FAQs
Why midwife* (with asterisk)? Because midwives* (like pregnant people) are women, men, non-binary folks, cis, trans*, and most importantly self-identified. This diversity is represented by a star.
Can I have a home birth with you? If you're interested and see that we have capacity in the month your baby is estimated to be born, please get in touch! There are some cases, such as with twin pregnancies, or certain health complications, where we don't offer homebirths. We will go through these criteria with you to help you decide what the best option is for you.
- I identify as straight and cis. Can I still be a client? Of course! We enjoy working with all families and believe everyone benefits from individualized, client-centered care!
- I'm not sure if homebirth is the right thing for me... We are happy to look into the topic of birth place choice together and answer your questions in a first counselling!
How many midwives will attend my birth? We work in a team of two on-call midwives* at a time. This means that we always plan to attend births in pairs. Sometimes we have the pleasure of being accompanied by a student midwife. You get to decide if you would like this lovely person (with the extra support they offer) to be present at your visits and birth. We prioritize taking on students who are BIPoC, queer and trans*, as well as others who share our philosophy. We set a lot of store in helping this next generation of midwives* learn and gain out-of-hospital experience, so that homebirth always remains an accessible option.
Does it cost a lot to have midwifery* care? Check out our page on Costs for more information.
Who can be a part of my birth support team? Who would you like to have by your side? Choose the people who you can be deeply intimate with, who you feel empowered and supported by, who believe in you. It can helpful to pick people who have had great birth experiences themselves, and those who can be good advocates. This might include friends, partners, family members and doulas. We try to help your birth team circulate during labor so that someone fresh and full of motivation is always at your side if you want them, but you don't feel overwhelmed by the number of people in the room. Some people prefer laboring with as few people as possible.
Can my older children be present for my birth? You make all the decisions about who supports you during birth. For some people having their kids close during labor feels best, for others they can labor better when they know their kids are taken care of elsewhere. For some children seeing the birth of their sibling can be an amazing life experience, while others aren't really interested. We will help you make good preparations for the birth and offer to go more deeply into this topic during a visit with you. Resources
- What is the difference (is there a difference?) between Homebirth and a Geburtshaus? Births at home or in a Geburtshaus are very very similar - Midwives* equiptment, for example, is the same in both locations. We have had wonderful experiences working in both settings, and now work exclusively as homebirth midwives. During a homebirth, we come to you, saving you a planned change of location while you're laboring. The feeling of security and comfort that supports the progression of birth are easier for some people to experience in their own "nest." For a newborn's freshly inherited immune system, a homebirth means less exposure to unfamiliar germs. Want to know more? See Homebirth
Is a lot of cleaning necessary after a home birth? The clean-up after birth is almost always very minimal. We'll set you up with a short to-do list to prepare your space in the last months of pregnancy. Usually it doesn't take longer that 20 minutes after the birth to put in a load of laundry and tidy up. That's it!
I'd like to be in water during my labor but I don't have a tub. Does this mean I can't have a homebirth? Definitely not! It's easy to borrow or order a second-hand birth tub. All you need to do is buy a sterile liner for it.
Will I bother my neighbors if I'm loud during labor? Because we live in a city, we are often asked if homebirths bother the neighbors and like to tell the story of a family we cared for years ago: They were very nervous about being loud and had prepared the neighbors weeks before the birth on what to expect. The day after they welcomed their baby into the world, the partner went around to the other people living in the building to thank them for being so understanding. All the neighbors, to his surprise, were disappointed that they had missed all the excitement and hadn't heard a thing!! Of course, everyone has different neighbors, and we can help you prepare if this is a concern.