Why choose a midwife?

There reasons are numerous and this list is not exhaustive, but here are a few:

Partnership - Midwifery care is individualized and relationship based. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to get to know each of our clients as individuals and families. We believe that this makes for a more positive birth experience, even if things don’t go as planned. With a foundation of trust, physical and emotional safety become possible.

Unhurried visits - We generally spend 45-60 minutes with our clients. We discuss your medical needs as well as the emotional and day-to-day needs of pregnancy. We approach birth holistically, and can talk about nutrition and alternative care. During these visits we are not only providing care but building a relationship.

Informed Choice - We offer all of the same tests and procedures that you would receive in a hospital, but we talk about them ahead of time and offer alternative options, discussing risks and benefits in an unbiased atmosphere. We believe the best care comes from our clients having the knowledge to choose the care that fits their unique values, needs, and concerns.

Availability - We are on call for urgent and emergent concerns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Staying Home - Many folks feel most comfortable at home, in their own, known space. With midwives, you don’t have to leave your house during labor, birth, or postpartum. You have access to all your own comforts, including your clothes, food, bed, bathroom, children (if you want them there) and pets. We think the home-based postpartum care is one of the best parts of midwifery care! We come to you 4 times in the first 2 weeks, making sure that you and baby are healthy and getting the support you need. No need to strap you or baby into the car!

Is homebirth safe?

Research continues to show that homebirth attended by qualified midwives is a safe option for highly motivated, pregnant folks with low risk pregnancies. We take special care to screen our clients prenatally and make diligent assessments throughout labor and delivery to ensure that homebirth remains safe. For more information on the safety of homebirth, please follow the links below:

The Oregon Midwifery Council Website has a great page on the safety of homebirth: https://oregonmidwiferycouncil.org/oregon-midwives-info-for-families/is-homebirth-safe/

The British Medical Journal: Outcomes of Planned Homebirths with CPM's Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA): New Studies Confirm Safety of Home Birth With Midwives in the U.S. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health: Outcomes of Care for 16,924 Planned Home Births in the United States: The Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004 to 2009 https://www.mana.org/pdfs/HomeBirthAnnotatedGuidetotheLiteratureDec5-2012FINAL.pdf

Who will attend my birth?

Both Alisha and Nicole attend all births together. Should one of us be unavailable, the other will be assisted by another qualified birth attendant. We do not currently have any students or assistants working with us.

Alisha is Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and a Nurse Practitioner (NP). She is trained as a nurse and holds a masters degree in midwifery. She works both as a midwife and as a general health practitioner for people with uteruses. She is licensed by the Oregon Board of Nursing.

Nicole is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife (LDM). She holds a bachelors degree in midwifery, is trained in out of hospital birth, and is licensed by the Oregon Board of Direct Entry Midwifery.

We feel our different backgrounds and years of experience bring both solid evidence-based clinical care as well as the art of caring for clients in a connected and individualized way. We continue to educate ourselves yearly through continuing education and recertifications.

How many births have you attened and how many births do you attend a month?

We have attended roughly 100 births together and a combined 700 births over the course of our collective 2 decades practice. On average, we attend 2 births per month.

What insurance do we accept?

We are happy to bill most insurance providers for our care. We are currently in-network with Regence/Blue Cross, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, OHP, and select Moda plans. We are not in network with and rarely get reimbursed by Providence and Kaiser. Other insurance companies can be billed, but out of network rates would apply.

Most insurance companies will reimburse us for a portion, if not all, of our care, subject to your deductable and co-insurance. Though we would love to support everyone on OHP, we are only able to take a limited number of OHP clients for midwifery care. We are glad to obtain an estimate of how much your insurance is likely to pay and what your out of pocket responsibility would be and encourage you to do the same!

Can I have a waterbirth?

YES!!! We have inflatable birth tubs that we rent for those interested in a waterbirth. We are trained in waterbirth and are happy to facilitate this. Whether baby is born in the water or not, the water is a wonderful tool for labor. Waterbirth is considered safe, though some babies do take just a bit longer to transition to breathing air after a water birth. Many of our clients choose water for their labors and/or births!

What if a complication arises during my pregnancy or birth?

We are both trained to manage many common complications that can arise during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. For situations that fall out of the midwifery scope, we consult with or refer to our collaborating physicians. If something arises that makes a homebirth unsafe, we will refer you to a hospital-based provider. In this situation, we may be able to continue prenatal and postpartum care or collaborate with your other providers for your care.

What if there is an emergency?

Although true emergencies in low risk pregnant and birthing folks are rare, they do happen and for that reason, we can be reached with questions or concerns 24 hours a day.

In the case of a true prenatal emergency, we would likely send you stright to a referring hospital and meet you there for support.

Prevention of emergencies during labor is a main goal of ours. We do this by staying present and in communication with you throughout labor, birth, and postpartum. We regularly monitor your vitals and watch for signs of dehydration, exhaustion, abnormal bleeding, and shock. We monitor baby by listening to the heartbeat often during labor to catch changes that might indicate a problem. After birth, we watch babies carefully to make sure that they are breathing and transitioning well. If we are worried about the health of the birthing client or baby, we will discuss this with you and most likely transfer to a hospital to have access to the support we need.

If an emergency within our scope of practice does occur at home, we are prepared and have many resources. We carry oxygen, anti-hemorrhagic medication to stop bleeding, IV equipment, and suturing materials. We are well trained in maternal and neonatal resuscitation, IV therapy, shock treatment, and suturing. Our training in these areas is renewed every 2 years. These are the same emergency resources that are available at a birth center.

Do you attend VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) births?

Yes, we do provide care for birthing people who have a history of one cesarean birth and are happy to meet with you to illuminate your candidacy.