AT WHAT POINT DO I HIRE A MIDWIFE? CAN I SWITCH PROVIDERS PART-WAY THROUGH PREGNANCY?

Ideally, a midwife will be chosen and hired in early pregnancy, with care beginning around 10-12 weeks gestation. This is not required to have a home birth, however. You can hire Hawthorn Midwifery at any time in your pregnancy, even in the third trimester. Late-to-care discounts are available to clients who have had previous prenatal care and switch to Hawthorn Midwifery after 28 weeks in pregnancy. Your medical records are required from any/all providers you have seen during your pregnancy before care can commence; I'm happy to request those for you. 

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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS?

​Yes! I offer a $500 discount if your balance is paid in full by 30 weeks, a $200 discount to those who pay their balance entirely with cash, and an additional $100 discount if you hire a doula or photographer and are willing to allow me to share some of the images.

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DOES MY BALANCE HAVE TO BE PAID IN FULL BEFORE THE BIRTH?

​Yes. Nearly all families will have their balance paid in full long before the birth. However, some families are unable to achieve this due to their current financial circumstances. I understand! Even though this fee is deeply discounted (and a fraction of hospital costs), this is still a lot of money to have laying around if you weren’t previously budgeting for private care. 

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To counteract this, Hawthorn Midwifery has arranged an excellent option for affordable monthly payments with Mountain America Credit Union. If you decide to apply for an extended installment loan, the service date is not your due date. The service date is when you estimate that we would begin prenatal care. If your credit isn’t awesome, having a co-signer and adding all forms of income is a great idea for better approval odds!

   

To hold your spot for care, a $500 payment is required. This payment goes towards your balance. Once care has begun, if you have a balance, a minimum payment of $400 is required per visit unless otherwise discussed, or until the complete balance has been paid in full. If you are making regular payments, the remaining balance is due by 36+0 weeks gestation.

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DO YOU BILL HEALTH INSURANCE?

If desired, you will receive a superbill for your (and your baby’s) care after the birth. You can submit this for reimbursement at the completion of your care. 

You will still have to pay in full before the birth and the price is not discounted for those with health insurance.

Even if you will not be reimbursed, meeting your annual deductible can be very helpful for families. Billing almost always achieves this goal. You won’t ever be charged more, regardless of what/if insurance decides to do. If you have a shared health plan like Samaritan or Christian Health Ministries, your home birth costs should be covered. 

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IS HOME BIRTH SAFE?

​Yes. The available evidence shows that out-of-hospital birth has a very low risk of adverse outcomes. Like any choice it has a unique set of risks and benefits that are hard to judge for anyone except yourself. For more information about the statistics of homebirth please visit: http://mana.org/pdfs/DOR-Outcomes-Paper-Fact-Sheet-on-Risk.pdf  or https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Planned-Home-Birth?IsMobileSet=false.

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WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY DURING LABOR OR AFTER THE BABY IS BORN? 

Emergencies can happen in any birth setting, not just home births. Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse Midwives are trained to identify and manage all manner of obstetric emergencies, including the home management of postpartum hemorrhage and neonatal resuscitation. Depending on the situation, a minor concern or emergency may be completely managed at home, or may require that we travel to the hospital in a car. In the very rare case of a major emergency, I would take lifesaving action while the EMS system is activated, and would continue to provide care during transport to the hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital your care would be transferred to an appropriate medical provider. I would continue to provide support and guidance throughout and resume care after you return home.

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WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK IF I NEED TO TRANSFER TO THE HOSPITAL?

No. You are paying for midwifery care with homebirth carried as the mutual goal. It is also almost always the outcome, which is beautiful! I cannot gaurantee you a homebirth though- no one can. A big part of a midwife’s job is assessing you and baby, ensuring it is still safe to be home. We want you to stay home just as bad as you do, but like you, we also want a healthy outcome for all. If staying home is no longer a safe plan, it’s an important part of the midwife’s job to make that call. 

This policy ensures ethical guidance. Part of the expertise that you are hiring me for is to know when outside medical care is needed. In the event of an intrapartum transfer, postpartum care will resume once you have been discharged. Insurance will still be billed for the care that was rendered, which can be very helpful to reduce or dissolve your deductible entirely.

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HOW WILL WE COMMUNICATE BETWEEN VISITS?

Once you begin care you will have online access to an electronic health record system that has HIPAA compliant texting. Feel free to message me through that chat system anytime day or night and I will respond as soon as I am able, usually within 24 hours.

If you are in labor, call the hotline you were given at the beginning of your care. 

If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 or go to the hospital immediately and notify me after.