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Office Hours Appointments: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m Telephone Lines: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Contact Us |
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Missoula Birth Center Frequently Asked Questions
How is a birth center different from a hospital? A birth center is a homelike facility, existing within a healthcare system with a program of care designed in the wellness model of pregnancy and birth. Birth centers are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention, and cost effectiveness. Birth centers provide family-centered care for healthy women before, during and after a normal pregnancy, labor and birth. Birth centers were designed for healthy, low risk mothers and healthy babies. The atmosphere is more relaxed in a birth center. It is more like a nice, country inn, or someone's well kept home, than a clinical environment. The Birth Center offers the community of Missoula, Montana a unique choice. It focuses and encompasses the ideology of natural childbirth. This means that epidural anesthesia is not offered, which allows women to be free to move around in labor, get in positions that are most comfortable to them, and spend time in the Jacuzzi. The baby is monitored in labor with a handheld Doppler. Comfort measures such as hydrotherapy (Jacuzzi), hand massage, pressure point, hot and cold compresses, and visualization and relaxation techniques are used. A variety of health care professionals operate in the birth center setting. Our birth center has a certified staff of OB/GYN Physicians, Board Certified Nurse Midwives, Lactation Consultants, a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Registered Nurses, and office and administrative staff. Although medical interventions are rarely done, the birth center works with Dr. Lynn Montgomery, MFM, OB/GYN as an obstetric and pediatric consultant. Both midwives and OB/GYN’s do deliver at The Birth Center. The professionals affiliated with a birth center work closely together as a team. The certified nurse-midwives consult with the OB/GYN physicians if a woman develops a complication during pregnancy or labor that puts her into a higher risk category. Our birth center provides a home-like birth experience with all the comforts of home for the mother, baby, and family. Amenities include private birth rooms with private bathrooms, hydrotherapy by Jacuzzi, shower, private patio, and fireplaces. A kitchen is always available for the family to use during labor, birth and postpartum. A tour of our facility is available. I am thinking of getting pregnant. Is there anything special I should do now? You should be as healthy as possible mentally and physically before a pregnancy. Stop drinking alcohol and using tobacco. If you take any medications, check with your health care provider to make sure they are safe during pregnancy. Do your best to stay away from toxic chemicals. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of calcium, protein, whole grains, fresh fruits, and green vegetables. Folic acid is also important to help with the development of the baby’s spine and brain. Be sure to take a vitamin with at least 400 mcg of folic acid during one month before conception. This is a good time to start a gentle, exercise program such as yoga, walking or swimming. You can also see your healthcare provider for a preconception visit to discuss any specific concerns. When should I begin prenatal care? You should schedule your first prenatal visit for around the 6th-9th week of pregnancy. This is approximately two to five weeks after your first missed period. I am pregnant and started prenatal care with another practitioner. Can I still come to The Birth Center? YES! We would love to have you come to The Birth Center. We accept transfer of care. You will need to fill out a records request form that allows your previous provider to send us your medical records. Midwives provide primary care focusing on the entire family. We spend time getting to know you and educate you about your body and pregnancy. We believe that you are an equal and active partner in your care. We also believe in the power of your body to give birth naturally. At The Birth Center we work on creating healthy women, healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. We are fully trained to identify, stabilize and manage complications. In the event of an emergency, Dr Montgomery, MFM, OB/GYN will be available. CNM’s attend over 9% of the births in the United States. Data supports the quality care CNM’s provide. According to a 1998 study comparing outcomes for births attended by CNM’s and physicians, births attended by CNM’s had:
For more information, see the American College of Nurse-Midwives website. (www.acnm.org) Most birth centers have C-section rates of less than 12%. The national average for C-sections is over 29% as of 2004. U.S. health officials would like to reduce Caesarean deliveries by half, bringing it down to 15% by 2010. The rate of C-sections in the U.S. is one of every four babies. International studies have found that the optimal Caesarean rate for a county is 10-15%. Who may be present with me at the birth? The Birth Center allows a birthing mother to decide whom she wants to have with her during the birth. This includes fathers, partners, children, other family members, or friends. The midwife plays a key role in allowing the mother to birth her baby naturally, while providing primary care for the laboring mother. There is always a midwife and nurse present for deliveries. How do you allow for differences in culture and beliefs? The Birth Center is sensitive to the mother's culture. We respect that mothers and families have differing beliefs, values and customs. Allow your cultural beliefs to be incorporated in your birth plan by working with your provider. May I walk, move and change positions during labor? What position do you suggest for birth? In The Birth Center environment, you may walk around and move about as you choose during labor. Choosing the positions that are most comfortable and that work best for you during labor and birth are important. However, there may be a medical reason for you to be in a certain position which would be explained to you. How do you help mothers stay as comfortable as possible? How do you help mothers relieve the pain of labor? The labor assistants and providers who care for you will know how to help you cope with labor. They know about methods to help with your pain that doesn’t include the use of drugs. They may suggest such things as changing your position, relaxing in a warm bath, having a massage, and using music. These are called comfort measures. Comfort measures help you handle your labor more easily and help you feel more in control. The people who care for you will not try to persuade you to use a drug for pain unless you need it to take care of a special medical problem. Our educational classes offer more information and ideas on how you can cope with labor. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AGOG) find there is no health indication to circumcise baby boys. However, this is entirely up to the mother and family. How do you help mothers who want to breastfeed? Birth centers support breastfeeding, as outlined by the World Health Organization:
I heard that birth centers only care for "low risk" pregnancies. What is "high risk"? We believe that pregnancy is normal and that a women’s body knows how to give birth naturally. Your age and number of prior pregnancies do not matter to us, as long as you are healthy. You may deliver a baby from 37 weeks gestation and up to 42 weeks gestation (two weeks past your due date). However, there are high-risk situations that are not appropriate for out-of-hospital births. Based on the guidelines by AABC (American Association of Birth Centers), we cannot accept clients with twins or do vaginal breech deliveries or vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) at The Birth Center. However, we can still do your prenatal care and deliver at the hospital. Other high-risk situations that are not suitable for a birth center delivery include chronic high blood pressure, diabetes requiring insulin, placenta previa (the placenta is over the cervix), pregnancy induced hypertension/ preeclampisa (aka toxemia), or a medical problem with the baby (i.e. heart defect) that will require the special care of Dr. Montgomery. If you have a question about your “risk status” or would like to see a complete list, please call us at 406-549-0978. If I come to The Birth Center for my prenatal care, can I still get an ultrasound? At The Birth Center we believe in the appropriate use of technology and informed consent. Typically you will have two diagnostic ultrasounds, one at 16-18 weeks and the second around 28 weeks. We do have 4-D ultrasound technology, as Dr. Lynn Montgomery is our in house consulting physician and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist. We have a registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer in house who performs our ultrasounds. How much does The Birth Center cost for prenatal care and delivery? Birth center costs are typically 1/3 to1/2 the cost of a delivery in a hospital. Please speak to our financial counselor to arrange cost, insurance reimbursement and payments. Do you accept insurance? The Birth Center accepts all major health insurance. Because we are the first Birth Center in Montana, some insurance companies have no set billing guidelines. Please call your insurance company to discuss reimbursement. What educational classes do you offer? The Birth Center provides educational classes for all our pregnant patients. Please see our Birth Center calendar and list of classes on our website. Are there any books I should get to prepare for pregnancy and birth? Some of the best books are those that support the normalcy of pregnancy, the power of your body, and holistic management of pregnancy/ birth. Some of The Birth Center’s top picks include: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin The Birth Center also has a library of resources and patients can checkout materials. How will I cope with labor? We take a very different approach at The Birth Center. Research shows that stress hormones increase pain and slow the progress of labor. We try to make your labor as low stress as possible. We do not perform unnecessary interventions. You will become familiar with the birthing suites and staff prior to labor and you can bring your own clothes and eat your own food. During labor you are encouraged to walk and change positions as often as necessary. We have rocking chairs, birth balls, and birth stools to help you get into the most comfortable position. We use heat and massage therapy. Hydrotherapy has been shown to decrease the pain of labor, so we encourage women to labor in the Jacuzzis. You are surrounded by continuous support from the midwife and your labor support/ partner. Women instinctively get into the best position for their labor and birth, usually side-lying, standing, or hands and knees. Do you perform episiotomies? We do not perform routine episiotomies (a surgical cut to enlarge the vaginal opening). Instead, we use warm perineal compresses during birth to ease the passage of the babies head, thereby minimizing tears. We are fully trained to perform episiotomies and repair cuts or lacerations when necessary. How do you monitor the baby during labor? We use a handheld Doppler to listen to the baby’s heartbeat during labor. This is called intermittent auscultation. What happens if there is a problem during my pregnancy or birth? Our Midwife specializes in normal pregnancy, labor, and birth. We focus on creating healthy women and families to prevent complications. The midwives will be working and consulting with Dr. Lynn Montgomery, MFM, OB/GYN to discuss complications and transfer high-risk clients for a hospital birth. If complications arise during your pregnancy we may consult Dr. Montgomery or transfer your care to Dr. Lynn Montgomery. During birth we carefully monitor both the mother and baby. If we sense the potential for a complication, we do not hesitate to transfer care to Community Medical Center. Our goal is a healthy mom and a healthy baby. We would never jeopardize safety to have a birth center birth. We are trained to recognize and manage emergencies. Do I go home the same day I have the baby? At The Birth Center women stay an average of four to six hours after the birth and then return to the comforts of their own home. |
1211 S. Reserve Street | Missoula, MT. 59801 | Phone 406-549-0978 | Fax 406-549-0987 Email Us: info@thebirthcentermt.com © 2005-2006. The Birth Center. All rights reserved.