FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) Overview

A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a knowledgeable, skilled and professional primary maternity care provider. CPMs are trained and credentialed to offer expert care, education, counseling and support to birthing people during the pregnancy, birth and the postpartum periods.

In the state of Louisiana, midwives are required to carry a license from the Louisiana state board of medical examiners. This allows for CPMs to carry and administer medication and integrate in the standing healthcare system. This also means that licensed CPMs are required to abide by the state laws. To read more about the licensure of midwives in Louisiana, click here.

To learn more about the CPM credential, visit the website for the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives.

Yes and no. In the state of Louisiana, clients are required to see an OB for an initial risk assessment prior to care with a midwife. During this risk assessment, the OB must take a health history, initial lab work, ultrasound, and or physical exam that identifies the person as low risk and healthy. That in turn allows them to start care with licensed midwives.

After, you no longer need care with an OB unless your risk status changes.

Low risk healthy birthing people are candidates for out of hospital birth. If you are questioning if you are eligible for out of hospital birth, please reach out and we can discuss you individual needs.

The investment for Grace Midwifery Collective care is $3500 - $6500. We understand that midwifery care is an investment and we do not want anyone’s birthing experience to be determined by their ability to pay out of pocket. Please reach out so we can have a thorough conversation about your needs and financial situation.

YES! We are able to bill as out-of-network providers. First, we will complete a complementary verification of benefits to help you explore how much your insurance will cover, what your out of pocket costs will look like, and discuss timelines for reimbursement.

If you would like to see what your insurance will cover, use this link: https://www.truehealthcarebilling.com/verificationofbenefits and Provider Code 340 to input your information. Our biller will send a VOB to you in business 3-5 days.

Costshare/Healthcare companies usually pay 100% of our fee.

Check out our midwifery page to see a detailed overview of our care and visit schedule.

During labor the midwives will monitor the baby's heartbeat frequently and discreetly. We work to keep you hydrated, fed, and rested while also checking vital signs periodically. We have a Midwife and trained birth assistant or student at every birth. We follow our carefully researched and frequently re-evaluated protocols to make sure you stay low-risk and safe for out of hospital birth.

Due to having low-risk clients with healthy, low-risk pregnancies, our transfer rate is very low. We are trained to identify risk factors and transfer to the hospital before complications become true emergencies. We carry medications such as pitocin, IV fluids, oxygen, and resuscitation equipment that allow us to manage complications at home. As a maternity healthcare provider in the state of Louisiana, we also train and certify in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR every 2 years.

During your care we discuss the reasons why we might transfer to the hospital and what happens during a transfer. We have relationships with our community hospitals and facilitate a smooth transfer of care in the small percentage of births where it might be necessary.

Absolutely! Doulas offer continuous 1:1 emotional and physical support during labor and perfectly compliment midwifery care. We especially recommend a doula for any person birthing outside of the hospital for the first time.

We are unable to offer TOLAC/VBAC birthing care for anyone in the state of Louisiana due to Louisiana law. Please contact us to discuss your options.

All standard maternity labs are offered and available with Grace Midwifery Collective.

We like to think that birthing at home is like bringing the birth center to you while birthing at the birth center feels like home!

Your midwives bring all necessary equipment to monitor vitals, access wellbeing, and manage complications. We also include a birthing tub!

Toward the end of pregnancy you will be instructed to purchase a birth kit which includes disposable items and put together common household items for your comfort.

We believe it its the right to have whomever you desire at your birth. However, we also highly recommend these people are there not as spectators, but as support.

If they do not share the same values and education about the safety of home/birth center birth, we recommend reconsidering their attendance.

Yes! We love water birth and offer birthing tubs in your home for no additional fee.

Our team is trained in the nuance of waterbirth and is supportive of both water immersion for labor and birth.