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Childbirth today is no longer a one-size-fits-all experience. Expecting mothers have options for where and how they give birth, depending on their health, pregnancy risk level and personal preferences.
What options do families in the Golden Triangle have when it comes to having a baby? What can families expect from different care providers? What about cost and insurance coverage?
Can I have a baby at home?
For women who want to have a baby at home, services are available through local midwives like Toni Hill, a certified professional midwife and owner of Blooming Moon Midwifery Services.
Hill has worked in birth care for 26 years and offers home birth services throughout the Golden Triangle and surrounding area. She said the first step to having a baby at home is scheduling a free consultation. From there, they discuss the family’s goals and risk factors. To help parents decide what choice is best for them, she said she asks new parents to consider what their ideal birth looks like.
“For low-risk women, midwifery care is suited for them,” Hill said. “We don’t see people who are at risk.”
If the family decides a home birth is the right fit, Hill provides prenatal care throughout the pregnancy. During labor, she monitors both mother and baby, providing one-on-one care and continually assessing for complications. Occasionally, planned home births require transfer to a hospital for emergency or nonemergency care, but Hill said most proceed as planned because risks are evaluated throughout the pregnancy and the mother has properly prepared.
“We’re constantly assessing for normal limits,” she said. “The second we’re not in normal limits, we’re going to switch care models and seek assistance from an (obstetrician). … (During labor) it’s not a common thing, because midwifery care is also steeped in education, (we’re) preparing folks to have a baby at their house.”
What about a hospital birth?
For a hospital birth, most women will travel to their regional hospital – North Mississippi Medical Center in West Point, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County or Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus.
For planned hospital births, Nina Junkin, a nurse at BMH-GT, said women establish care with an obstetrician-gynecologist during the first trimester, usually around 12 weeks.
Their OB-GYN will usually be the one to deliver their baby, or it might be the physician on call, Junkin said, depending on when they’re admitted to the hospital.
Junkin said Baptist supports mothers’ birth plans, and she encouraged moms to discuss their goals with their physician well before delivery. The hospital supports low-intervention plans, offers peanut balls, squat bars, hydrotherapy showers and IV pain medication as an alternative to an epidural. The hospital allows up to two guests at a time during labor, and doulas and midwives are welcome.
Though, if a mom’s regular OB-GYN isn’t on-call, her birth plan may need to be adjusted based on the on-call physician’s preferences. Regardless of who delivers the baby, Junkin said informed consent remains an important part of patient care.
“A big part of your nurse’s job is just to be an advocate for their patient,” Junkin said. “We’re making sure that they’re staying safe. For example, a lot of low-intervention moms don’t want continuous monitoring, so we may have to educate why we think it’s necessary for them to be on the monitor continuously. Or if they don’t want an IV, we’ll explain why we feel that would be a good intervention.”
Is there a cost difference?
At a hospital, a family’s costs vary depending on insurance coverage, care received, and length of stay though federal law requires most insurance companies to cover childbirth and a postpartum hospital stay of at least 48 hours after delivery and up to 96 hours for a cesarean section.
Insurance coverage for home birth and midwife care can be complicated because midwives are not licensed through the state of Mississippi.
Hill said most insurance plans do not reimburse families for midwife care, though Tricare, a health care program for active duty service members and family, covers some doula and midwife services.
To make care more accessible, Hill offers an income-based sliding scale and provides pricing information on her website.
Though childbirth experiences vary widely depending on personal preference and medical needs, providers agreed that expecting mothers should ask questions early and often so they can make informed decisions.
“It’s important to take responsibility for your birth and the process,” Hill said. “Regardless of whether you give birth in the hospital or at home, this is your experience. You need to go into it fully educated about what to expect so you can feel empowered and prepared. It’s important to be a good, strong advocate for yourself in the birthing space, regardless of where that is, because this is your baby. Give yourself power wherever you are.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
