05/04/2020
Since the Covid-19 pandemic there has been an increased interest in Home Birth.
Donna Young, Uintah Midwife and Author of Powerfully Pregnant is accepting low risk clients located in the Uintah Basin and offering free initial phone consults for pregnant women who are seeking to birth at home.
We have complied a more in-depth Q&A below to give more information to those who are interested in following the powerfully pregnant program! ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
If seeking a phone consult please contact Donna via phone or email:
(435) 724-1700
Uintahmidwife@gmail.com
Questions & Answers:
Q: What is your philosophy regarding pregnancy and birth?
A: If a woman has proper guidance and direction then pregnancy should be relatively low risk and there can usually be a postive outcome. It is a woman's responsibility to eat, exercise and supplement for her health and the health of her child. No care provider can undo damage done by a woman not doing her part. After the birth, a woman should heal and be able to live a normal and healthy life.
Q: Is home birth expensive? How much does it cost?/ Is any covered by insurance?
A: To have a home birth with me it costs $4000. There is a 10% discount ($400) for timely payments. Home birth is generally 100% self pay- but this usually does not bother most people, as the cost of home birth is generally less than the co-pay for a hospital birth. The earlier a woman starts the program, the smaller the payments are.
Q: How many home births have you attended/how long have you been practicing?
A: I registered with the State of Idaho to do home births in January 1995 and Registered with the State of Utah in February 2007. So I have been delivering babies for 25 years.
Q: What percentage of women successfully have a natural birth under your care?
A: If a woman is following instructions then her transport chances are very low. My transport rate is far lower than the national average for c-sections.
Q: Is home birth safe?
A: For low risk pregnancies, home birth is completely safe. Especially when there are diseases spreading, there is no place safer than home.
Q: What would disqualify me from having a home birth?
A: I do not do births for any woman who refuses to follow instructions, smokes, drinks, uses drugs, or has any contagious disease. The babies born to these women need to have their child in a controlled environment, for the wellbeing of the baby.
Q: What is your definition of “high risk”?
A: Any condition that would risk the health of safety of mother or baby rendering need for either to require additional support.
Q: Do you deliver breech babies naturally? VBACs? Twins?
A: I try to refer breech and/or twins to the hospitals, as there is a high chance that the baby(ies) may need additional support. However, I do run a good success rate for being able to turn a breech baby as to not require transfer of care. I do deliver VBACs, depending on the reason for the previous c-sections. If I feel that we can successfully deliver a VBAC then I do accept those.
Q: What is your philosophy on diet and supplements during pregnancy?
A: Being a trained naturopath of about 30 years, I understand how different foods work in the body. I understand which foods will cause problems and also understand what a woman needs to eat to be healthy. Most of my ladies are very strong and healthy and feel as good or better than they did prior to getting pregnant. Being healthy during pregnancy, significantly lowers complications for mother and baby. The goal is to get the body healthy during the pregnancy for a positive birth experience with a shorter and less painful delivery. In some ways these standards have been relaxed a bit with the current covid situation and some foods may have limited availability which we are trying to accomodate without losing effectiveness.
Q: What happens at prenatal appointments? Where? How often? When? How long are they?
A: Through most of the pregnancy they are seen once per month, more often during times of conern or at the end of the pregnancy. I make scheduled housecalls and at each appointment there is a weight, fundal height measurement, urine test, blood pressure and pulse check as well as fetal heart tones and cord sounds then I answer all questions her or or husband have. The average appointment is about an hour. The first appointment usually takes closer to two hours as we get to know each other and go over paperwork as well as a prenatal exam. During quarantine, we have continued our prenatal care by working over the phone and internet. We have been able to solve problems as they arise by maintaining contact and still practicing social distancing.
Q: Who will be at my birth?
A: Birth is usually a private affair, especially at home. Husband / father of the baby is usually there along with myself and assistants. We discourage 'spectators' because it usually is not in the best intersts of the mother-to-be or baby to have other people in the room. We also shut off phones and lock the doors to give her the opportunity to birth without intrusions. Occasionally there is an exception to this, but as a rule it is the way it is done at home.
Q: What happens if something goes wrong?
A: For most things that happen, we either have solutions for them or see them coming ahead of time and have a chance to transport. If I decide that a transport is needed, then we transport to the hospital of her choice. We try to handle these things in such a way that a woman is not transported during a crisis but before a crisis devlops. This is out of respect, not only for mother and baby, but also for those assuming care at the hospital, and because it is the right thing to do.
Q: What’s the rate of transfer to a hospital?
A: The exact rate for transfer is under 10% and the rate of c-sections is under 1%.
Q: What if I tear/What do you do for tears?
A: We work very hard to avoid tears from happening by taking the extra precautions and preparing mother's body. If there is a tear then depending on the degree of tear we use an herbal pack or she is transported for sutures. Final decision is always up to the mother. (Transporting for sutures has happened twice in 10 years).
Q: What do I need to get for a home birth?
A: We have a list of birth supplies that we give early in the pregnancy. This allows her time to get things ready over the duration of the pregnancy. The list consits of things like sheets and pillow cases for the bed, baby clothes, diapers, pads, gloves, umbilical cord clamps etc. Anything else that is disposable and for her personal use.
Q: Is there a mess?
A: We try to leave the home as clean as it was when we arrived. We put the sheets from the birth, pillow cases and towels, etc in the washer and start them. We pick up any garbage and throw it away. We wash up the mother after the cord is cut and the placenta is delivered. Generally, when we leave the house is clean as it was when we arrived, and the only difference is the new baby tucked in between the parents. Cleanliness is part of our efforts to give a good birth experience.
Q: What happens after I have the baby/ what does postpartum care entail?
A: We generally stay for between 2 and 3 hours after baby is born to make sure everything is stable. We do not leave until the mother and father are comfortable with us leaving and baby has good APGAR levels and mother's vitals are stable. We do a full newborn check on baby in front of the parents and teach them what we are looking for so they understand how to recognize problems with their child, should they arise. We also take mother to the bathroom and help her change before leaving. There is also a 24 hour (or therabouts) check. We come at a reasonable hour that is good for the new parents, as to not interrupt their rest but still have a chance to check on them. At this check we usually do footprint charts and a CCHD test (oxygen levels for baby), as well as check all vitals for mother and baby. I am avalable for phonecalls 24/7 if there is any concern. Daily phonecalls are made for about a week after the birth and housecalls as needed. We also try to do a 6 week check.
