FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS…
What Kind of records do you keep?
Ohio Midwife only uses HIPAA compliant Electronic Health Records (EHR). They are complete and can be securely faxed or emailed to a future provider for you and baby.
Where will visits take place and who can come?
All visits (except for your 1st postpartum visit after a homebirth) will take place in Emily’ office in Yellow Springs, OH. You are always welcome to bring others with you to the appointment (as long as they are healthy). There are some great places Emily can recommend you visit while you are in town. Yellow Springs is famous for its shops, restaurants, and family friendly hiking trails.
What if i Am late or if I have to cancel a visit? Can i come earLy?
If you or your family members are ill, it is always wise to opt for Telehealth instead.
If you are going to be late, please message Emily through the mobile app to let her know. She will still happily meet with you, but the visit will still end as scheduled.
Sometimes things happen that make a last minute cancellation necessary. Just text Emily through the EHR chat system as soon as you know you wont be able to make it. We can either reschedule your appointment as soon as we can or opt for a Telehealth visit if you have a narrow schedule and there aren’t any current health concerns.
If you arrive early for your visit, please wait in the waiting room until your appointment time. This helps ensure that clients don’t overlap. At your appointment time, you can walk across the hall, knock, and then come right in. Do not enter the midwifery suite early. At your appointment time, if someone is still in the office, their appointment is over. Your arrival will signal them that it’s time to leave, so don’t feel bad knocking and entering.
What if the midwife has to cancel a visit when she is called to a birth?
Hiring a home birth midwife comes with an understanding that there will be appointments that will occasionally have to be rescheduled. Emily can be called to a birth any time day or night. Sometimes this happens during scheduled appointment times. Emily will always work you back into the schedule as soon as she can. In most cases, if an appointment is cancelled due to a birth on a Monday or a Tuesday, it will be rescheduled for the same time on Wednesday. If the appointment was cancelled due to a birth on Thursday, it will be rescheduled for the same time on Friday. This could even happen with back to back appointments, which could feel hard. If your schedule is narrow and you are unable to take an available appointment time, you can always check in with Emily via Telehealth until your next appointment (as long as everything is going well). Emily will message you through the app to notify you of her absence. It is good practice to always check your messages before leaving.
How often do we meet and how long do visits last?
We follow a typical holistic prenatal visit schedule in pregnancy, with in-person care usually starting around 12 weeks. A typical visit schedule is: 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42. Each visit is nearly an hour long, so we can accomplish a lot during each visit. This schedule also works really well because so many families drive from so far for each visit. We can of course, see one another more frequently, if there are more concerns that need to be addressed.
After a homebirth, Emily will plan to return to you for a postpartum home visit within the first few days after the birth. Then we typically plan to see each other again in-office during weeks 1, 3, and 6. Some families aren’t as eager to get out of the house. In that case, we will schedule office postpartum office visits at weeks 2 or 3 and 6 or just 6. Its your call. There are some families that need more support and will want to come more often.
There is plenty of consistent one-on-one time to not only gather important clinical information and share wisdom and guidance to maintain a low-risk status, but to genuinely get to know one another. There is also plenty of time for questions and discussion about your life, hopes for the birth, etc.
For more information about midwifery care, please visit this page.
How will we communicate between visits?
Once you begin care you will have online access to an electronic health record system that has HIPAA compliant texting. Feel free to message Emily through that chat system anytime day or night. She will respond as soon as she is able to (its often the same day, but can take several days if she is busy). If it is an actual serious emergency, seek emergency care immediately and notify Emily. If you are in labor, text or call the midwife.
is everyone eligible for a homebirth?
No. Homebirth is for low-risk pregnancies.
Emily does regularly attend births that are considered high risk (breech, twins, and VBAC’s). However, it is within certain parameters, with safety measures and plans in place, plenty of honest informed consent, and several skilled and wise providers on the team to support.
Homebirth midwives do not plan home births with women who have uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, uncontrolled mental health disorders, etc.
If I am eligible to be a client, Can you guarantee I will stay home to give birth?
No. Absolutely not. However, homebirth is always carried as the mutual goal and is almost always the outcome! Transferring out of care is rare, but occasionally necessary and appropriate.
Homebirth is for low-risk mothers and babies. Emily works so hard offering guidance to help keep you low-risk (for the things within our control of course). It is your responsibility to make wise choices every day and follow all of her recommendations. Your health and wellness are your responsibility. You have to commit to quality self-care in pregnancy when planning a homebirth, without taking short-cuts.
Is birth messy?
Most families imagine a Dexter scene in their living room and that is simply not the case. We work very hard to keep messes contained and always clean up after the birth.
I want delayed cord clamping. Will you honor that?
Yes. We never clamp the cord (outside of a rare life threatening emergency that would require this.) until the family is ready. The baby is often not separated from it’s placenta until it is a few hours old. You get to decide when. Some families even choose a full lotus birth where the baby is never purposely separated.
I have had a cesarean in the past. Am I a CANDIDATE for a home VBAC?
Emily attends HBAC’s (Home Birth After Cesarean) regularly. However, there is a lot more that would have to be discussed about planning a VBAC at home than can be answered here. You will find some resources and information that might be helpful on this page. Not everyone is a good candidate for a HBAC.
Full disclosure: Even with tailored, skilled, and loving care, planned HBAC’s have the highest rate of intrapartum transfer due to lack of fetal descent combined with maternal exhaustion (Although this is still rare and most HBAC’s are beautifully successful). Complete records and co-care with a physician is best.
I am expecting twins. Can you help me plan a homebirth?
YES! Emily is experienced with twins and absolutely loves supporting families with multiples in pregnancy, birth, and beyond! In fact, she has even given birth to three sets of multiples herself. There are more visits and safety parameters placed to ensure you can plan an out of hospital birth with twins. Emily will happily and humbly guide you along the way!
Will you bring any pain med options to my birth?
Pain meds are actually rarely requested in labor during home births. We have plenty of tricks for coping with pain like movement, pressure points, heat packs, sterile water injections, hydrotherapy, position changes, and of course compassion and love.
Is water birth an option?
Yes. Lots of clients choose to have a water birth. There is an added cost and responsibility for this. You will also need to make sure you add a pool liner, hose, water gloves, and a net to your birth kit.
Your other big responsibility is to ensure that your hot water heater is turned up to the max and that there is a removable shower head nearby for her to hook into. If you decide you want this, we can bring a professional birth pool when we arrive at the birth, set it up in labor for you, and empty it and clean up afterwards. If you want your own pool ahead of time, you are more than welcome to purchase your very own when your order your birth kit.
I live in a very small space. Will there be enough room for a home birth?
Yes. Emily has attended births in campers, on porches, outside by the fire, and of course in very small apartments. Sometimes people have very large homes, yet we still all end up squished in a corner of the tiniest bathroom in the house.
Do my family and I have to mask when I am in labor?
Not unless you want to. You have autonomy. One of the beautiful things about being home for your birth is that you are in your own environment.
We do ask that you do not invite any family members or guests over that are -or have been- recently ill. This longstanding common-sense policy predates Covid. It is simply wise to avoid illness around a newborn, especially for the first 30 days. It’s also a respectful practice towards the birth team, as they will be seeing other families as well and hope to avoid unnecessary illness.
Do you have a birth stool?
Yes. Emily always has a Kaya birth stool available for use if you would like it.
What kind of newborn Screenings are offered after the birth?
In the initial postpartum visits, Emily will offer the newborn PKU, CCHD, and the Hearing Screen.
Will you ink my baby’s feet like the hospital does?
Yes. Baby feet are so precious. We wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world. Emily will ink your baby’s feet on their folder, a special Birth Summary sheet, and a commemorative “Born At Home” birth certificate (and anything else you want her to!).
How will we file for our child’s birth certificate?
Emily will help you with that. She will have all of the necessary documents and can sign everything before it is sent off to the state to be filed. It is a painless process that you will not have to be versed in.
What is a birth team?
Your birth team is made up of the people you choose to be present to support you during your labor and delivery. Emily often brings a team of 3 or more people to each birth (usually midwifery students). You should also consider the following people when assembling your personal birth team: Birth Doula, Birth Photographer, Postpartum Doula, Lactation Consultant, Placenta Encapsulator, etc. Resource Lists Available here.
Emily has a baby. Will he be present?
Yes. He will likely be anywhere Emily is. His name is Sol and he is basically the office mascot. Everyone loves him.
How far will you travel outside of yellow springs?
Emily typically serves a 60 minute driving radius of Yellow Springs, OH in Greene County. The counties she primarily serves include: Greene, Clark, Clinton, Champaign, Montgomery, Miami, Warren, Fayette, and Madison counties. She also regularly serves further families in Highland, Shelby, Auglaize, Logan, Union, and Allen counties. She also occasionally serves families in Franklin, Darke, Mercer, and Preble counties.
She will make special exceptions at times, but prefers to stay within a 30 minute driving radius when accepting first time moms and primary VBAC’s into care.
How will I get labs and/or ultrasounds?
LABS: Emily can collect and send off all standard labs during visits. She can also write for labs to be collected locally at a draw center between visits (if needed). This information is simply used to help keep you low risk (and at optimal health) so we can set you and your baby up for the best experience. You will also have access to special genetic screening, allergy testing, gut testing, etc. In most cases, your insurance will be billed. If you are a self-pay client, the lab offers a discounted fee. You can also call them afterwards and see if they can reduce the bill even further.
ULTRASOUNDS: Emily will provide you with the most affordable solutions for obtaining diagnostic ultrasounds at an outside facility. There are added costs associated with this - paid directly to them. You should make sure to read this page as well.
Do I have to drink Glucola® For gestational diabetes testing?
No. I mean you can, but you definitely don’t have to. Emily offers The Fresh Test® to her clients. Around 28 weeks gestation you will be asked to do a simple non-fasting test. You will have to arrive about 20 minutes early, so you can mix and drink it up in the waiting room before your prenatal visit. Clear directions will be provided.
The only agenda with this test is to help YOU know what your body is doing during your pregnancy. This information can help you keep your baby safe for an out of hospital birth.
What do you bring to the birth? What will I need? Do I have to purchase a birth kit?
It can be described as her bringing the birth center to you. Emily brings all the things… including a assistant/student or three, and occasionally another midwife or two depending on circumstances. She brings all sorts of emergency equipment and supplies, just in case. She can also bring a professional birth pool when desired (and planned for) and a birth stool. There is an affordable, custom, and complete kit that you will need to purchase by 35 weeks. This kit is currently under $100 (it can be more if you opt for extras- or a water birth). The only things you will need to provide outside of the birth kit are a few household items like your regular bath towels, washcloths, a mixing bowl, heating pad, etc. She will let you know about that before the birth. There is also a simple file in the Document section of the Mobile Midwife App that is available to you to see at the onset of care.
Am I allowed to eat and drink in labor?
Yes! In fact, we encourage it. It’s very important to stay hydrated and nourished in labor so you can maintain your strength.
Am I allowed to Have a photographer present?
Yes! In fact, you’ll even get a $100 discount if you hire one off of Emily’s preferred list!
When should i book with a midwife?
Right away.
Emily is often completely booked 9 months in advance. Most families notify Emily of their possible conception before they even get a positive test, hoping to get a spot in her care.
Emily prioritizes her repeat clients each month before accepting any new clients. The sooner you reach out, the better.
It is wise to contact the midwife as soon as you are considering this. It’s also a great idea to text her at 614-477-9711 after completing the online contact form. Don’t be afraid to text again if you didn’t hear back. She hears from at least a dozen hopeful families every day and some messages can unfortunately be overlooked. She will joyfully respond as soon as she is available to if there is a potential opening.
Make sure to read the Cost page so you are familiar with what is required to hold a spot for yourself - and are also financially prepared for this commitment.
Do you ever have time-off?
Yes, Emily takes time off every year to spend with her family and for her continuing education. Here is her updated Vacation Notice.
If you need clarification or have more questions that weren’t answered here or on this page, please contact the midwife. She would be happy to help!