COMPREHENSIVE HOMEBIRTH SERVICES
The comprehensive homebirth services provided by Advent Midwifery include all care for both you and your baby during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. The hallmark of home birth midwifery is the continuity of care you will receive from your midwives, who you will see for every visit from the establishment of care through your final postpartum visit.
Prenatal appointments are regularly scheduled on a monthly, biweekly and weekly basis as pregnancy progresses, and include thorough monitoring of both you and your baby, dietary and lifestyle counseling, ongoing risk assessment, client education and discussion of your concerns and questions. Visits typically last one hour and are held in the home office in Duluth, Minnesota. All required labwork and diagnostic testing are performed in office, as well as any necessary gynecological exams and screenings.
Care during labor and delivery includes all necessary monitoring of you and your baby from the commencement of labor through the immediate postpartum period. Licensed midwives are able to attend to all the needs of you and your baby at home during normal labor and delivery, including the complete newborn exam and the repair of any lacerations. All deliveries are attended by both midwives.
Postpartum care begins immediately following the birth and ensures the well-being of both you and your baby for the first six weeks. The midwives will perform all required newborn procedures, including the newborn metabolic screen, pulse oximetry screening, and the newborn hearing screen. One of the midwives will return to your home for two postpartum home visits in the first week and visits will be scheduled in the office for 2 weeks and 6 weeks. Ongoing assessment includes baby weight checks, monitoring of maternal physical and mental health, breastfeeding support and any concerns or issues you might have.
Payment options are developed for each client according to their preferred type of payment and financial situation. Insurance billing is available through a third-party insurance billing service although coverage of homebirth care will depend on a client's individual policy and deductible. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) frequently cover the cost of homebirth, as do ministry-based health plans. For residents of Wisconsin, Badgercare covers the majority of the cost of homebirth services for enrollees. Your midwife will discuss all financial details for your care at your initial visit.