About Homebirth

Birth Outside the Hospital: Frequently Asked Questions

No Pain Medication?

Labor is: Pain with a Purpose.
Slow and steady, the process itself is in charge.
Positions and patience in place of hurry and instruments.
Intuition and relationship instead of machines to gauge what is happening (fetal monitoring, though regular, is non-invasive and non-disruptive to the labor process)
Education: clients are prepared and know they are capable—even first time moms!

Ultrasounds

About 45% of all our clients chose to have ultrasounds, most to identify the sex of the baby. Ultrasounds are always recommended if there are any concerns about the baby, positioning, multiples, or other reproductive issues.

Water Birth

Many of our moms choose to labor in the water for relaxation and pain management but are more comfortable with traditional delivery.
However, a significant portion of our clients choose to birth in water as well.

VBACs

We are dedicated to safely supporting women in their choice of vaginal birth after cesarean. Please contact us with your questions about VBAC birth and your candidacy for homebirth.

Questions

Every pregnancy and birth are unique. Whether this is your first birth or your seventh, there will be new questions or concerns and we will address them individually and privately.

What Does Midwifery-Led Care Look Like?

At Birth With Insight, we provide thorough, evidence-based care during the prenatal, labor & birth, and postpartum periods with an emphasis on education and relationship with the families we serve. Your care will include:

A free initial consultation: meet the midwives, ask questions, and see if homebirth is a good fit for you and your family!
Prenatal Care - monitoring you and your baby's health and well-being throughout the pregnancy. We offer routine prenatal exams, standard screenings, blood work, referral for ultrasound, etc. and we will encourage you to fully participate in your care options.
24/7 on-call access to your midwife for questions and concerns.
24/7 availability for labor/birth beginning at 36 1/2 weeks. Your birth team will typically consist of 2 midwives or 1 midwife and an experienced assistant.
Option for water birth if desired.
Immediate postpartum care following the birth, including a full newborn examination.
On-call availability in the postpartum period. This is a tender and important time for you and your baby!
Home postpartum visits on days 2 and 4 after birth, with comprehensive newborn screening options.
Office postpartum visits on day 10 and at 6 weeks.

Where We Serve

We serve families in many parts of Western Montana, including:
Kalispell - Polson - Columbia Falls - Kila/Marion - Whitefish - Trego/Fortine - Eureka - Somers - Bigfork - Coram/Martin City/Hungry Horse - St Ignatius

Respecting the woman as an important and valuable human being and making certain that the woman’s experience while giving birth is fulfilling and empowering is not just a nice extra, it is absolutely essential as it makes the woman strong and therefore makes society strong.”

~ Marsden Wagner, MD