F.A.Q
Get Informed, Find Out if Midwifery Care is Right for You!
How do I know if home birth is right for me?
Many families choose home birth for a variety of reasons including individualized care, being a more active participant in the choices made for themselves and their child, the trusting relationship with a provider that knows you, being cared for in the comfort of your own home, and more. Our midwives are experts in supporting gentle, unmedicated birth and respecting your autonomy. The most important part of deciding if home birth is right for you is determining if you have a healthy, low risk pregnancy that will likely result in a routine, safe birth. Our midwives begin this assessment at our first consultation and will continue to thoroughly assess you throughout pregnancy to determine if home birth is a reasonable option. While our midwives are trained, experienced, and equipped to safely resolve many routine birth complications, safety is our highest priority and we refer or transport to higher levels of care as needed. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about the benefits of home based care and if it is right for you.
Do you take insurance? Do you offer payment plans?
Unfortunately, many insurance plans in Michigan do not cover out of hospital birth, including plans through Medicaid. While your midwives can offer tips for determining coverage, it is important for you to thoroughly review your benefits and speak to your insurance company if you would like them to be billed. Payment Plans - YES: Because the majority of families pay for their home birth without insurance, we offer individualized, flexible payment plans to pay for your care over the course of your pregnancy. We also offer income based discounts for those financially eligible for Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, and other benefits programs. Our midwives strongly believe that quality midwifery care should be accessible to all families and are committed to working with your family to find a solution so you can have the care you desire.
Are you able to provide full care for myself and my child?
Yes, for normal, uncomplicated pregnancies and births, our midwives can provide full care for parent and child. Prenatally we can draw all routine bloodwork, run standard laboratory testing, and order diagnostic ultrasounds (including the anatomy scan). We provide full prenatal assessments in your home with plenty of time to address any concerns, talk about your upcoming birth, and get to know each other. After your birth, your child will also have access to standard medications and testing including newborn metabolic screening, hearing screens, and birth certificate filing.
Do you attend births for more complex pregnancies, like multiples, VBAC, or breech?
We respect each family's autonomy of choice and understand there are many excellent midwives that support more complex cases, however Magpie Midwives do not attend births for multiples or for those who have had more than one prior cesarean. While we are trained and experienced in addressing an unexpected breech presentation, we do not intentionally attend breech births out of hospital. We are happy to provide referrals as needed and can start or continue to provide co-care with other providers so you are able to enjoy the benefits of midwifery prenatal and postpartum care during these pregnancies. Should you have any other more complex conditions in this pregnancy or in a previous pregnancy, talk to your midwife at your initial consultation to determine how we can best serve you.
Midwives Care
How are your midwives trained?
Our midwives graduated from MEAC accredited college programs and then completed several years of clinical training in midwifery in out of hospital settings. They then passed rigorous testing and completed requirements for the North American Registry of Midwives to become Certified Professional Midwives and the state of Michigan to become Licensed Midwives. They continue to take continuing education classes to grow their knowledge and skills.
Fees & Insurance
A hospital birth in SE Michigan can cost anywhere between $11,000 - $35,000+ on average. Homebirth is typically 1/3rd to 1/6th the cost of a hospital birth. Homebirth care is poorly covered by most insurance companies, but ironically, most homebirth services cost less than almost all insurance deductibles. Magpie isn't currently in-network with any insurance companies, but our goal is to change that. We are hoping to be in-network (either partially or fully) with Medicaid, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield by the end of 2024.
Magpie strives to make the midwifery care model accessible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. We operate on a sliding scale; our fee scale is $3,750 - $5,500. Those on medicaid, WIC, EBT, or any other government assistance program automatically qualify for the community care bracket fee of $3,750. We offer this same fee for solo parents and teen parents. We also offer specific discounts for "paid in-full at the onset of care" clients, as well as repeat clients. The sliding scale fee system allows us to continue our work in a sustainable way, as well as subsidize care for our lower income families.
The midwifery care fee includes:
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All prenatal visits according to standard schedule (up to 14 visits if in care from first trimester)
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Labor, birth and immediate postpartum care for you and your baby
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Postpartum care according to standard schedule for you and your baby
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1 visit at approximately 24 hours after delivery
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1 additional visit in the first week as needed
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Referral to lactation consultant within first week as needed
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1 visit at 2 weeks
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1 visit at 4 weeks
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1 visit at 6 weeks
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Standard medical equipment, supplies, and staffing aside from exceptions below
The fee does NOT include:
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Any referred services
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Prescribed medications as needed
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Lab work and testing (price list available)
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Ultrasounds (price list available)
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Home birth kit with single use items
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Basic supplies for home birth including towels, bedding, etc.
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Expenses related to emergency care, transportation and hospital services if needed
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We do not provide circumcision, vaccinations, and other services outside of our scope of practice. Referrals will be provided when needed and records sent to pediatricians and other care providers.
If transport to a hospital becomes necessary for any reason during labor or after the birth, your total fee remains the same.
Transferring Care
If you discontinue care with us for any reason, you will be financially responsible for the care that you have received. No refunds are given after 36 weeks. If transport to a hospital becomes necessary for any reason during labor or after the birth, your total fee remains the same.
Hospital Transfer
Our transfer rate is comparable to other midwifery practices in the area, and typically hovers around 10%. Our transfer rates are low because we work with low-risk, uncomplicated, healthy, and clinically "boring" demographics. We deeply respect and trust birth, and the body's ability to give birth. However, the nature of birth is unpredictable. We understand that transfer is appropriate and indicated in certain situations. We discuss transfer plans with our families well in-advance so that there is a clear understanding of what is to come should the need arise.
There are 2 types of transfer scenarios: non-emergent and emergent. Non-emergent transfers can be facilitated by car to any hospital of your choosing. Emergent transfers require an ambulance ride to the closest hospital.In the event of a transfer, we remain with you. We call the hospital to facilitate the transfer, explain the situation, fax over all your records, and do our best to make it as seamless as possible. Once transfer of care has been established, we are no longer the primary care provider, but we are there to advocate for you, support you, and continue on this journey with you. Once you have been discharged from the hospital, we resume care as normal.
Transfers of Care and Hospital Transfers
