Frequently Asked Questions

Research consistently shows that home birth reduces the rate of interventions without leading to increased adverse outcomes. Click here to learn more!

In most cases, yes! We accept clients who have Apple Health (Medicaid) and many private insurances. Contact our billing expert, Ingrid, for an estimate of your out-of-pocket expenses.  

There are a few out-of-pocket expenses for our community birth midwifery care. These include:

• A birth kit for those having a home birth that costs around $30, ordered from Radiant Belly.
• A Non-Covered Services Fee of $500, automatically reduced to $350 for our Medicaid clients. This fee is common among community midwives in the area and includes: 
  • 24/7/365 on-call access to your midwives for urgent concerns.
  • Longer appointment times.
  • Highly trained birth assistant at your birth.
  • Support during transfer to the hospital in labor as needed.
  • Postpartum home visits.
  • Expanded postpartum care through 6 weeks postpartum.
• Tub rentals, for those opting to rent a tub from us.

If you have Apple Health insurance, the entire cost of insurance-baesd care (aside from the Non-Covered Services Fee) is generally covered by your insurance. Those with private insurance can contact our billing expert, Ingrid, to find out what your insurance will be expected to cover.

If any complications arise during your pregnancy, we will consult with a trusted physician to facilitate the transfer of your care for the remainder of your care and birth. We may be able to offer hospital doula services pending availability. You and your baby will be welcome to come back to our care once you are discharged from the hospital. 

During labor, the majority of transfers to the hospital occur because the labor has gone on a long time and the birthing parent is exhausted and/or in need of pain relief. In this case, we will arrange an unrushed transfer to the hospital in private cars. Occasionally, a complication arises that requires emergent transfer. Your midwife will keep you and/or your baby stable until the ambulance arrives and will travel with you to the hospital. In either case, your midwife will facilitate a supportive transition to your new birthing environment and will advocate for you as you get settled into the new location.  

Most healthy people are perfect candidates for a home birth. People with serious underlying health conditions may not be eligible for midwifery care. Twins and breech births are also not eligible for a home birth with us. The best way to find out if you are eligible for midwifery care and home birth is to schedule a free consultation.  

Almost certainly not. Birth doesn't require much space, just enough space for you to be able to lie down and the midwives to set out their equipment. We can attend your birth in an apartment, tiny home, hotel room, trailer, etc. All we require is access to fresh water and heat. 

If you do not have stable housing, your midwife can discuss alternative options for out-of-hospital birth.  

Most people are surprised by how tidy their home looks after birth. We take care to protect your furniture, carpet, and floor from the mess of birth and clean up thoroughly afterwards. Before we leave we take out the trash and start a load of laundry. Anyone visiting would have no idea you just had a baby!  

We can offer a variety of non-pharmaceutical pain relief such as water immersion, heat or ice, Spinning Babies techniques, sterile water injections, acupressure, and more. Sometimes these measures are not enough and we will always honor your call when you say you've had enough and it's time to go to the hospital for pain relief.  

We love water birth!

Midwives are your primary provider during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They oversee all the medical aspects of your pregnancy, including ordering and interpreting labs, ordering ultrasounds, monitoring the growth and development of your baby, and evaluating for risk factors. 

During labor, both midwives and doulas offer emotional and physical support, but the care of a doula is uninterrupted starting in early labor, whereas the midwife meets you in active labor. When the time of delivery draws near, your midwife will transition to focusing on the medical and safety aspects of the birth and the doula will continue offering emotional and physical support. 

We love working with doulas and highly encourage you to consider hiring one! 

Often yes! Contact us to find more about our a la carte midwifery services.  

As long as we can see you for at least one visit and have time to review your previous medical records to ensure that you and your baby are healthy, it's never too late.  

We attend births all across King and Pierce counties, including Federal Way, Auburn, Des Moines, Kent, Renton, Burien, West Seattle, SeaTac, Skyway, Normandy Park, Tukwila, Covington, Puyallup, Tacoma, Seattle, and more!