Personal References for Homebirth Midwives in the United States
These references are personal accounts, and do not reflect the opinions of MamaResource.com®.
If you've planned a homebirth in the United States, please fill out the Homebirth Midwife Reference Form.
See a spreadsheet of all Homebirth Midwives in Minnesota.
The references are listed in this order: by 1) state, 2) midwife's firstname, 3) midwife's lastname, then the most current posted review for the midwife.
Homebirth Midwives in MN
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| Date of Rebecca's Birth: 3/11/04 | |||||
| • Is Rebecca interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Rebecca? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Rebecca when she selected her midwife(s)? prior to pregnancy | |||||
| • Rebecca's personality as she described it: Outgoing, opinionated, strong | |||||
• What were the most important things Rebecca and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Rebecca reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Rebecca be reimbursed? I didn't submit it. | |||||
| • Did Rebecca want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? I was more concerned with our connection and personalities than liscensing. | |||||
| • Did Rebecca select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Rebecca select and why? I don't really know, other than that I wanted to know the person I had with me if I had to go in, rather than get whatever resident was oncall at the time. It wasn't for the prenatal care or a lack of confidence in my midwife at all. | |||||
| • Did Rebecca hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Rebecca recommend hiring a doula? I will next time. At the time, I didn't really think I needed one. I still don't, but it would be a nice bonus. Since then, I've been a doula at homebirths, and seen what doulas can do for the homebirth experience. | |||||
| • Did Rebecca have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Rebecca get her birthtub? From Waterbirth Resources (Vanessa). | |||||
| • Did Rebecca have the birth experience she wanted? Yes. | |||||
| • What Rebecca appreciated / liked about her birth experience? No one messed with me. I was never asked to do something I had to worry about. No one brought up my body not working, or the things that might go wrong someday if....whatever happens. You couldn't pay me to birth in a hospital, short of something dramatic that required emergency surgery for my newborn seconds after birth. | |||||
| • What would Rebecca have liked to change about her birth experience? Nothing anyone had any control over... very fast labor, wish it had been longer to get used to each point before moving onto the next one, some major hip pain due to baby's elbows (I think). | |||||
| • Does Rebecca feel closure with this birth experience? I guess I never thought about needing it, so yes. | |||||
| • Rebecca's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Find someone you feel comfortable with, and go with them. Don't listen to naysayers. Confidence is key. Water is so helpful, even if you don't birth in it. | |||||
| Date Rebecca's reference information was written: 01/02/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Barbara's Birth: 8-28-2006 | |||||
| • Is Barbara interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Barbara? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Barbara when she selected her midwife(s)? 10 weeks | |||||
| • Barbara's personality as she described it: Opinionated, strong, rational free-thinker, but down to earth and reasonable. | |||||
• What were the most important things Barbara and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Barbara reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? Yes | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Barbara be reimbursed? approximately 80% BCBS Blue Plus | |||||
| • What tips does Barbara have for insurance reimbursement? Go with a midwife who uses a billing service! | |||||
| • Did Barbara want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? We wanted an experienced birth attendant whose philosophy for prenatal care and birth was in line with ours - the license was a non-issue. | |||||
| • Did Barbara select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Barbara select and why? Health Partners midwives at Abbott because they would have been the most likely to stick with our birth plan and also most likely to potentially let our midwife still catch our baby. | |||||
| • Did Barbara hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Barbara recommend hiring a doula? I thought that having our midwife, her assistant, my husband, and a friend would be enough - it wasn't! This birth was difficult, something I hadn't experienced the first time around (with a doula). I can't stress enough the importance of a doula for each and every birth. | |||||
| • Did Barbara have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Where did Barbara get her birthtub? We rented a tub from Waterbirth Resources and labored in and out of it, but ultimately our baby was born in bed. | |||||
| • Did Barbara have the birth experience she wanted? Mostly! I didn't expect it to be so difficult to push a baby out after my easy first experience. I would have liked to have been able to use our Bradley skills more. I don't think any "disappointment" had anything to do with our midwife or her assistant. | |||||
| • What Barbara appreciated / liked about her birth experience? At home! Quiet, peaceful, dimly lit, surrounded by trusted people. No intervention despite a lot of painful back labor and difficulty pushing baby out. Also, our midwife and her assistant were very hands off, which helped me feel like this was in fact my own birth. | |||||
| • What would Barbara have liked to change about her birth experience? Less pain please! Would have loved to have birthed in the rented tub. | |||||
| • Does Barbara feel closure with this birth experience? Yes, definitely, our midwife helped us with that. | |||||
| • Barbara's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Don't ever forget that you CAN do it naturally, without drugs and unneccesary interventions...tell yourself that everyday during your pregnancy...so much of it is mental. Trust your body, trust birth. | |||||
| Date Barbara's reference information was written: 01/31/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Sarah's Birth: 07-14-04 | |||||
| • Is Sarah interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Sarah? 3rd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Sarah when she selected her midwife(s)? 40-plus weeks | |||||
| • Sarah's personality as she described it: Earthy, outgoing, opinionated, caring and open (and high matenience when pregnant!) | |||||
• What were the most important things Sarah and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Sarah reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Sarah want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Unlicensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? I tend to go over and I didn't want to have to worry about transferring care. Isn't that what homebirth is all about? | |||||
| • Did Sarah select a back-up hospital or doctor? No | |||||
| • Did Sarah hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Sarah recommend hiring a doula? I am a doula, and I loved having the extra care and attention and my family enjoyed it too. I highly recommend a doula at homebirth if you have kids, or need an extra set of hands for anything! | |||||
| • Did Sarah have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Sarah get her birthtub? Vanessa Stephens Coldwater. | |||||
| • Did Sarah have the birth experience she wanted? Yes. The watertub helped me tremendously. She was born posterior brow and I couldn't have done it without the women I had around me and my wonderful husband and midwife. | |||||
| • What Sarah appreciated / liked about her birth experience? I was 17 days over and I was given that time. I was surrounded by people who had faith in me and my sweet babe. I was fed, I was given water, I was forcefed a banana (thanks Vanessa!) when I needed it. | |||||
| • What would Sarah have liked to change about her birth experience? I would have liked her to come out face down. | |||||
| • Does Sarah feel closure with this birth experience? Absolutely! | |||||
| • Sarah's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Interview more then one midwife, and always interview a homebirth midwife, even if your initial plan is to birth at a hospital. You just might surprise yourself. | |||||
| Date Sarah's reference information was written: 10/13/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Janet's Birth: 06/27/1997 | |||||
| • Is Janet interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? No | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Janet? 6th birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Janet when she selected her midwife(s)? 20 weeks | |||||
| • Janet's personality as she described it: pretty quiet, but firm in my beliefs... | |||||
• What were the most important things Janet and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Janet reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Janet want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? The main thing is skill, experience, and how the midwife fits with my family. | |||||
| • Did Janet select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Janet select and why? The midwife worked with one doctor in particular, so we chose him. | |||||
| • Did Janet hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Janet recommend hiring a doula? I did - because my dh isn't so hot during labor and I just wanted someone else there. | |||||
| • Did Janet have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Janet have the birth experience she wanted? pretty close, except for the midwife | |||||
| • What Janet appreciated / liked about her birth experience? being at home | |||||
| • What would Janet have liked to change about her birth experience? a nicer midwife | |||||
| • Does Janet feel closure with this birth experience? yes | |||||
| Date Janet's reference information was written: 01/19/2007 | |||||
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| Date of cecilee's Birth: 11.16.06 | |||||
| • Is cecilee interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Maybe | |||||
| • What number birth was this for cecilee? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was cecilee when she selected her midwife(s)? 12 weeks | |||||
• What were the most important things cecilee and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was cecilee reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? It's in progress. | |||||
| • Did cecilee want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Licensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? Maybe to me it meant that they had more experience. | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did cecilee select and why? Yes & no. We knew what hospital we would o to in-case of an emergency, but that was as far as we went. We didn't want to focus our attention on that. Kim & Kathy have a back up Dr that I saw for my labs in the begining of my pregnancy, she was great. | |||||
| • Did cecilee hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does cecilee recommend hiring a doula? We had our radley birth instructor at our birth. We asked her to be there because my husband and I trust her a lot, feel very calm around her and knew that it would be a great experience to share with her. She was very nice to have around. | |||||
| • Did cecilee have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Where did cecilee get her birthtub? Although I did bot give birth in the tub, we had one. I labored in it for about 2 hours. It was great. We got our tub from Bridget. I do not have any mor of her info with me at the moment, but she was great. | |||||
| • Did cecilee have the birth experience she wanted? It was AMAZING. I LOVE homebirth. I feel like a powerful woman, and it brought my husband and myself so close because we were responsible for the outcome of the birth. Not some medical team... It also taught our families a lot about birth, and that it is natural, not a sickness, and it should be treated in that manner. | |||||
| • What cecilee appreciated / liked about her birth experience? EVERYTHING! It was great not to leave the house when you knew labor was for real. it was very comfortable never having to leave home. | |||||
| • What would cecilee have liked to change about her birth experience? NOTHING. | |||||
| • Does cecilee feel closure with this birth experience? Yes. | |||||
| • cecilee's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Take a bradley class. KAREN BRUCE. Find midwives that you jive with and can trust completely. Don't be afraid of what other people are going to say, it is not their choice, it is yours. | |||||
| Date cecilee's reference information was written: 01/03/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Jennifer's Birth: 2/2/06 | |||||
| • Is Jennifer interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Maybe | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Jennifer? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Jennifer when she selected her midwife(s)? 10 weeks | |||||
| • Jennifer's personality as she described it: I am an anxious, detail-oriented person with a profound lack of faith in the medical profession (both mainstream and alternative). | |||||
• What were the most important things Jennifer and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Jennifer reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? I don't know yet. | |||||
| • Did Jennifer want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Licensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? It wasn't at (or even near) the top of my list of priorities, but I thought it might help with getting some reimbursement from our insurance company. | |||||
| • Did Jennifer select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Jennifer select and why? Lourdes Borges De Higueros was the doctor my midwives usually worked with. | |||||
| • Did Jennifer hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Jennifer recommend hiring a doula? We didn't hire a doula because I hadn't wanted much interaction during my last labor and I hoped the midwives and husband would provide the little I did need. Cost was also a major consideration because we were already paying the midwives 3K charge out of pocket. I do recommend doulas to everyone. My birth was great, but I think it could have been even better witha doula. | |||||
| • Did Jennifer have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Jennifer get her birthtub? We rented our birth tub from Vanessa at Waterbirth Resources. The whole tub rental process was positive. I didn't find the tub all that comfortable, but I don't know that any other rental tub would have been any better. | |||||
| • Did Jennifer have the birth experience she wanted? My birth experience was amazing and nearly perfect. | |||||
| • What Jennifer appreciated / liked about her birth experience? Not having to leave, having my son at home the whole time, not having to break my labor into artificial sections (is this early or active labor? is it time to go to the hospital? etc), having the tub in my bedroom, the two hours after birth... This is a difficult question for me because I liked nearly everything about my homebirth experience. | |||||
| • What would Jennifer have liked to change about her birth experience? Nothing really. There are things I believe will be better next time because I had such a positive experience this time, but I don't think I could have made those mental changes without the experience. | |||||
| • Does Jennifer feel closure with this birth experience? Yes! | |||||
| • Jennifer's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Take Bradley classes, hire a doula, read as many positive natural birth stories as you can get your hands on (Ina May's Guide to Chilbirth is a good source), stay active, remember that most pregnancies go well beyond 40 weeks. | |||||
| Date Jennifer's reference information was written: 01/02/2007 | |||||
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| Date of C.'s Birth: 4/13/2006 | |||||
| • Is C. interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for C.? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was C. when she selected her midwife(s)? 20 weeks | |||||
| • C.'s personality as she described it: I believe strongly in the safety of home birth when attended by trained, experienced midwives who also believe in normal birth and have the patience to allow it to unfold. | |||||
• What were the most important things C. and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was C. reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? Yes | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will C. be reimbursed? 80% after my deductible | |||||
| • What tips does C. have for insurance reimbursement? Try it- you never know! But don't expect anything | |||||
| • Did C. want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? Experience and personal references mattered most- the fact that they were licensed just confirmed it all for me. | |||||
| • Did C. select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did C. select and why? It doesn't matter because she's not doing it any more. | |||||
| • Did C. hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does C. recommend hiring a doula? I'm not sure. I think in my long labor it would have been good to have more 'hands on' kind of support... but I appreciate what I got from my midwives. | |||||
| • Did C. have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Where did C. get her birthtub? I labored mostly in the tub, but didn't birth there. | |||||
| • Did C. have the birth experience she wanted? Does anyone? It was harder and longer than I had hoped, but ultimately I was where I wanted to be, with whom I wanted to be. We were given the patience we needed to get through the process. I am grateful for my experience because I know it could have been a different outcome in hospital (meds, possibly cesarean). | |||||
| • What C. appreciated / liked about her birth experience? Freedom, patience, my family around me. | |||||
| • What would C. have liked to change about her birth experience? Shorter labor =) | |||||
| • Does C. feel closure with this birth experience? Yes. | |||||
| • C.'s suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Plan early and get your partner on board early. My husband's unwavering support was crucial for me throughout that labor. He knew (as did I), that if I or our baby had been in any kind of danger that our midwives would have acted on it... so he was never worried. He was just there, strong and supportive. | |||||
| Date C.'s reference information was written: 10/30/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Sally's Birth: July 9, 2003 | |||||
| • Is Sally interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Sally? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Sally when she selected her midwife(s)? 7 weeks | |||||
| • Sally's personality as she described it: I am funny, smart, and tend to worry. | |||||
• What were the most important things Sally and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Sally reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? Yes | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Sally be reimbursed? We were reimbursed about 80%, the same as we would have been for any out-of-network care provider | |||||
| • What tips does Sally have for insurance reimbursement? The sqeaky wheel gets the grease! | |||||
| • Did Sally want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Licensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? It seemed "safer," from a first-homebirth perspective. Also, it made the insurance reimbursement process easier, because our midwife had letters after her name: CPM. I would not care if my midwife was licensed or not for future births. | |||||
| • Did Sally select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Sally select and why? I was living in Stillwater; I chose Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater because it was 1 mile from my home. Also, I chose CNM Melissa Frisvold to provide prenatal care/blood tests/etc. She understood my homebirth plans and was supportive. She made an effort to explain that in case of transfer, my homebirth midwife would be welcomed, ans would I. | |||||
| • Did Sally hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Sally recommend hiring a doula? I was interested in hiring Emme Courbet, but she was unavailable. I determined I did not need a doula, with a team of two midwives and my husband. My homebirth was lovely, but now I think: ALWAYS hire a doula! The loving support and care a doula offers is never wasted. | |||||
| • Did Sally have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Sally have the birth experience she wanted? Yes. It was wonderful--it hurt, it did not go exactly as I imagined, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I also hired an apprentice midwife who sold her skills as a birth videographer--I am so happy I have my birth on DVD. | |||||
| • What Sally appreciated / liked about her birth experience? I liked my mws' flexibility, in that they set-up towels and such on my couch, which is what I leaned on while pushing. They helped me achieve a "slow crown", which I requested, to avoid tearing my episiotomy scar. I did have a small tear, and my mws came to my home every day, for 5 days post-partum, to make sure the tear did not get infected (it was almost infected) because I did not want antibiotics. I did not have any vaginal exams at any time during my labor. | |||||
| • What would Sally have liked to change about her birth experience? I would have hired a doula. | |||||
| • Does Sally feel closure with this birth experience? Yes. | |||||
| • Sally's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Realize that the c-section rate in the USA, as of 2005, is 30.2%. A first-time mother's risk of cesarean surgery is 25%--that is 1 in 4. This makes homebirth an excellent way to lower the risk of frivolous c-section surgery. "Normalizing" homebirth is a great way to start--books like "The Baby Catcher," where the author is attending homebirth after homebirth really help remove "go to the hospital" as a standard mindset. It is important to answer all the "what if" questions that we have about birth: what if something happens? what something? what can/does go wrong in labor? what makes birth "risky"? I loved "Birthing from Within." I had a birthplan, in that I spoke to my midwives about my desires and expectations. Why do doulas, who specialize in labor and birth support, choose homebirth for themselves?!?!?! That was a compelling factor for me. | |||||
| Date Sally's reference information was written: 01/09/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Nichole's Birth: 9-7-03 | |||||
| • Is Nichole interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Nichole? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Nichole when she selected her midwife(s)? 12 weeks | |||||
| • Nichole's personality as she described it: Calm and easy going | |||||
• What were the most important things Nichole and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Nichole reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? Yes | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Nichole be reimbursed? 100% from Fortis Insurance, a Preferred One Network for midwifery care, but didn't cover doula care. | |||||
| • What tips does Nichole have for insurance reimbursement? Our midwives took care of billing, but I did submit a sort of thank you note that listed all the ways we saved the insurance money and time by not needing medications, surgical procedures, normal interventions, ultrasounds, etc. | |||||
| • Did Nichole want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Did Nichole select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Nichole select and why? I selected Dr. Monica Norwick at Methodist as she was my Gynecologist for 7 years and always supported my use of alternative modalities for regulation my cycle, etc. I DO NOT recommend her as backup after she came into the hospital room at a bio-physical at 41 w 5 d to buy myself sometime when she told me first that I got a 10/10 on my biophysical and then minutes later told me I had a Stage 3 Placenta and would need to be induced the next morning. When I asked her for the weekend and agreed to schedule an induction for the following week, she told me she would do it but that it would be her "ass on the line if you come in with a dead baby on Tuesday morning." Nice way to lose a patient of 7 years! | |||||
| • Did Nichole hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Nichole recommend hiring a doula? I absolutely recommend it. We hired our Bradley instructor who has become a part of our family. You become so much more educated and supported in your birthing process. | |||||
| • Did Nichole have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Nichole have the birth experience she wanted? absolutely. | |||||
| • What Nichole appreciated / liked about her birth experience? it was at home and calm and quiet and peaceful! | |||||
| • Does Nichole feel closure with this birth experience? yes | |||||
| Date Nichole's reference information was written: 01/02/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Christa's Birth: 10/12/07 | |||||
| • Is Christa interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Christa? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Christa when she selected her midwife(s)? 38 weeks | |||||
| • Christa's personality as she described it: strong, shy, independant, meticulous, sensitive | |||||
• What were the most important things Christa and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Christa reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? I don't know yet. | |||||
| • Did Christa want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? I didn't do any research on the difference since I was 38 weeks along and I needed to find someone quick! | |||||
| • Did Christa select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Christa select and why? We had planned on a hospital birth (at woodwinds)because they were supposed to take a very natural/intervention-free approach to childbirth. One of the mid-wives there was excellent, but over time I found that as a team, the mid-wives were too concerned with following hospital protocol. I definitely felt like I was being put through "the system" and not treated as an individual. | |||||
| • Did Christa hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Christa recommend hiring a doula? I absolutely recommend a doula. I don't know if everyone would benefit from one, but in my case, she was invaluable. She was a great support during the pregnancy, had a lot of resources we were able to tap into(including recommending our midwife!) and most importantly, took great care of me during labor. I had a very long labor(lasting throughout a week), and she was able to stagger visits with our midwife so I never felt alone or unsupported. | |||||
| • Did Christa have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Christa get her birthtub? Vanessa (waterbirth Resources) | |||||
| • Did Christa have the birth experience she wanted? Yes! Even though it was really long and grueling, I didn't end up at the hospital. I didn't need any interventions, didn't get antibiotics(I was gbs positive), and was able to give birth in my livingroom in my awesome birthing tub. My biggest fear--needing a c-section--was avoided. I am almost certain I would have needed one if I would have continued my prenatal care at Woodwinds. | |||||
| • What Christa appreciated / liked about her birth experience? I am so indebted to Nicki for beliving in me and being willing to take care of me so late in my pregnancy!! She helped me get my blood pressure down and encouraged me those last few weeks. My labor was unusual and I was 10 days past my "due date", but she never made it seem like something was wrong with me. She was so calm, suppotive and willing to go the extra mile. She spent a lot of time with me throughout the week I was laboring! When it came time to push, we found that the baby was kind of stuck. You would not believe the efforts Nicki went through to help him on his way and to prevent me from tearing(not one stich was needed!) I could never have done it without her. (Oh-and she is knowledgeable about herbs too! Thank God for her tincture!) | |||||
| • What would Christa have liked to change about her birth experience? Nothing--it was a miracle to me. I am so grateful for the care I received and the unexpected dream come true of giving birth in my own home. Nicki is my hero. | |||||
| • Does Christa feel closure with this birth experience? Pretty much--I am still processing a little bit at a time. My attention shifted to my baby right away, but I still take time to think and talk about my birth experience. I think it's important to remember and honor it. | |||||
| • Christa's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: My birthing tub was essential to me. It was the only thing that really helped me to relax. One note though: my contractions were farther apart in the water (but powerful). Also, Nicki made some herbal compresses for my perineum as well as an herbal peri-wash. Both sure helped to speed healing and comfort me! My doula is part of The Chilbirth Collective. It's a great resource for information, classes, and services. | |||||
| Date Christa's reference information was written: 11/21/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Emily's Birth: May 2007 | |||||
| • Is Emily interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Emily? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Emily when she selected her midwife(s)? 37 weeks | |||||
| • Emily's personality as she described it: Controlling worrier (but in a good way?). | |||||
• What were the most important things Emily and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Emily reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? Yes | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Emily be reimbursed? Definity paid 100%, although some of that was taken out of our HRA (which made no difference to us). | |||||
| • What tips does Emily have for insurance reimbursement? Submit. Even if they aren't going to pay. | |||||
| • Did Emily want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? At first we wanted a licensed midwife. We got one. She didn't work out. Then we just wanted anyone that would take us at 37 weeks. It all worked out for the best, and we were much happier than we were with our 1st midwife. Now I think I like the lack of license better because (for a VBAC) the midwife isn't worried about her license. | |||||
| • Did Emily select a back-up hospital or doctor? No | |||||
| • Did Emily hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Emily recommend hiring a doula? I did because I wanted extra support. I didn't want my husband to be the only one. I recommend it if you have a long or complicated delivery. You won't know that ahead of time though! | |||||
| • Did Emily have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Emily get her birthtub? I got my birth tub from Vanessa Stephens. She was very hard to reach and slow to respond. She had us overpay by $50, then wouldn't return the money. She did not give us a receipt for insurance / flex billing. We would not recommend her. (Amy from MamaResource.com says: "Please contact Vanessa for her interpretation of the situation: tublady@waterbirthresources.com or 612-747-9096") | |||||
| • Did Emily have the birth experience she wanted? All the pieces came together. Everything went well. | |||||
| • What Emily appreciated / liked about her birth experience? The water was wonderful. I would not consider being out of water for future births. | |||||
| • Does Emily feel closure with this birth experience? I do now, yes. The $50 from the birth tub still makes me mad, but that's a little thing. Our daughter is perfect. Everything went well. | |||||
| • Emily's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: I never would have considered a homebirth 2 years ago. Modern obstetrics forced me into it as a VBAC. I read everything I could get my hands on (online and in print). I studied several hours each night to come to my conclusion. I wrote a birth plan in case I ended up in the hospital. I did hypnobirthing. I gave up and let my body have the baby. | |||||
| Date Emily's reference information was written: 11/19/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Sara's Birth: May 26, 2006 | |||||
| • Is Sara interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Sara? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Sara when she selected her midwife(s)? prior to pregnancy | |||||
| • Sara's personality as she described it: artistic, exacting, enthusiastic, adventuresome | |||||
• What were the most important things Sara and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Sara reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Sara want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Licensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? because insurance would have covered it. Nickie is not licensed but I like her so much it didn't matter that much. | |||||
| • Did Sara select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Sara select and why? HCMC- close to our house | |||||
| • Did Sara hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Sara recommend hiring a doula? I am a doula and know the benefits so of course I wanted one for my birth... maybe to help my mother-in-law and husband more than me. | |||||
| • Did Sara have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Sara have the birth experience she wanted? yes, it was so fast I never made it to the birth tub we had set up but it was amazing anyway. | |||||
| • What Sara appreciated / liked about her birth experience? I loved that it was at home. The windows were open and the neighbor's flowers smelled so amazing. I didn't have to go anywhere after the birth, just to my bed to be waited on. I loved that it was only four hours start to finish, I feel my midwife's instructions previous to the birth helped me to achieve that. | |||||
| • What would Sara have liked to change about her birth experience? Not much- I maybe would have taken more pictures and gotten a video camera to film it. | |||||
| • Does Sara feel closure with this birth experience? Yes | |||||
| • Sara's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: I knew a lot of information beforehand because I am a doula and so I didn't read any books or take classes but I would recommend having a doula and being open to whatever happens in your labor. It is impossible to plan. Also, you don't have to tell people you know will be opposed that you are having a homebirth. Sometimes it is easier not to hear criticism. | |||||
| Date Sara's reference information was written: 01/08/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Kelly's Birth: 9/14/06 | |||||
| • Is Kelly interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Kelly? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Kelly when she selected her midwife(s)? prior to pregnancy | |||||
| • Kelly's personality as she described it: I am determined and stubborn. I have strong opinions. | |||||
• What were the most important things Kelly and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Kelly reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Kelly want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Did Kelly select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Kelly select and why? I selected a hospital close to our house and that I knew was more flexible about things. I worked there as well. HCMC, in Minneapolis, is a trauma hospital so they see all kinds of situations. I knew I could refuse a lot of things if I had to go there, like an IV, medications, etc. | |||||
| Kelly transported to a hospital for her birth. She wrote about this below: See below. | |||||
| • Did Kelly hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Kelly recommend hiring a doula? We had a volunteer doula who was working on her certification. It made a huge difference to have her there for both myself, my husband and our midwife. | |||||
| • Did Kelly have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Kelly have the birth experience she wanted? No, I ended up in the hospital after many hours of labor. My midwife gave me the choice to continue to try at home or to go to the hospital. My husband and I chose to go to the hospital for safety reasons at that point. Our midwife was incredibly supportive, helpful and stayed with us through out the birth experience at the hospital. | |||||
| • What Kelly appreciated / liked about her birth experience? The labor part at home was good, until it got to be too long (and by long, I mean 40 hours of contractions and labor). | |||||
| • What would Kelly have liked to change about her birth experience? I would have wanted the birth part to be at home. | |||||
| • Does Kelly feel closure with this birth experience? Sort of. I feel proud of myself for still having a natural childbirth but disappointed that I didn't have my baby at home and I still get upset thinking about my experience at the hospital. The hospital experience reaffirmed why I wanted to have my baby at home. | |||||
| • Kelly's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: You have to be open minded to the possibility that it still may not go as planned. Have lots of support and be ready for anything. | |||||
| Date Kelly's reference information was written: 01/07/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Amy's Birth: 10-12-2005 | |||||
| • Is Amy interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Amy? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Amy when she selected her midwife(s)? 12 weeks | |||||
| • Amy's personality as she described it: detailed, serious, silly, relaxed, like things simple but thought-out, free-thinker, analytical | |||||
• What were the most important things Amy and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Amy reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Amy want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Unlicensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? So I didn't have to deal with protocols which might have affected my ability to give birth at home. I wanted the focus to be on natural birth at home, and not on regulations. Also, I admire people that don't need rules and regulations to passionately and freely do their work. | |||||
| • Did Amy select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Amy select and why? I chose Methodist Hospital as a backup since that was where I was for my first birth and they were satisfactory. Fairview Southdale was for absolute emergencies since they are the closest to me (but wouldn't be my choice). Children's Hospital was my baby backup hospital (in St. Paul, next to United Hospital) because they have rooming-in with baby. Picking backup hospitals made me feel relaxed knowing that in the case of an emergency, I wouldn't be in a position to have to think about where we were going. Once I picked the backup, I focused on birthing safely at home. (By the way, I did not inform the hospitals that I *might* be there for my birth. My selection was for my birth team and me only. I mapped out directions and put them on my birth plan.) | |||||
| • Did Amy hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Amy recommend hiring a doula? I think it's a good idea to have another set of hands and another person for support if needed. The midwife has paperwork to keep track of, etc. I wanted to have someone devoted strictly to my comfort. | |||||
| • Did Amy have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Amy get her birthtub? I rented my tub from Vanessa Stevens Coldwater (Home: 612-822-3263, Cell: 612-747-9096). To me, a birth tub rental is a must--even if you don't plan on birthing in the tub, it's pure heaven during contractions. | |||||
| • Did Amy have the birth experience she wanted? Yes, it was so great to be in my own home, and without a medical staff. | |||||
| • What Amy appreciated / liked about her birth experience? It was so peaceful and relaxing. I loved not having to go anywhere, and that my baby didn't have to make any dramatic changes once born. Also, my first child could be as involved as she wanted to be. It was a free environment. Nickie did all of my appointments at my house! She is very relaxed, and she trusted *my* trust in the birth process. | |||||
| • What would Amy have liked to change about her birth experience? I would have done more research on natural healing of the perineum. I also would have assigned someone to video tape the birth. My husband thought he'd do it, but he was busy helping me. | |||||
| • Does Amy feel closure with this birth experience? Overall, yes. | |||||
| • Amy's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: I did a birth plan for my own peace of mind (one for homebirth, and one for emergency). Have someone available for *after* the birth to be with your other children. I bought my supplies at regular stores. Do the "babymoon" thing. If people offer to help with food or household stuff, say "yes". Stay in bed for at least two weeks afterwards! | |||||
| Date Amy's reference information was written: 12/28/2006 | |||||
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| Date of Carrie's Birth: 10/27/05 | |||||
| • Is Carrie interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Carrie? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Carrie when she selected her midwife(s)? 12 weeks | |||||
| • Carrie's personality as she described it: Independent, critical thinker yet intuitive in my approach to problem-solving, loved pregnancy and childbirth, didn't want a lot of fussing over me during labor | |||||
• What were the most important things Carrie and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Carrie reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Carrie want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? I didn't have a financial need to be reimbursed, so didn't have to worry about being attended by a licensed midwife for reimbursement purposes. I chose the midwife I felt a personal connection with and didn't concern myself with licensing status. | |||||
| • Did Carrie select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Carrie select and why? I prefer not to share the doctor's name, as a courtesy to my midwife and the doctor. | |||||
| • Did Carrie hire a doula? No | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Carrie recommend hiring a doula? I had a doula for my first birth, a hospital birth, and I highly recommend it. It was important to me to have an advocate I knew well to help me negotiate the hospital system to have the birth I wanted. For the second birth, I was more interested in a very private, intimate experience, and I also felt I didn't need a doula as much because I'd experienced birth already and knew more what to expect. | |||||
| • Did Carrie have a waterbirth? No | |||||
| • Did Carrie have the birth experience she wanted? Absolutely! | |||||
| • What Carrie appreciated / liked about her birth experience? I loved being able to birth at my own pace and rhythms, without ever being checked for my dilation or being told "It's time to push." I listened to my body and knew when it was time to push. I loved not having my labor monitored and measured, and I loved the privacy afterwards. I felt I was able to have a much more peaceful beginning with my second child, at home, than I'd had with my first. My midwife provided safe and respectful support for the birth. | |||||
| • What would Carrie have liked to change about her birth experience? Not one thing. | |||||
| • Does Carrie feel closure with this birth experience? Yes. | |||||
| • Carrie's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Read back issues of "Midwifery Today" and anything by Ina May Gaskin. | |||||
| Date Carrie's reference information was written: 03/08/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Amy's Birth: 01-01-06 | |||||
| • Is Amy interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Amy? 2nd birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Amy when she selected her midwife(s)? 35 weeks | |||||
| • Amy's personality as she described it: Kind of earthy, politically astute, consciencious, frugal, adventurous. | |||||
• What were the most important things Amy and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
| |||||
| • Was Amy reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? No | |||||
| • Did Amy want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Did Not Matter | |||||
| • Did Amy select a back-up hospital or doctor? No | |||||
| • Did Amy hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Amy recommend hiring a doula? We knew that Vanessa was also a doula and I had a friend and a very involved husband attending as well. | |||||
| • Did Amy have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Amy get her birthtub? Vanessa Stephens brought the tub. So Fabulous to be in the water!! | |||||
| • Did Amy have the birth experience she wanted? Yes. | |||||
| • What Amy appreciated / liked about her birth experience? 1. Not having tomove more than a few feet. 2. TRUSTING the people that were there. 3. Getting in to our bed afterward and sleeping with our baby. | |||||
| • What would Amy have liked to change about her birth experience? The hand came out first. Ouch. | |||||
| Date Amy's reference information was written: 01/08/2007 | |||||
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| Date of Ann's Birth: 08/09/2006 | |||||
| • Is Ann interested in being contacted as a reference for her midwife(s)? Yes | |||||
| • What number birth was this for Ann? 1st birth | |||||
| • How many weeks pregnant was Ann when she selected her midwife(s)? 28 weeks | |||||
| • Ann's personality as she described it: I'm rather a quiet person who likes to spend a lot of time by myself at home. I have lots of fun when out with my friends, but need lots of down time in between to regenerate. I'm very pragmatic and straightforward and often too frank. I'm close to my family and most of my friends are life long. | |||||
• What were the most important things Ann and her family were looking for with their homebirth and midwife(s)?
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| • Was Ann reimbursed by insurance for the cost of the midwifery services? It's in progress. | |||||
| • For what percentage and with which insurance company was/will Ann be reimbursed? Most likely we will be remimbursed for about 45% of the cost billed as an Out of Network provider. | |||||
| • What tips does Ann have for insurance reimbursement? Keep at it. This is a gray area as they know that a hospital birth will cost them 2-5 times as much. Our insurance didn't have specific policies regarding this. Some agents believe that full reimbursement is possible. I keep calling back until I get an agent I like. | |||||
| • Did Ann want a licensed or unlicensed midwife? Licensed | |||||
| • Pertaining to licensing question above: why? We wanted a midwife with some proof of training or creditials. Vanessa is a direct entry midwife. Although not as accredited as some of the Certified Nurse Midwifes, the Direct Entry Midwife is not directly tied to a hospital with all the strings that entails. | |||||
| • Did Ann select a back-up hospital or doctor? Yes | |||||
| • Which backup hospital/doctor did Ann select and why? Abbot Northwestern Hospital because it has the most advanced infant care in the area. Other hospitals in the area send their 'difficult' problems to Abbot. It is not the closest hospital but just the best choice if one was needed. | |||||
| • Did Ann hire a doula? Yes | |||||
| • Pertaining to doula question above: why? And does Ann recommend hiring a doula? We hired one that didn't work out for us completely. However we highly recommend getting a doula as the cost in negligible compared to the comfort that a doula can provide. Out team was able to compensate for our missing doula when she couldn't make the birth. | |||||
| • Did Ann have a waterbirth? Yes | |||||
| • Where did Ann get her birthtub? We rented our birth tub from Melissa as she has a much nicer one than we wanted to pay for just a single use (or a period of weeks as it turned out). The birthtub was really a spa with jets, filter and a heater. We didn't have to ferry hot water or otherwise mess with it. | |||||
| • Did Ann have the birth experience she wanted? Yes. It was a little more drawn out that we would have liked. But overall it was exactly the birth experience we wanted. | |||||
| • What Ann appreciated / liked about her birth experience? Controlling the precise comfort levels at all times during the birth. Being encouraged by our midwives to eat throughout really helped me keep up my strength for pushing at the end. And after the birth being able to sleep in our own bed with our new baby in our quiet house with no interuptions. Also knowing everyone in attendence at the birth. | |||||
| • What would Ann have liked to change about her birth experience? Shorter prelabor as we were in labor for almost 10 days prior to the birth. In comparison the actual birth was such a relief when it did happen! I would have liked to work on meditating more as I let fear get to me toward the end of labor and tore some as a result. | |||||
| • Does Ann feel closure with this birth experience? Yes. It seems so long ago now (5 months) but it was the full experience. Even with the support we had I am utterly amazed I was able to do this naturally and exactly on my own terms. | |||||
| • Ann's suggestions and tips pertaining to homebirths, etc.: Do not attempt a home birth unless both partners fully believe and support it. Supplies: The list was given to us by Vanessa Supplies purchased: Co-ops, Rainbow Foods, Walgreens Recsources: Minnesota Childbirth Collective Classes, Childbirth Classes at Abbot Hospital, A crash course in 'The Bradley Method' by our Midwife Vanessa, Books: Birthing from Within, Active Birth, The Birth Partner, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Websites: www.childbirthcollective.org, www.minnesotabirthnetwork.com Birthplanning: We were guided by Vanessa to plan for the birth Birthplan: We had a general plan but no specifics. We did write down our 'ideal birth' -- but this was more to manage our own expectations to the birth than to actually try to predict how the birth should go. There are so many variables to birth that having a definite set idea of how your birth should happen can often lead to disapointment. Instead we focused on the fact that each birth is different and made a general plan. | |||||
| Date Ann's reference information was written: 01/08/2007 | |||||