?
In the last month of your pregnancy we will review a list of expected supplies, and give you information to order a birth kit from a medical supply company.
DO YOU BRING MEDICATIONS FOR ANALGESIA OR LABOR STIMULATION?
No. If a woman needs pharmacologic pain relief or pharmacologic labor stimulation, after all of our low-tech interventions have been tried, we go to the hospital.
DO YOU BRING AN ASSISTANT?
Lynne is our primary assistant. If she is out of town or not available for some reason, Jen has a list of RN’s, doulas, & other CNMs she may call.
WHERE AND ON WHAT SCHEDULE DO PRENATAL VISITS OCCUR?
Visits will be here at our office-monthly until 28 weeks, then every 2 weeks until 36, then every week until birth. Lynne will do a home visit between 35 and 37 weeks as well as a postpartum visit at 2 days postpartum. We offer a 2 week postpartum visit in the office for those who have any concerns-questions about breastfeeding, problems with stitches, or any other concerns. In the 6 week checkup we talk about contraception if desired, check for any residual problems, and discuss the birth. Then we look forward to seeing you at annual checkups!
DO YOU RECOMMEND CHILDBIRTH CLASSES?
We expect that first time moms will either take classes OR hire a doula (not a relative or friend unless a doula by profession). For second time or more moms, we recommend classes but do not expect them. We have a variety of instructors that our women have used and are happy to share our list with you, but you are by no means limited to those instructors.
WHAT IS YOUR EPISIOTOMY RATE?
Less than 1%.
WHAT DOES YOUR FEE INCLUDE?
All of your prenatal visits, your birth, and your postpartum care, including 24/7 availability for the duration of your pregnancy and postpartum course. We offer a discount for women paying out of pocket if paid by 28 weeks. This fee does NOT include labs, ultrasounds, the birth kit, classes, birth tub rental, and physician fees. For more information please call us at 773.880.9877 to schedule a consultation visit.
WHEN DO YOU COME TO THE HOME?
We want to be there when you are in active labor, generally meaning when contractions are every five minutes, lasting one minute, for at least an hour. We will communicate with you by phone during early labor. Depending on where you live, we may do an early labor check and leave for a while.
HOW LONG DO YOU STAY?
Three hours after an uncomplicated birth, up to six for one with complications.
WHAT DOES YOUR POSTPARTUM CARE INCLUDE?
Assessments on mom and baby, assistance with nursing, and standard newborn medications if desired. We will do the newborn screening (heelprick test) and birth certificate at the two day visit. We also provide the optional two week and recommended six week office checkups, and remain on call for you.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH SIBLINGS AT BIRTHS?
Generally good. We expect that the sibling(s) have ONE DEDICATED caregiver -- not the primary birth support person -- to explain what’s happening, to answer questions, and to take the sibling away if he/she gets upset. The children’s book “Welcome With Love” is an excellent way to prepare toddler and young school age children for a home birth.
