Home Birth Services
"You have been a splendid midwife!" - Jennifer
PRENATAL CARE
LABOR & BIRTH
POSTPARTUM
PAYMENT
Extended payment plans with low or 0% interest rates are available through Med Loan Finance. A discount is given for payment in full by 32 weeks. Your payments can be made via cash, credit or debit card, Health Savings Account, and Flex Spending Account. If you use Samaritan Ministries or Christian Health Ministries, please request an invoice as soon as you have paid your retainer.
Unfortunately in our experience, traditional health insurance companies and Medi-Share rarely cover our services, Indiana Medicaid/Hoosier Healthwise does not cover our services at all. If you have traditional health insurance or Medi-Share, you must pay the prepayment fee up front. After the birth, I can provide you with a receipt to turn in to your insurance for reimbursement. Please understand it is unlikely that they will reimburse you. Duplicate receipts will be assessed a $25 service fee.
You can calculate the average cost of giving birth at your local hospital by visiting mycareINsight.com
- One hour prenatal visits in office are scheduled monthly until 28 weeks, bimonthly until 36 weeks, and weekly after your 37-week home visit
- Each visit includes the following assessments: maternal blood pressure and urinalysis as well as fetal position and heart rate. Other assessments such as screening for anemia and ordering labs are done on an as-needed basis.
- We also spend time at each visit getting to know each other, going over any questions or concerns you may have, and discussing your wishes for the birth.
- A home visit at 37 weeks attended by your partner and anyone you plan to have at your birth*
- Co-care provided by my collaborating physician
- Access to lab work and ultrasound, as needed
LABOR & BIRTH
- You are clear to give birth at home beginning at 37 weeks
- You are encouraged to eat, drink, and remain active during active labor (walking, birth ball, birth pool, etc)
- The midwife and assistant arrive when labor is active and stay 2-3 hours after the birth to be sure mom and baby are stable
- Consultation and/or referral is required if you reach 42 weeks. The midwife will accompany you to the hospital whenever possible if transfer of care is needed.
POSTPARTUM
- An in-home postpartum visit for mother and baby is scheduled for 24-72 hours after the birth
- We offer the Indiana Newborn Screening heel prick and critical congenital heart defect (CCHD) screening for your baby and will provide you a referral for the hearing screening
- We provide basic breastfeeding support and a referral to lactation support, if needed
- Additional office visits for both mother and baby are scheduled at 1 week, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks; or as needed
PAYMENT
Extended payment plans with low or 0% interest rates are available through Med Loan Finance. A discount is given for payment in full by 32 weeks. Your payments can be made via cash, credit or debit card, Health Savings Account, and Flex Spending Account. If you use Samaritan Ministries or Christian Health Ministries, please request an invoice as soon as you have paid your retainer.
Unfortunately in our experience, traditional health insurance companies and Medi-Share rarely cover our services, Indiana Medicaid/Hoosier Healthwise does not cover our services at all. If you have traditional health insurance or Medi-Share, you must pay the prepayment fee up front. After the birth, I can provide you with a receipt to turn in to your insurance for reimbursement. Please understand it is unlikely that they will reimburse you. Duplicate receipts will be assessed a $25 service fee.
You can calculate the average cost of giving birth at your local hospital by visiting mycareINsight.com
"From the first time my husband and I met Michelle, we knew we wanted her to be our midwife. The attention, care, and compassion that Michelle showed us throughout our pregnancy and birth was outstanding. I can't imagine a better birth experience, and I'm so glad that we were able to have Michelle by our sides! I have always felt like Michelle was there for me, and even if I thought it was a silly question, she always treated me with respect and understanding. Her balance of hands off and hands on was perfect and spot on! She always had all of our best interests in mind, and her confidence really rubbed off on us and made the experience very comfortable. I can't imagine birthing any other way than a home birth with Michelle! We think the world of her. " -Jen & Jerome
What is a midwife?
A midwife is a trained care provider who cares for mothers and infants. We provide care to women with low-risk pregnancies planning to birth at home and their babies until six weeks of age. The midwife is your primary provider, with collaborative care provided by an obstetrician or nurse-midwife who can provide additional prenatal care and assessments or labor care in the hospital should the need arise. The midwife and her trained assistant attend you at home once active labor is established. In order to provide the best birth team possible, first time moms are required to hire a doula and any other mom who wants a lot of support is encouraged to hire a doula. Both stay until mom and baby are settled and nursing, the newborn exam has been performed, and mother & baby have been deemed stable. The midwife returns to your home at 24-72 hours postpartum for a home visit and the Indiana Newborn Screening. Both mother and baby are scheduled for office visits through six weeks postpartum providing the continuity of care that is the hallmark of midwifery care.
The Midwives Model of CareTM is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events and includes:
The Midwives Model of Care definition is Copyright © 1996-2001, Midwifery Task Force, All Rights Reserved.
The Midwives Model of CareTM is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events and includes:
- monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care,
- continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- minimizing technological interventions and;
- identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention
The Midwives Model of Care definition is Copyright © 1996-2001, Midwifery Task Force, All Rights Reserved.
"After 3 visits with a local OB/GYN it became clear that my husband, myself & our baby were not going to get the experience we wanted going the standard "medical" route for giving birth. We started searching for the midwife best fit to help us have our baby at home. We were so fortunate to find Michelle. After our consultation, it was clear that Michelle was going to care for us the way we had hoped to be cared for before starting this journey. She is educated, experienced & confident in all the necessary ways. She was always available to answer all of our questions (as first-time parents we had a lot of them!) & she never rushed us through our prenatal appointments. During labor, Michelle supported our experience with the perfect balance of attention & guidance. I remember at one point she asked me, "Would you like me to check your progress?" This question pretty much sums up what I loved about working with Michelle: she encouraged me to make my own health decisions & experience pregnancy & labor for myself. Isn't this the way it should always be? I had the confidence knowing things would be handled in a way that best supported the experience we hoped to have AND the reassurance that a qualified midwife was there to ensure things went as smoothly as possible. We wouldn't have changed a thing about our experience having Michelle as our midwife & we wouldn't have anyone else in the future. In fact, that's why we are working with her again as we await arrival of our second!" -Amy