What We Offer
Gig Harbor Midwifery is a licensed midwifery care provider. Sometimes we get inquiries from potential clients and family members who are unfamiliar with out of hospital midwifery care. Here are a few things we do and don't offer:
YES
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Full prenatal care schedule including prenatal appointments, labs, ultrasound referrals, official documentation for employers and insurance, and filing for birth certificates and social security numbers
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Attending births at home or at The Birthing Inn in Tacoma, including providing:
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fetal monitoring
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antibiotics (if needed)
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IV (if needed)
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exams
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delivery
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newborn procedures and exam
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immediate postpartum care including management of maternal complications and suturing
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ability to manage or transfer most intrapartum complications, including resuscitation equipment and medications to treat hemorrhage
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Postpartum newborn care including:
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providing newborn care for the first two weeks
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newborn exams
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vitamin K
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eye ointment
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metabolic screening
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congenital heart defect screening
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hearing screening
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Lactation support
No
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Pharmaceutical pain relief during labor
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Cesarean delivery
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Hospital delivery (we will facilitate transfer of care to another provider if you decide you want a hospital birth or if you begin labor in our care and need to transfer for pain relief or for increased risk status)
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Vaccinations
- Newborn care past the first 2 weeks
- Circumcision
- Treatment for high risk deliveries
Who is Low Risk?
About 85% of pregnant people are low risk! We want to make sure that the deliveries we attend are those that are low-risk and well qualified for midwifery care outside a hospital setting. The safety of you and your baby are our highest priorities. Home birth and birth in freestanding birth centers is a safe option for low-risk clients. We will carefully screen any prospective client to make sure we're giving you the best advice about the safety of planning a birth outside the hospital. If you are unsure whether you are low risk, please ask!
You are low risk if - you are essentially healthy (regardless of age or BMI), you do not have high blood pressure, you are not on insulin for treatment of diabetes, and you do not have any of the following:
Current substance abuse
Cancer
Active hepatitis or liver function disorders
Placental disorders
Renal disease
Prior uterine surgeries other than a single low transverse cesarean section
Rh sensitization
Uncontrolled seizure disorder
Severe psychiatric disorders
Abnormal test or laboratory results requiring hospital treatment
Thrombophlebitis
Known fetal conditions affected by site of birth (eg - known lung or heart defects)
How do I prepare for a home birth?
We've made preparation for a home birth as easy as possible. Your home does not need to be sterilized or sanitized, it just needs to be relatively clean and have enough space for us to move around freely. You do not need to collect any supplies other than those you would have needed for the first postpartum week after a hospital delivery (things like postpartum pads, ibuprofen, and newborn diapers. YES we have those spray bottles for going to the bathroom!!!).
Birth kits - at around 36-37 weeks we do a home visit. At this time we drop off a birth kit, which contains items typically used at a birth, including waterproofing for your bed, linens, towels, washcloths, cleaning supplies, and other assorted single use items. Here's a full list of birth kit contents. After your delivery, we'll clean your space and take away soiled items. You'd never even guess a birth had happened! When we come to your home labor we'll bring additional equipment, medication, and supplies.
Water birth - About 50% of Gig Harbor Midwifery babies are born in water! At this time we can't guarantee birth pool availability, but thanks to donations from clients we are almost always able to loan pools free of cost to our clients. We are very comfortable with water births and are happy to help connect you to resources. If you borrow a pool from us you will need to provide a disposable liner, new drinking water safe hose, and adapter. We will drain and clean birth pools following birth.
Financial Considerations
Gig Harbor Midwifery takes many types of insurance, including Washington's Apple Health and Pregnancy Medical plans.
*Side note - please apply for pregnancy medical if there is any chance you may qualify, especially if you recently lost employer insurance - https://www.hca.wa.gov/health-care-services-supports/apple-health-medicaid-coverage/pregnant-women
We are happy to work with Island Billing Services on insurance billing. For an insurance check and estimate prior to considering entry to care, go here: https://www.islandbillingseattle.com/estimates
How do we get started?
Call or message to set up a consultation - that's a meet-and-greet appointment that can be done in person or as a virtual visit. This is your chance to ask any questions you have about midwifery care, out of hospital birth, myself/my practice, or your own preferences for your birth! If you decide to proceed with care, we'll schedule an initial visit where we'll gather prior care records, take a detailed health history, and collect any needed labs. Once we've agreed that you're entering care at Gig Harbor Midwifery, we are on call 24/7 for labors or emergencies and available for questions and concerns. If you are due soon please make sure that I know this when you call/message so that I can prioritize your visit.