HOME BIRTH OPTIONS DURING CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in pregnant people seeking to transfer from the hospital to a home birth setting.  Community-based midwives are uniquely positioned to deliver care that is suitable for a pandemic. Our model of care reduces exposure by limiting your interaction to no more than two providers and by offering care in the comfort of your home.  Many midwives in the DMV area are doing everything we can to increase our capacity to absorb the volume of new clients, and tailor our care to support families who are now choosing to birth at home.

I am extending my care to provide prenatal and postpartum care via TeleHealth during this crisis for families planing to birth in the hospital. ​If you are interested in transferring to midwifery care please read the FAQs here and fill out the form below to schedule a phone interview. You must meet the following criteria:
  • Had a normal course of pregnancy
  • Have a negative COVID test (will be required for any home visits)
  • Negative for gestational diabetes
  • Have no complicated risk factors
  • Less than 36-weeks 
  • Must have had a 20-week ultrasound (if entering care in the 2nd or 3rd trimester)
  • Must have complete prenatal records before setting an appointment
  • Encouraged to have a doula

COVID-19 MIDWIFERY SERVICES

HOME BIRTH
  • I am currently taking clients for the following months starting in 2022
    • Late April: 1 space available
    • May: 2 spaces available
    • June: 2 spaces available
    • Early July: 2 spaces available
  • My fee for care is $6,500 for all births starting January 1, 2022, which includes all routine prenatal care, home birth, and postpartum visits. Please note that there is not a reduced fee for coming late to care. ​

CORONAVIRUS [COVID-19] PRACTICE CHANGES

In alignment with CDC's social distancing guidelines I will be making the following changes to my perinatal care. Effective immediately, I request that clients to abstain from bringing anyone but their partner or support person to appointments. For home visits, a negative COVID will be required for all household members. To minimize exposure and navigate increasing midwifery capacity, the birth assistant will no longer meet families at the 36-week home visit, but will rather do a virtual visit. At your birth, I ask that you limit attendance to no more than 3 support persons and that all attendees answer no to all of the COVID-19 screening questions and have a required negative COVID test within five days of the birth. Not only is it my responsibility to help reduce the transmission of the virus, but I absolutely need to continue to working through this period to serve families and the larger DMV midwifery community during this time. Please help keep me available for our clients!

HOME BIRTH TRANSFER PRENATAL & POSTPARTUM CARE SCHEDULE
Prenatal and postpartum care are an essential component of the perinatal process. Given the current crisis, I will employ a hybrid care model to consist of in person visits and a higher number of Telehealth (virtual) visits. Each person will receive a prenatal care kit to facilitate online visits.
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RECEIVING IN-PERSON CARE
For prenatal care happening in your home the following precautions and protective measures will be taken:
  • Required negative COVID test for client and all members of the home
  • Repeated hand washing
  • Wiping down all equipment using medical grade sani-wipes before and after each appointment
  • Limiting in-person visits to belly checks and labs only​

CORONAVIRUS [COVID-19] SCREENING FOR SYMPTOMS

 If you are planning on an in-person appointment and you answer yes to any of these questions, please call me to set up an online appointment:
  • Have you had a cough, fever, diarrhea, body aches, or a sore throat in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had a loss of smell and/or taste in the past 7-14 days? 
  • Has anyone in your household had the above symptoms?
  • Have you been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, had any of the above symptoms, or a person whose test is pending?
  • Do you currently have an elevated temperature?
© 2019 Blue Sage Midwifery, LLC