TRADITIONAL MIDWIFERY
prenatal care, homebirth attendance, newborn screenings, and postpartum care
Homebirth is now an option via a collaborative team of OBs, CNMs, & Community Midwives available at Allegheny Reproductive Health Center (ARHC). Click on image to be taken to ARHC.
TRADITIONAL MIDWIFERY SERVICES
Traditional midwife attended homebirths are offered to clients seeking a low-tech, physiological ("natural"), and non-medicalized birth. This means clients do not wish to have medical interventions performed before, during, or after birth. Services are offered for clients who are healthy, secure with their bodies and the birth process, and those clients who want to make their own healthcare decisions.
Clients who are seeking care from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Medical Physician or any other medically minded/licensed person who can and will perform obstetrical procedures (artificial rupturing of membranes, electronic monitoring of baby, etc.) and use obstetrical instruments/treatments (forceps, Rx drugs, etc.), should not contract for services through Amethyst Community Health. We are happy however, to offer parallel or co-care with such professionals. Clients wanting vanity ultrasound tests, complicated medical/diagnostic laboratory work ups, and medical interventions such as pitocin induction, pain medication, or continuous foetal monitoring, should also not contract for services with us, as we are not licensed to practice medicine or perform medical diagnosis and treatments.
WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL MIDWIFE?
A TM is a direct-entry midwife who has been trained in the art of midwifery by way of the apprenticeship model; one or more senior midwives were involved in hand training a student midwife. The training includes traditional midwifery practices and knowledge, as well as more modern midwifery knowledge where it is most useful. For most TMs this means learning a lot about the use of herbs during the childbearing year and especially those needed to ensure a smooth and safe labour and birth for their clients. It can also include practices and knowledge that are culturally relevant when being trained by an indigenous midwife, midwife of colour, or queer midwife.
A TM’s educational pathway may have also included related college and/or the completion of a direct-entry midwife education programme. Some TMs will also have degrees or skills in related fields like massage therapy, yoga instruction, nutrition counseling, herbalism, and so on. It is important to ask your midwife what kind of training and experience they have when deciding if they are a good fit for your unique pregnancy and birthing needs.
A TM *might* not be certified or licensed for personal/political/religious reasons, but this does not mean that they are any less capable of providing excellent low-risk homebirth midwifery care to their clients.
OUR HOMEBIRTH SERVICES INCLUDE
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Homebirth attended by a Senior Traditional Midwife and a trained Midwife Assistant or second Midwife; We HIGHLY encourage clients to hire a labour companion ("doula") for early labour support
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Supportive consultation with an OB; Full Collaborative Care possible
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In-home Chest/Breastfeeding Support (1 visit included); referrals to additional high quality Lactation Support
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Prenatal visits scheduled approximately monthly until 28-30 weeks gestation, then every 2-3 weeks until 37-38 weeks gestation, and then weekly until the birth; visit schedule is flexible to accomodate first-time parents and fifth-time parents alike
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Referrals for basic lab work, ultrasounds, and health screenings as necessary (actual lab work NOT included in fee)
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Postpartum visits scheduled approximately at 24-36 hours, 1, 3, and 6 weeks postpartum; optional phone or Skype visits on day 3 and weeks 2 & 5
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Newborn Health Screenings: Metabolic Screening, Critical Congenital Heart Defect (CCHD) Screening, & Hearing Screening; the 1st two screenings will be done during the 1st postpartum visit & the 3rd screening will be done during the 1 week or 3 weeks postpartum visit in keeping with best practices.
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On call 24/7 from 37 weeks gestation until 42 weeks gestation
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Backup midwife in case of injury, illness, or in the rare case that two clients are in labour simultaneously
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Referrals to quality medical professionals, childbirth educators, doulas and other complementary care providers
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Privacy of your own home for prenatal/postpartum care; with the option of visits at the midwife’s home office
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Educational materials: handouts, lending library, and video library
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Holistic Health/Wellness/Nutritional consulting and education
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Homeopathy & Herbal/Vitamin/Mineral supplement consulting and education
PAYING FOR YOUR CARE
“Class and economic justice are topics that lots of folks struggle to talk about in the United States because most of us aren’t educated in schools and the culture at large to talk about money, access to resources, and what class actually is. Class, of course, cannot be understood as an isolated experience, but is part of the complex interactions of race, gender, ability, privilege, sexuality, and the myriad of identities we all hold. I think the sliding scale is a great way to begin a conversation about class because it frames the discussion from the standpoint of access.
“Someone shared with me the idea of sacrifice versus hardship when examining access. If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale.“
Financial Bottles image and quote from Alexis J. Cunningfolk
Fee Options
All fee levels are for global care (prenatal, birth, & postpartum). You choose the level at which you are capable of financially supporting community midwifery and homebirth services.
Community Helper Global Fee: $5100 (choosing this level will help subsidise services for financially deprived clients)
Standard Global Fee: $4500 (choosing this level will help maintain sustainable community midwifery services)
Discount Global Fee: $3900
Medicaid Global Fee: $3300
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2/3 of fee due no later than 37 weeks gestation, including a $500 deposit to be paid at contract signing.
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Remaining 1/3 of fee due no later than 6 weeks postpartum.
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Monthly payments in some amount are expected.
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Lab work & tests are NOT included and are an additional fee. Ask for a price sheet.
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A birth kit is included in the fee, but supplies for a waterbirth are NOT. Ask for a list of supplies for a waterbirth.
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The midwife assistant or student midwife accompanying the midwife is paid by the midwife, but tipping by the client is always appreciated and encouraged (suggested amount: $50-$100).
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Repeat Midwifery Clients will receive a $600 discount on Community Helper & Standard Fee options.
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Our Medicaid Global Fee option is reserved for those clients who have state medical assistance or who financially qualify for these services.
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If you feel like you fall between fee levels in your ability to financially support community midwifery, please let us know.
We are always willing to work with a client’s particular financial situation. We understand that the ability to pay out of pocket for healthcare is easy for some clients & families, but not the case for many and often times very difficult for those who need the option of affordable care the most. Our fees are set to allow for flexible payments — in hopes that we can serve as many clients & families as possible, not just those with the financial means. While we are not able to bill Medicaid or private insurance for our services, our fees are much lower than most insurance deductibles. We EXPECT that clients who can pay our Community Helper or Standard fees for services do so, because this helps subsidise the care for those clients who are not able to pay the full fee, which allows us the ability to continue to offer & provide affordable options for personalised care.
We Accept Payments Made Using: Cash, Numbered Checks, Credit Cards, Paypal, Square, CashApp, Venmo, Google Pay, and gift cards from Amazon.com and Target. If you prefer another method that is not listed, please let us know. We can also provide you with a detailed receipt for reimbursement purposes if you belong to a cost-sharing organisation/community or you intend to attempt to seek reimbursement from your private insurance carrier.
If you or your spouse have an FSA, HSA, HRA, or MSA you can use the debit/credit card for your account to pay for our services.
According to the list of qualifying services provided by the IRS, the following services are covered:
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Laboratory Fees
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Birth Control (pills, condoms, etc.)
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Diagnostic Equipment & Tests (ex: blood glucose monitor & supplies)
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Physical Examination (“annual exam”)
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Screening Tests (ex: pap exam)
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Breast Pumps and Supplies
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Pregnancy Tests
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Obstetrical Expenses
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Childbirth Expenses (physician, midwife)
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Childbirth Preparation Classes (excluding Newborn Care & Feeding)
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Routine Prenatal and Well-Child Care
REFUNDS
No refunds are offered at this time.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
OUR BIRTH PHILOSOPHY
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Childbirth is a natural event, not a medical procedure; it is physiological, not pathological.
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Birth is a sacred Rite of Passage, not just a medical event, especially if medical care is necessary.
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The body is capable of giving birth, naturally and safely. Birth is as safe as life gets.
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Holistic birth preparations and approaches provide tools for a safe & satisfying birth experience.
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How someone gives birth is a direct reflection of how they handle parenthood and life in general.
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Parents should be respected and supported in whatever decisions they have made.
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Partners deserve to be treated as such and not treated as just coaches.
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The company of loving support persons is important during the postpartum period.
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When parents are educated about and prepared for childbirth, it can be a wonderful experience for them, bringing them closer together as partners and a family.
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It’s the gestating person's right to choose the caregiver or no caregiver and place of care in which they wish to have their baby, whether it be a midwife or a physician, and whether it be in their home, a birth centre, or a hospital.
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When parents are given accurate information, the vast majority of them are capable of making the best decision regarding the circumstances for the birth of their babies.
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Proper nutrition (including appropriate nutritional supplements) during pregnancy makes an enormous difference in the health of the pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum experience.
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For most pregnancies and births, medical intervention is entirely inappropriate, and may result in unnecessary complications. There is no place for obstetrics in spontaneous birth.
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Most episiotomies and most Cesarean Births are unnecessary. There are occasions when these interventions may be necessary, but they should remain extremely rare.
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There is a time and place for excellent doctors and hospitals. We are not “anti-doctor” or “anti-hospital”, but thankful for wise and sensitive doctors and hospitals.
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The person gestating a child has the last and final word concerning their health and that of their child, born or unborn.
Amethyst Community Health also affirms the following statements and definitions:
MANA’s Statement of Values and Ethics
MANA’s Statement on Standards and Qualifications