Questions?

Here are some of our most frequently asked questions!

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    General Questions

    What areas do you serve and where are your offices?

    We serve the area that includes Milwaukee, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Bayside, Fox Point, Glendale, Brown Deer, Mequon, Cedarburg, West Bend, Kewaskum, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Pewaukee, Hartland, Sussex, Oconomowoc, Grafton, Plymouth and Sheboygan.

    We see clients at my main office at Thiensville Health Alliance and twice a month I’m in Sheboygan at Sisterhood Services located inside Sheboygan Massage, 841 Riverfront Drive.

    Do you bill insurance?

    Yes! We can bill your private insurance and Medicaid. We can discuss this in detail at your consultation. 

     

    Do you take HSA or Flex Spending account cards?

    Yes! 

    Do you take cash, checks or credit cards?

    Yes! 

    Do you take venmo, paypal, zelle, cashapp, etc?

    No. If you need to make alternate payment arrangements, please speak with the office manager.

    Midwifery Care Questions

    Do you allow my partner, mother, doula, friend to attend visits?

    Yes! Maybe not all at once, but we do encourage you to involve your support network in your care to your comfort level. Please remember that we often talk about intimate things and occasionally do physical examinations, so you’d want to consider that if you’re inviting others to your appointment.

    Do you allow my older children to be involved in my care?

    Yes! You know your children best, so if they can attend your visit while also allowing you to have your attention on the conversation in the visit, then they are welcome. Please remember that my exam room is relatively small, and there aren’t very many extra places to sit, so bear that in mind when you’re inviting people to your appointments. Plan to speak with your care team if you are considering having older children attend the birth.

    What else is involved in planning for a home birth?

    You will need a birth kit, and if you desire a water birth, you will need to source the tub and the accessories for this. The care team will help you if you are planning a waterbirth. Please see this article for more information.

    How many people attend my birth?

    For your safety and comfort, two to three members of my team attend your birth. Everyone who attends the birth has training for the typical events in a birth and how we will handle emergencies. I do not attend birth alone and the presence of these team members at the birth is non-negotiable for me.

    Do you offer lab tests and ultrasounds?

    Yes! We can run all the typically offered tests and can get ultrasounds for you as well.

    Do you offer pain medications or epidurals?

    No. We support normal, physiological birth without medications. We do offer nonpharmacologic methods that can help you to cope with the sensations of labor such as laboring in a deep tub of water, movement, eating and drinking during labor, and being surrounded by people you know and trust. For more information, see this article.

    What if I don’t want to give birth in my home?

    There might be a lot of reasons to want a midwife for your pregnancy and birth, but not want to give birth in your home. I partner with Transitions Birth Services to offer my clients an alternative birthing site. Private and beautiful, the birth suite is located in the Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee and offers a deep and comfortable tub for labor and birth. To make arrangements to birth in the suite, contact Transitions directly. 

    What happens if there’s an emergency?

    My team and I are skilled, trained, equipped and ready to handle most things that occur during birth including too much bleeding, a stuck baby, a baby that needs help to breathe at the start, and suturing if needed. Every client will additionally have an emergency care plan that we review at your home visit, in the event we need to transfer to the hospital for additional care. More here. In the event of a hospital transfer, we stay with you to continue to provide continuity of care, and offer postpartum care when you are released from the hospital.