FAQs
When did your practice open and where is it located?
Priya Home Birth opened in 2013 while still under the supervision of a CPM until I received my certification in 2014. My home office is located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, just two miles from the Ohio border.
Is home birth a safe option for me?
The most common question I’m asked is this and I encourage you to do your own research. For low-risk women, there are a number of studies that have demonstrated safety in home birth with a trained professional. One of the largest studies can be found here https://www.bmj.com/content/330/7505/1416.full The study states, “Planned home birth for low-risk women in North America using certified professional midwives (CPMs) was associated with lower rates of medical intervention, but similar Intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low-risk hospital births in the United States.” Before starting care, we will go over your health history together to see if home birth is a safe option for you.
What do prenatal visits involve?
Prenatals last approximately 45-minutes and clinical assessments include blood pressure, urinalysis, hemoglobin checks (when applicable), and baby monitoring including listening to heart tones and assessing baby’s well-being. In addition to these assessments, we discuss stress, emotional well-being, food choices, glucose evaluations, preparing for birth, and much more!
How do I obtain labs and ultrasound?
Unity genetic testing can be drawn in-office after ten-weeks gestation. Prenatal bloodwork and ultrasounds will be ordered through local labs where your insurance can be utilized. Some tests we can order are prenatal blood + urine, anatomy and growth ultrasounds, glucose, and GBS testing.
When should I book you and when should I schedule my first visit?
We book just 2-4 births a month so it’s best to book your spot as soon as possible, very early in pregnancy. Most women come in for their first visit around 12-weeks of pregnancy. However, we have experienced plenty of wonderful births that didn’t transition to home birth until late in pregnancy.
Do you accept insurance?
Our insurance biller can run a verification of benefits for you to determine what your insurance may cover and what your out-of-network deductible is. Medicaid does not pay for services and unfortunately, some insurance policies specifically deny home birth reimbursement. You may also use your health savings account (HSA) to pay. Even if using insurance, payment is due by 36-weeks of pregnancy. Insurance is submitted after the birth and processed as reimbursement.
What does your fee cover?
Our fee covers all routine prenatal care, labor, birth, and postpartum visits. Our fee does not cover visits with hospital-based providers, testing such as ultrasounds or GBS testing, hospital stays, doulas, childbirth education classes, or supplies. You can utilize your insurance for labs, hospital stays and ultrasounds.
How do I reach you once I am a client?
For non-urgent questions, clients can utilize their link through the Mobile Midwife app or call and expect a response within 24-hours. Non-urgent calls are answered during normal business hours Monday - Thursday. For any concerns that are time sensitive, please be sure to call instead of emailing. Additional contact information is detailed at the beginning of care including a back-up phone number in case you cannot reach your midwife.
Do you attend water births?
Yes! A great number of births we attend are water births!
How do I prepare my home for a home birth?
Around 32-weeks, you will order a birth kit specific to Priya Home Birth. In addition to this kit, you will have a list of items to gather from around your home. It is of utmost importance that you have everything from this list as well as your birth kit before 37-weeks of pregnancy. In addition to preparing your home, it takes a lot of work to prepare your body (good prenatal nutrition, chiropractic care, exercise) and emotions. It is very helpful to hire a doula with home birth experience and take a natural childbirth education course.
Do people ever risk out?
Indeed, some people will risk out of home birth care during the course of their pregnancy. A list of factors that require referral or transfer is given at the onset of care.
If I risk out, do I receive a refund?
Depending on the timing of the risk-out, a partial refund may be issued. Your $500 deposit is non-refundable and then after that, a pro-rated fee schedule is applied to each visit. An itemized fee schedule is included in your patient portal.
When do I need to see my pediatrician after the birth?
After your birth, we stay at your home for two-three hours. In this time, we clean the birth area, take down the pool, and ensure that mom can eat and drink. We ensure that mom’s blood loss is normal and check to see if suturing is necessary. We also check both mom and baby vitals and do a full newborn exam. If there are no concerns with the newborn, we suggest scheduling a visit with your pediatrician within the first week of life. We also do the critical congenital heart defect screen (CCHD). You will have a postpartum visit within 48-hours postpartum that includes the newborn metabolic screen (you may have heard it previously referred to as the PKU test or the ‘heel poke’). If anything on your newborn appears abnormal, you will be asked to see your pediatrician immediately. Likewise, if there are concerns that need immediate assessment, you will be referred to your local hospital.
How can I get a birth certificate and social security number for my baby?
Your midwife will fill out the paperwork with you and assist you in getting a birth certificate and social security number. The process usually takes about 2-3 weeks.
What if I have an emergency during labor or birth?
Prior to labor, we will discuss a transfer of care plan. This plan includes both an emergency transfer outline as well as a non-emergency transfer plan. It is important to note that the biggest reason for transfer in a home birth is non-emergent, usually due to a long labor and mom desiring pain relief and rest. Both the midwife and assistant are trained in CPR, neonatal resuscitation (NRP) and birth complications.
What areas do you serve?
I serve the greater Cincinnati area including Northern Kentucky. My service area is 45-minutes from my home in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
How do I start care with you?
Start by reading FAQs and filling out a contact form. This will allow us to check your due month’s availability as well as make sure you are within our service area. After that, I will connect with you to see if you’d like to schedule a consultation virtually or in-person. Once you have made the decision to start care, you will be asked to fill out your medical history, sign all necessary contracts/paperwork, and you’ll be able to make your deposit. Once you have done all those things, you can schedule your first visit and we are ready to get started on this incredible journey!
What other services do you offer?
For those choosing to birth at the hospital or for those having a home birth with another midwife, I offer labor doula services starting at $2500. Services are offered on a limited basis and include two planning meetings, your birth, and one postpartum visit. Doulas offer emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum. They do not offer medical services such as vaginal exams or fetal heart monitoring. Doula clients still need to hire a birth provider and I do not attend unassisted births. If you’re interested in more information or checking my availability, click the ‘contact’ tab and reach out.
Sneak Peek gender testing is provided for clients as well as non-clients. Sneak Peek allows people to find out the gender of their baby in one-two days at six-weeks of gestation.
We also offer placenta encapsulation for home birth clients and clients utilizing a local hospital or other midwife. Placenta encapsulation is $200 for current midwifery clients and $300 for other families, including pick-up and drop-off within 45-minutes of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Reach out via the contact tab for more information
Postpartum doula services are also available as scheduling permits. Postpartum doula support can help families with household tasks, baby care, breastfeeding, laundry, meal preparation, or sibling care. Postpartum overnight shifts require a 5-hour minimum stay and day shifts have a 4-hour minimum. Hourly rates are $40 per hour and are can be purchased ahead of time as a credit for those wishing to help out families long-distance.