Most clients are seen for their first prenatal appointment sometime between 7 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. Your first appointment lasts just a bit longer than the rest (a little over an hour) and covers various aspects of your history, your current pregnancy, and a regular prenatal exam. Following your first appointment, you will be seen monthly for one hour until you are 33 weeks, Every 2 weeks until you are 37 weeks, then weekly until you have your baby. All prenatal care takes place in my office on the corner of Henderson & High Streets in Columbus Ohio. Midwives provide maternity care based on the ideals of protecting physiologically normal, non-medical pregnancy and birth. I provide continuity of care- meaning you’ll get to develop a relationship with your birth team and know who “catches” your baby. Informed choice- meaning that you are the primary decision maker in your care. I will provide you with the information pertaining to the choices you will make throughout your care. If the above ideals are things you would like to incorporate into your pregnancy/birthing experience, and you have a healthy, low-risk pregnancy, midwifery care may be for you!
If at any point in time, your pregnancy or birth becomes a medical event, you will be referred to a hospital and/or physician that will provide you with medical care as needed. We are not anti-medical and are grateful for our local physicians and hospitals in the event that normal physiological birth becomes something different!
Home birth is not for everyone. We acknowledge that certain pre-existing medical history and/or developments during your pregnancy may influence or hinder you from being a good candidate for home birth. We ALWAYS put you and your family first and will guide you with alternative arrangements if home birth is not your safest option. If this should happen, we are happy to forward all of your previous care records to the medical team you choose. We stay on call by phone to answer any questions you may have and resume postpartum care once you are discharged from the hospital.
Healthy, low-risk pregnancy and birth are totally normal events that do not often require medical interventions when care and attention are given to the family and baby, safeguarding normal. Monitoring normal is what I do. We are proactive in ensuring the best nutrition, activity, connection, readiness, and embodied knowledge of your empowerment to birth your child.
Labor & Birth
During early labor, we touch base and stay in contact. I typically arrive at the onset of active labor and provide physical and emotional support. You will be encouraged to move, eat, drink, and sleep until active labor begins. At the onset of active labor, we monitor the flow of the labor and the well-being of you and your baby. Family members are also encouraged to provide support. Midwives respect your wishes during your birth and provide a protected space of privacy and safety. Freedom to give birth the way you need to. Water birth and/or birth pool rentals are available. Eco-brand "Birth Pool In A Box" or "La Bassine" birth pools are available for rent. Your personal pool liner is purchased separately along with your home birth supplies. I bring most things with me but supply you with a list of small-dollar items to have by 37 weeks gestation. You can purchase these items from that list, (I usually tell families to buy old towels and baby blankets at a thrift shop and wash them prior to use, as these will become messy with meconium and fluids) or buy my custom birth supply list here: https://www.inhishands.com/ohio-home-birth-llc-custom-birth-kit/
Immediately after your birth: We encourage bonding and privacy for the family. The baby is placed upon your abdomen or chest, kept skin to skin, warm and dry. We observe the "golden hour"; This is the time for the family to bond privately until it is time for the head-to-toe newborn exam (usually 60-90 minutes). Breastfeeding assistance is offered. Your placenta will remain attached to the baby (and covered) during this time so that your baby has the benefit of receiving all of his/her blood supply. Your baby will be examined, you will be fed, hydrated, helped to the restroom, and cleaned up. Any cleanup of linens will be taken care of, and all questions will be answered.
Postpartum Care Visits
Once your baby is born, we will see you on days 1 and 3, (Including a congenital heart screening for your baby, the metabolic screening requested by your local health department, and assistance with Birth Certificate paperwork). Additional postpartum visits on weeks 2, (At your home) then week 4 and 6 at the office. The reason for this-unless there is a reason for you to venture out into the world prior to 4 weeks postpartum, we don't want you to! We want you to rest, nest, and bond. Let yourself be cared for. Let your body heal and your baby build a bit of immunity. During the postpartum period, we monitor your recovery and well-being of baby. Appointments generally last about 60 minutes. Following your last visit, we will recommend that you schedule a well-baby check-up with your family physician. Breastfeeding support is included. We will assist you with a postpartum plan for support from your friends and family, (meals, cleaning, errands) that will allow your family to focus on your new baby and your recovery. Should extensive breastfeeding or postpartum doula assistance be needed, referrals will be made.
Our fees are very reasonable! We have a sliding scale that correlates with out-of-pocket costs of a hospital birth EVEN WITH insurance. Please call for more information on our fees & payment schedule options.
Currently, we can not process your insurance claims for reimbursement. It is for this reason that we keep your fees low and on a payment schedule rather than billable all at once. We do provide a contact for insurance billing specialist in the area and a detailed invoice for reimbursement needs.
"...Lora has a natural ability to assess patients' needs both emotional as well as physical. Even if Lora is meeting a patient for the first time, her welcoming and loving nature immediately allows the patient to feel at ease and safe. I enjoyed working with Lora and know that she will be a blessing to the women she serves in her future as a midwife." ~ Rose Penwell, CPM & Midwife preceptor, Mercy In Action: Olongapo City, Philippines-2014
"I am so thankful to have found Lora during a late night search thinking “There has to be a better way to give birth than what I did before”... There is a much better way! I knew immediately I wanted Lora to be my midwife- she’s kind, warm, intelligent, even-natured, grounded, and gentle. She took the time to happily discuss her knowledge and experience which also put me at ease. Lora followed my lead and met me where I was emotionally/mentally as well as happily loved on my excitable dog and enjoyed having my toddler home during appointments! I never felt rushed or pressured. I absolutely loved that I could text or call her anytime during my pregnancy to ask her questions or check in about concerns. She was a calm, steady support as I labored at home with her checking in frequently with my husband and myself. While birthing I felt in control, supported, and empowered. It was very different than my previous hospital birth. Lora wasn’t yelling “push!” or telling me “It’s time for…”, “Now do…”. My birth with Lora was relaxed, peaceful, and light hearted (we were able to laugh and joke around!). She was incredible at reading the room and situation to know when to be more present and when to give us some space. If we ever decided to have a third child, I would call Lora as soon as we got pregnant!" ~Tiffany Rose-Wilhelm, MSW, LISW, CLEC
