"FAQ"

Yes! We welcome anyone to come learn about and visit our birth center during one of our scheduled group Orientation and Tours. It is important that clients feel our model of care is a good fit for them, so people considering coming to Gentle Birth for pregnancy care are required to attend an orientation before scheduling their first appointment. 

We like to start seeing our clients for their first prenatal visit around 8-12 weeks of pregnancy. We will accept clients transferring their care from another provider/office up to 32 weeks of pregnancy. Beyond 32 weeks, we will consider a transfer of care from another provider/office on a case-by-case basis.

Some conditions/situations that are risk factors and make a client an inappropriate candidate for birth center birth include the following (this is not considered an exclusive list, other conditions/situations may occur that require transfer of care).

• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Multiple gestation (twins, triplets, etc.)
• Preterm labor prior to 36.4 weeks with cervical change
• Post Term Pregnancy: pregnancy beyond 42.0 weeks
• Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
• Polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios
• Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD)
• Incompetent cervix
• Placental complications including but not limited to placenta previa or placental abruption.
• Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Prior to Onset of labor (PPROM).
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Gestational diabetes requiring management with oral medication or insulin.
• Anemia unresponsive to treatment: hemoglobin levels below 9 despite iron therapy during the 3rd trimester
• Syphilis (primary)
• HIV Positive
• Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
• Conditions that require blood thinning medication be given throughout pregnancy (with the exception of low-dose aspirin in certain situations)
• Preeclampsia with or without severe features
• Gestational hypertension

We cannot guarantee a certain midwife will be present at your birth. We practice as a team of nurse midwives with a rotating call schedule. Our goal is that you have built a relationship with the midwife who is on call who meets you at the center for your birth. So, we need you to meet with each midwife multiple times throughout your prenatal care. The midwives rotate call so that the on-call midwife can be relatively rested to be able to provide the best possible care to you and your family.

You will experience Nurse Midwifery care in the Wellness Model. Midwifery care is relationship-based care where you get to know your midwife and your midwife gets to know you. To facilitate this care, each of our prenatal appointments are at least 20 minutes long. The wellness model means we believe in prevention through education to best care for yourself and your family. Our midwives work with you during your pregnancy to give suggestions and options to help keep you as healthy as possible. We believe YOU are in charge – it is your body, your pregnancy, your family, your birth, your baby – YOUR care. We provide you with information, and you decide what to do with it. With the exceptions of routine prenatal lab tests, regular attendance at prenatal visits, 20-week and 3rd trimester ultrasounds, and listening to the baby intermittently with a doppler during labor, all care is yours to accept or decline.

Yes, we have a sonographer on staff and offer ultrasounds at the birth center. We offer an early ultrasound to help make sure your due date is correct. A 20-week anatomy ultrasound and a 36-week ultrasound for confirmation of baby’s position are required as part of prenatal care at the birth center. The early ultrasound and positional ultrasound may be performed by either the sonographer or a nurse-midwife, all other ultrasounds are scheduled with our sonographer. We can also offer growth ultrasounds, some follow-up ultrasounds, and Biophysical Profile (BPP) ultrasounds at the birth center.

We promote healthy bodies and well positioned babies which helps decrease the intensity of labor. Freedom of movement allows mom to work with her body uninhibited and hydrotherapy, such as the shower or the tub, is a proven pain relief method. If you absolutely needed to get through a tough spot, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) analgesia.

Yes! As a courtesy to our clients, in most cases we will send billing for your care to the company you contracted for health care services. We have worked very hard to get contracts with most major plans. 

We will file all the necessary paperwork to register your baby’s birth with the State of Florida. The Social security card will be automatically mailed to you and you can pay for and pick up your baby’s official birth certificate with your county’s vital records office about 3 weeks after the birth.

Yes, but we do recommend that you bring something besides food along to keep them happy and occupied because your visits with the birth center can range from 25-90 minutes.

We are equipped with medication and equipment to manage complications or emergent situations for mother and baby. Often we will be able to manage those entirely here at the birth center, or if not, we have access to emergency services to get you to the care you need at the hospital two miles away – UCHealth Memorial North. If we go to the hospital during labor, a birth center midwife or nurse will go with you to get you settled. Once a plan is in place with the provider at the hospital, we fully transfer care to the OB hospitalist on call. We can resume postpartum care as appropriate and as you desire for you and/or the baby after discharge from the hospital.