Since 2021, Humboldt County has lost 2 of its 3 hospitals with labor and delivery services.
As a result, many expecting moms are looking to travel to give birth or are seeking alternative options.
“We are licensed midwives, which is governed by the California medical board. and we are able to practice autonomously and be able to provide standard of care, basic normal practice for, for prenatal and postpartum and birth services. The hallmark of midwifery is informed consent that we just offer all of the research, all the evidence, based on all the standard practices, and we explain them,” says Laura Doyle, Co-Owner of Moonstone Midwives.
Moonstone Midwives cites hospital reimbursement rates as one reason more families are left seeking home birth options.
“And that’s kind of the clutch thing of our time is the the reimbursement rates for partnership and, and, different insurance companies in general aren’t matching what out of hospital midwifery care looks like. For us, out-of-hospital birth is really appropriate for low risk, healthy people. So that’s the biggest, differentiation is that people need to be. And we have parameters of our scope of practice, of things that we can manage and things that are out of our scope that we would need to consult the physician, and sometimes that would be things that would need them to birth in the hospital, because that’s a safer option for them,” Doyle says.
Moonstone midwives reports a 12% hospital transfer rate at their birthing center. Doulas, such as Nueva Vida in Eureka, offer non medical birthing support and aftercare.
“We work closely with the medical providers, but we are not medical providers ourselves. So and like a collaboration sort of setting with the, with the medical team and we do all the non-medical pieces,” says Sarah Torres, owner of Nueva Vida Doula Services.
“If somebody says, like, what are my options locally to have a baby? Where should I go to have a baby? That because we’re not the medical provider or facility, we have those resources to offer, kind of like case management, almost. so we have like a list to go over that. There are opportunities to birth at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Moonstone midwives, Jamie Johnson, all kinds of other opportunities. And there’s an offer, a chance for us to talk to someone about what they’re looking for specifically and how offer guidance and where to reach out, which phone numbers to call, and things like that. For anybody who has partnership or Medi-Cal. But there’s a doula available to go and offer support. just calling anytime, day or night,” she says.
Story by Tucker Caraway
