FREE CONSULTATION...

We are happy to schedule a free 45-60 minute initial consultation with our midwives. This visit is a great opportunity to see if our practice is a good fit for you and that your health status is a good fit for home or birth center birth. Please bring your partner or a support person & read through our website before your visit. We welcome and encourage questions.

HOME BIRTH...

A midwife is on call 24 hours a day to manage and answer your questions regarding early labor and to help determine when it is appropriate for the midwife to come to your home or to meet at the birth center. Your midwifery team will aim to arrive at your home when you are in active labor. Natural comfort measures will be offered including; aquatherapy, homeopathy, acupressure, and emotional support. Medical consultation and transfer of care to the obstetrician at the hospital will be available as needed. If a transfer of care occurs, the midwife will accompany you to the hospital and help facilitate a smooth transition of care to the hospital staff. Clients will be offered the option of having the midwife continue support while at the hospital as discussed prenatally.

More than 25 studies have shown that birth at home with a trained attendant is a safe option for low-risk, healthy women and their babies. You can find links to the most recent here.

WATER BIRTH...

The midwives at In Tandem Midwifery love waterbirth! Submersion in water can provide great pain relief in active labor. For the baby, waterbirth can be a more gentle entry into the world. Waterbirth is a very low waste birth option, which, when used also achieves the same reduction in disposable waste and the water can sometimes then be recycled onto your garden, both watering and fertilizing! There are options for birth tubs in your home, and birth centers have birth tubs built in.

BIRTH CENTER BIRTHS...

For families that would prefer a birth center birth, In Tandem Midwifery has privileges at Center for Birth (Seattle- Eastlake) and Seattle Home Maternity Service (Seattle- Columbia City), Rainier Valley Birth & Health Center- Renton (Renton).

PRENATAL CARE...

We offer routine prenatal care every month until your 28th week of pregnancy. At that time, your appointment schedule will change to every 2 weeks until 36 weeks when we both come to your home (for those planning homebirth) for your prenatal visit. We will then see you weekly until your baby is born. Prenatal visits will last up to an hour, providing time for routine care, for you and your midwives to establish a relationship, and for you and your family to voice any concerns for discussion.

Care will include obtaining and discussing medical, family, psycho-social and obstetrical-gynecological histories along with physical examination, fetal monitoring, and laboratory testing as appropriate. We also offer in-office Non- Stress Tests to assess fetal wellbeing as indicated. A licensed midwife is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for urgent concerns and visits.

POSTPARTUM & NEWBORN CARE...

We will perform a full newborn exam after your birth, before we leave your home or the birth center. We will weigh and measure your baby, and provide the same physical exam you would receive in the hospital. We provide in-home postpartum visits typically at days 1 and 3; assessing maternal and newborn health with full physical exams, jaundice check, weight check, metabolic screening, critical congenital heart defect screening and lactation support. Your baby should be in pediatric care within the first 2 weeks after your birth.

We then see you in the office at week 1, 2, 4 and for your final visit at 6 weeks. Pap smears and other laboratory testing will be offered as appropriate at the final postpartum visit. A midwife is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for urgent concerns and visits. We recommend postpartum doulas and lactation consultants for those families needing more support.

MONITRICE...

Monitrice Services are provided to support families in their goal to have a healthy hospital birth while laboring at home as long as is possible. We provide 3 prenatal visits in the 3rd trimester to encourage families emotionally and provide any additional education about pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. We provide 1 postpartum home visit. As a monitrice we provide supportive care but do not provide obstetrical services, and your baby's health and well-being are being monitored by your obstetrician or other care provider. The fee for this service is $3500.

Please click here for research that shows the benefit of having a doula at your birth.

FEES...

We acknowledge current financial challenges in this economy, and are committed to providing access to quality, safe, affordable maternity care, while still valuing our time, energy and commitment to our clients. Because of this deep-rooted belief, we offer a sliding scale option for those in financial need. Our regular global maternity fee is $6000 and includes prenatal, labor (with two midwives), and postpartum care (lab fees and ultrasounds are not included).

We offer insurance billing for those with private insurance and we are currently in network with Regence, Premera, Aetna, Lifewise, United Healthcare, Cigna, CHPW, Molina, and Provider One (Uniform Community Plan in process). We do not bill Kaiser insurance plans but can provide a superbill for clients to submit for reimbursement. Please contact our biller for confirmation of your insurance coverage and for an estimate of out of pocket expenses here.