FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is Midwifery legal in Mississippi?
Yes! Women can receive care from Midwives both inside and outside of the hospital setting.
In Mississippi, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are required to practice with an overseeing or collaborating Physician, so most are limited to caring for women in hospitals or medical clinics. Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs) are not regulated by the State of Mississippi and are able to provide community based care for women in their offices or in clients' homes.
Community Midwives (CPMs and DEMs) are currently unregulated in Mississippi, which means it's up to the consumers to do their research on a Midwife's training and certifications. Anyone who wants to call themselves a midwife can do so in Mississippi, so it's important to ask lots of questions and check references on any midwife you might be considering.
2. Do you accept insurance?
We would love to accept your insurance, but most conventional insurance plans will not pay for Midwifery Care with CPMs. For prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum/newborn care, we can provide a receipt that you may submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement.
Health Sharing Plans like Christian Healthcare Ministries (www.chministries.org) cover care with Hattiesburg Midwifery.
3. What do you do if there is an emergency at a home birth?
Midwives are experts in normal, physiological birth, so we feel very confident in monitoring labor and delivery to be sure that everything is staying within the realm of normal. If we see any situation that is moving outside of what is considered normal, we will make recommendations and intervene quickly to try to bring things back to normal. We come to births equipped with a plethora of herbs and homeopathies, other natural remedies, pharmaceutical medicines, IV equipment, and oxygen to use in complicated situations. All of our team is also trained in Neonatal Resuscitation. If our interventions are not successful, then we will transport to the hospital for higher level care.
4. Do you offer payment plans?
Absolutely! We ask for a 10% deposit at your initial visit, and then we offer a variety of payment plans and options. Clients may pay with their Health Savings Account (HSA) Cards, and we are open to bartering for goods or services. We also offer a 10% discount for those who qualify for Medicaid.
5. What about the mess at home births?
Our team has a lot of practice, and we're really good at minimizing, containing, and cleaning up any messes. Before we leave after your birth, we will take out all of the trash and start the laundry. We like to leave your house cleaner than we found it!
6. What are your office hours?
We see clients in the office for prenatal and postpartum/newborn appointments on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm.
7. If you are unavailable for my due date, what other midwives serve the Hattiesburg area?
Yes, we have several Midwives that attend births in and around Hattiesburg. Check the Association of Mississippi Midwives (www.msmidwives.org) for current listings.
8. Will I have 24/7 access to my midwife?
Absolutely. In urgent medical situations, please call Amanda directly on her personal cell phone. For non-urgent questions or concerns, you'll have access to your Midwife by sending a message in your patient portal. Someone from our team will get back to you during normal office hours.
9. May I bring people with me to my appointments in the office?
Of course! You are welcome to bring anyone you'd like to your appointments. We have a variety of toys for children to play with while they are in the office with you, and we welcome any family or friends that would like to support you or learn more about Midwifery Care.
10. What tests & procedures do you routinely offer, and am I given the freedom to decline them if I prefer?
At Hattiesburg Midwifery, our clients are offered all of the same screenings and tests that are considered Standard of Care in our area - including routine blood work, urinalysis, ultrasounds, screening for Gestational Diabetes and Group Beta Strep, and Newborn Procedures - Vitamin K, Erythromycin, Newborn Screening, Critical Congenital Heart Defect Screening.
We wholeheartedly believe in true Informed Consent and Refusal, which means that you'll be given all of the information about each option (including sources for further research), you will have ample time with your Midwife to ask questions and have them answered without bias, and then you will have the freedom to make the decision that is right for you and your family.