Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Midwife means “with woman”. A midwife is a health practitioner with education and training in taking care of low risk women during the childbearing years. A Certified Nurse Midwife has expanded training to provide gynecologic and well-woman services as well as make referrals to appropriate specialities as needed. I am proud to have admitting privileges at Prisma Health Upstate (Greenville Memorial Hospital) to provide care there when my clients need hospital services.
While midwives and doulas work very well together, we are very different. A doula is a professional labor support person and coach that a birthing family hire to provide emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. Doulas do not perform medical assessments and do not give medical advice. That is the role of the midwife. I’m here to provide support as well, but my main focus is ensuring labor progresses normally, make recommendations, and assist the woman in birthing safely. It is a requirement at Genesis to hire a doula if you are a first time mother and strongly encouraged for all others.
Do I need a midwife and an OBGYN?
I am a Certified Nurse Midwife and am able to independently take care of low risk women. Appropriate referrals can be made as needed. No, you do not need to have an OBGYN in addition to me.
Is birth outside of the hospital safe?
Yes. Studies have shown that homebirth and birth center birth can be a safe alternative with a skilled practitioner and a low risk pregnancy. Increased safety is there when there are appropriate plans for seamless transfers and referrals when needed. Part of delivery planning with each family includes planning for emergencies, although extremely rare.
For homebirth, I bring all necessary medical equipment with me as well as a birth assistant. You are free to labor and birth in the comfort of your own home. We’ll make sure you and baby are recovering well, clean up, and tuck you in bed to rest. For birth center, all the same emergency supplies and equipment are available. We are conveniently located 4 minutes from Prisma Hospital in downtown Greenville.
Either myself or my certified nurses come to your home within a couple days to make sure all is well, doing additional assessments on you and baby, assisting with breastfeeding and addressing any concerns. We are also available via phone after birth for any needs.
I am currently only accepting clients that plan for home birth and birth center care. In the unlikely event a transfer to the hospital, I can still provide care for you at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial campus. This makes my practice very unique. As a small practice, I am limited in the number of clients I can accept each month.
This is a good question! Birth center and homebirth are for women who are 100% committed to unmedicated, vaginal birth. We use many relaxation techniques including hydrotherapy, massage, aromatherapy.
How much does a home birth/birth center cost versus a hospital birth? Do you accept insurance?
Please shoot me a message to discuss pricing after we first determine the birth location right for your family. Genesis is out of network with most major insurances. What this means is that if you have out of network benefits, some of your costs may be reimbursed directly to you. We are sometimes successful in getting in network “gap exceptions” as well. I do offer payment plans and am happy to discuss this during a consultation. A verification of benefits is recommended for all prospective clients prior to scheduling any appointments. I will help facilitate this process to make dealing with insurance as painless as possible.
I’m not pregnant, can I still make an appointment?
Yes!! I love taking care of women in all stages of life. We can talk about how to stay healthy and live your best life! We can discuss Pap smears, birth control, periods, and mammograms if needed. I am also excited to offer IV micronutrient therapy and hormonal therapies in consultation with a compounding pharmacy.
What other services do you offer?
Good question! In addition to pregnancy and gynecologic care I also have a special interest in IV/IM hydration and micronutrients, meaning IV supplementation of vital vitamins and minerals your body needs. I’m also planning to pursue additional perinatal mental health certification to be a resource to women in our community.
Have A Question?
info@genesisbirthandwellness.com
Phone: (864) 565-8646
Fax: (864) 565-8606
- Address: 23 Mills Avenue, Greenville, South Carolina 29605
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