FAQs

This is the most common question when people first learn about homebirth. For generations, birth has occurred in the hospital setting, but both global and national studies support the safety of low risk women having homebirths with the attendance of a skilled midwife. Homebirth has been shown to decrease unnecessary interventions while posing no increased risk to the mother or baby. Recent research also supports the safety of homebirth in a rural setting.

While most women enter pregnancy low-risk, there are several medical conditions that are associated with a higher risk to mom and/or baby. Unfortunately, we cannot attend these women in labor at home. If you have specific questions pertaining to your medical history, please to not hesitate to contact us about your personal situation.

Yes! Water has been shown to be a safe and effective pain relief option for labor and delivery. We have pools available for our clients to use at home with single-use liners.

To read more about waterbirth, see the Evidence Based Birth article, The Evidence on: Waterbirth.

Unfortunately, the licensing restrictions in the state of Alaska prohibit me from attending these births.

The cost of service is dependent on the services provided and is billed by standard insurance billing codes. We can provide detailed cost estimates upon request, and offer a 25% discount for early payment. We also provide a detailed itemized bill to clients upon completion of services and receipt of payment so that they may file a bill for out of network reimbursement with their insurance.

We do not want financial limitations to be a barrier to midwifery care, so please reach out with questions so that we can find a solution for your personal situation.

AS 18.23.400

At this time, we are not in-network with any insurance providers. We do provide an itemized, coded bill for clients to submit to their insurance company for reimbursement.

We ask clients to order a birth kit by 32 weeks here. It contains the disposable medical supplies you will need for the birth, such as gloves and chux pads. Additionally, a supply list will be provided of things you will need to gather prior to term. These are generally household items that you already have, like trash bags, a large mixing bowl, and bleach.

We bring additional medical supplies when we arrive at your house for labor, including a doppler, oxygen, suture equipment, and antihemorrhagic medications.

As a general rule, no. We try our best to cover areas with plastic or chux pads, and start a load of laundry before we leave. Usually, you can not tell a baby was just born in the house!

A midwife is a healthcare provider that holistically cares for the mother, baby, and family through the childbearing year. Unless complications present themselves, a woman does not need to see both a midwife and a doctor during pregnancy; a midwife provides all her prenatal, labor, postpartum, and newborn care.

In contrast, a doula does not perform medical tasks like vital signs, vaginal exams, or fetal heart rate monitoring. They are there for the important roles of education, emotional support, and labor support. I like to think of them as a best friend mixed with a massage therapist and childbirth education teacher.

Someone who hires a doula would also have either a midwife or doctor for their care, but someone could have a midwife or a doctor without having a doula. While we do not require clients to have a doula for homebirth, they can be valuable assets to the team.

The primary areas I serve are Soldotna, Sterling, and Cooper Landing. Depending on availability, I may also be able to travel outside of that area. Please reach out about travel fees outside of the Central Kenai Peninsula.