Matrifocal Healthcare and Midwifery Services

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We offer a full range of plans with options for your childbearing year.  The initial consultation is always free.

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I have never refused care for a family within reasonable distance who cannot pay.  If you are in need of care and without income PLEASE talk to me.

 

•   Special Total Clinic Care BIRTHING CENTER ONLY: for extreme low income and uninsured families:  I provide supplies, in-clinic testing and care needed for a healthy childbearing year for local families with incomes below a sustainable level. These families have unlimited office visits before and after their birth.   One post-partum home visit is included; additional visits are charged a per visit travel fee.   The purpose of this offer is to provide care to families with least income and is NOT offered to everyone.    Sharing Care cost is $1700 with exact details to be worked out individually.

 

 

• Traditional Midwifery Care HOME OR BIRTHING CENTER  is the most globally common childbearing experience; a planned birth within the family home or birthing center -you choose.  Typical labs, pregnancy and nursing herbs are included in care.  With the exception of the pre-birth home visit at 36 weeks all prenatal care is done at my home office or the clinic.  This plan provides for postpartum visits in your home at approximately 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks.  The final 6-week visit is planned as a clinic visit.   The purpose of this option is to offer the most frequently requested model of care at a sliding scale that suits the widest range of income.   Traditional Midwifery Care cost is $2800 -$4200 (local) for births paid for by day of birth.

 

 

• Special Arrangement Care HOME OR BIRTHING CENTER  is the most expensive type of care from a midwife's perspective.  There are some families who simply want never to leave home and ask that we come to them for all services.  Other families may come from very long distances and need highly individualized arrangements.   Everyone has their reasons for exceptional care and I support families in these choices providing a mutually satisfactory understanding of the very real expense of this highly individual care model can be reached.  This option includes all of your birth supplies and delivery of a birthing tub.  Births can be planned for my home, clinic or mutually agreed upon location.  This option has evolved over years of supporting unique needs and desires.    Special Arrangement Care cost is $5000 - $7000 (local) if paid by the day of birth. Distances to 60 miles at slightly higher costs.

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• Special Distance Care  is exactly what it sounds like.  People contact me from a distance asking for help with their birth.  These people are planning on coming to the birth center (or someplace nearby) to have their babies after having traveled from out of state.  Generally these families will need more telephone contact than physical up until close to the birth date.  They will arrange for a local shelter (B&B, condo etc) and come to the birthing center for several appointments before the birth, the birth and 2-6 close visits before returning home.  The cost of these births fall within the Special Arrangement Care option with extra expenses determined individually.

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INSURED COVERAGE IS ALMOST ALWAYS COMPLICATED

Most insurance companies talk about covering licensed midwives but very few actually cover even a small portion of our fee.   I am a solo practice and do not have an insurance billing company.  I am happy to provide a receipt for your care at the end of the pregnancy if you wish.  Unfortunately this issue can be extremely trying for families and I must leave the possible battle for your right to a care provider of your choosing to you.  

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Midwives standard of care includes regulations about that care.  Our care MUST include an offer for standard visits as defined by Best Care Practices:  The World Health Organization recommends at least 4 prenatal visits;  medical care goes a step further in recommending one visit every 4 weeks through 28 weeks; one visit every 2-3 weeks through 36 weeks; one visit weekly until birth.  Please do NOT choose your provider based upon discounts for fewer visits.  While you yourself may choose to be seen less often, NO midwife should discount her fee by limiting your RIGHT to a full schedule of visits.

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Waterbirth

I has been working with waterbirth tubs since the late 1970's and encourages their use during births.  Two different size hard body tubs are available for use and are stored at the Cazenovia address.  You must make arrangements to pick up and drop off the tub.   

 

Tubs are free to all our Midwifery Care clients.

 

Limited Midwifery Care

Some families wish to have unattended births and/or want private midwifery care in advance of hospital or birth in medical facilities like LaFarge.  Such care is invaluable to families who will be traveling a great distance for their birth or who wish the least invasive pre-birth care.

 

Please note:  There are some midwives who offer prenatal and postpartum care then intentionally hand off the actual birth to an outside midwife.  This division of care -essentially a medical model of care- is not consistent with the traditional midwifery model and not a type of care we support.   Our practice consists of one senior midwife and one student who follow families throughout their childbearing year.  While emergencies can occur that might necessitate calling in an outside provider our intention is that we will both know your body, baby and individual circumstances equally well, coming to your birth fully ready to assist you as an individual, not a name on a file.  

 

Cost of Limited Midwifery Care is typically $75 - $150 per visit.

 

 

Birthing Supplies for Traditional Midwifery Care

Many families enjoy the process of gathering supplies for their births.  Quite a few of our families maintain a storage box that contains supplies that are collected, used and then restocked or reused lovingly over their childbearing years.  

 

For extremely low income families we do everything we can to provide for most birthing needs (donations are always gratefully accepted).  For Special Arrangement Care we have learned that the extreme movement or extraordinary needs of the families are such that having the kit on hand for them makes the most sense and is reflected in our pricing.

 

Traditional Midwifery Care births have always been priced so that the supply portion of the birth is assumed by the family.  To keep our costs as low as possible we offer two choices for families in this option of Care:

 

• We supply a birth list which we will go over together sometime around 30 weeks.  You are welcome to gather these supplies in any way you wish, adapting the list as noted in our handout:  Birthing Supplies by Group.  We will go through the supplies at your 36 week checkup.  Please have everything ready.

• We have a pre-arranged supply kit with Precious Arrows, an online birthing supply house which keeps us in many of our other midwifery supplies.  There are options within the kit that allow you to further adapt it to your needs and other supplies available through the online store.

 

 

click here to order your kit

 

You do not have to be a client to order this kit.  Unattended and other-care families are welcome to order it.  If you are trying to order any prescription only items however you do need to be a client and will need to let me know that you are ordering them so that I can send in a confirmation email.

 

Placental Encapsulation

We offer full preparation of placentas for placentophagy.  Families choosing Sustainable or Traditional Care within our practice are offered this option at $150.  Families choosing Special Arrangement Care receive this service free of charge.

 

We do accept placentas from families outside our practice at $200 for preparation.  Unless someone is assuming responsibility we charge $ .50 per mile to pick-up the placenta and drop off the pills.

 

Lab work in the Childbearing Year

For families who wish just simple lab work and/or pap tests arrangements can be made for our clinic.  Again, this testing is limited to individuals who are attempting unattended or future hospital/clinic births only.  We do NOT support prenatal care with one midwife that is intentionally followed by a homebirth with another midwife.  

 

Cost of Lab work Only is individually determined.

 

Supplements and Herbs

Over the years we have had wholesale accounts with many fine companies and have always enjoyed keeping a ready supply  of high-end supplements and herbs at my offices.  With the coming changes and work with rebuilding the farm office we will be limiting the supplies on-hand.  After construction is complete we will have a full store attached to the health center.

 

We maintain a constant supply of pregnancy herbal blend at no cost to most clients.

 

Ask about our regular supplies which are priced at wholesale plus sales tax.

 

Classes

Classes are offered at unspecified times throughout the year in childbirth and herbal preparations and use.  Check our blog for class schedules.