FAQ's
*What is a midwife?
A midwife is a trained health care professional who has extensive experience in physiological labor and cares for women and birthing people in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Many midwives also offer extended health care services.
What is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)?
A Certified Professional Midwife is a knowledgeable, skilled and professional independent midwifery practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the Midwives Model of Care.
Please see www.narm.org for more info.
*Is midwifery care at home different from hospital based care?
You are the driver of your decisions in home birth care with Sora Midwifery. Home prenatal appointments are always at least an hour and we cover extensive information related to pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Each family receives individualized care in the comfort of their own home. There is a foundation of respect, trust, and belief in the process of healthy pregnancy and birth. Your personal choices and preferences will be honored. Some families find great comfort in knowing the care provider that will be attending their birth and having an established relationship with that person.
*Is home birth safe?
Home birth is a safe option for low-risk women and birthing people. Safety concerns will be extensively discussed between you and your midwife. Midwives offer in-home monitoring during labor and help you create a plan in the event of a transfer to the hospital. An important consideration in a healthy birth is the focus on a healthy pregnancy including nutrition, exercise, holistic health. A well nourished and healthy birthing person often goes on to have a healthy birth.
Recent studies have found that when compared with planned hospital births, planned home births are associated with fewer maternal interventions, including labor induction or augmentation, regional analgesia, electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, episiotomy, operative vaginal delivery, and cesarean delivery. Source:- American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
*How much does home birth cost?
We charge a global fee of $5500 which covers all in-home prenatal care, birth fees, and in-home postpartum care. Not included in that cost are lab fees, ultrasound, and a few minor costs. Needs-based sliding scale and payment plans are available for certain clients.
*Do you offer water birth?
YES! Birth pools are available and many women and birthing people opt for water as a tool for labor and an option for birth.
*Can I have a VBAC at home?
Each client’s history is taken into careful consideration. Not every birthing person is considered a low-risk candidate for home VBAC. Success rates for VBAC at home are around 87-90%. Risks and benefits are discussed extensively and every birthing person given an individualized care plan.
*Is home birth covered by insurance?
Due to the variability in insurance reimbursement, Sora Midwifery is a self-pay practice. As a separate service we are contracted with SLB Billing, a third party biller specializing in home birth reimbursement. You have the option of completing a verification of benefits with SLB Billing to help estimate your insurance plan’s reimbursement for home birth charges.
*Is home birth an option if you are over 35? Over 40?
Each client is evaluated, regardless of age, by the same standards. Age is not a factor in the assessment of whether or not a client is low-risk.
*What pain relief options are available for at home birth?
Many birthing people find that being able to move freely and labor in the position of their choosing alleviates some discomfort in labor. We talk about comfort options during your prenatal appointments. At home options include breathing techniques, freedom of movement, hydrotherapy, comfort measures including massage, acupressure, etc. provided by support people. Sora Midwifery highly encourages hiring a doula as a member of your support team and they can also be supporting a more comfortable experience.
