One of the beauties of a birth center or home birth is that you get to decide who accompanies you in your labor journey. These include father, children, family members, or friends. It may also include a doula or labor support person. We are often asked about young children attending the birth, and most families find it is best to have another adult plan to attend the birth as the primary caregiver for small children. That way, if the child needs a break or the mother needs to focus without the presence of other children, the designated caregiver can care for the child(ren) in another location. 

Please see our birth center packing list for a list of items to bring to the birth center or check out the homebirth supplies page for a list of supplies to gather for a home birth. 

We encourage labor and birth to happen naturally, in its own timing. We do not perform an episiotomy except in urgent situations. We also encourage VBACs in otherwise low-risk mothers. Midwives are experts in normal labor and birth. We recognize that there is a wide range of normalcy and see birth as a healthy function of a healthy woman. Mothers deliver their own babies. A midwife may "catch" the baby, but we do not "deliver" babies. They are not pizzas. We attend normal, low-risk births with healthy mothers. 

We are sensitive to your culture. We understand that mothers and families have differing beliefs, values, and customs. If you have specific customs or religious rituals that are important to you, please discuss them with us so we can better support you.

Yes! You can walk and move as you choose during labor. You can choose the positions that are most comfortable and work best for you during labor and birth. We almost never encourage a mother to lay flat on her back during labor, though there may be a reason in labor to suggest a particular position. 

Typically, yes, though this has changed in 2020 as most hospitals are only allowing one support person to accompany a laboring person. If a complication in labor necessitates moving your birth to the hospital, the midwife will come with you as a labor support person, if allowed by the hospital. She will also provide your records to the hospital staff to help smooth the transition for you. Your midwife can provide you with postpartum care once you return home from the hospital. We also work with other providers, such as lactation consultants, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists, and can provide referrals as needed throughout pregnancy and postpartum. 

We make every attempt to adhere to evidence-based practices by following the midwifery model of care (outlined above). Some examples of evidence-based practices include listening intermittently to the baby's heartbeat in labor, leaving the bag of waters intact early in labor, delaying cord clamping, avoiding routine use of IV or medications, and encouraging you to eat and drink during labor. 

Yes, we also offer homebirth. We do place limits on homebirth in order to be able to best serve our entire clientele. We take a maximum of two homebirth clients per month, and we will go within a 30 minute radius of the birth center. VBAC and first-time mothers are encouraged to choose the birth center. 

We encourage attending a great childbirth class during pregnancy, especially one that teaches you a variety of coping techniques. The classes offered at Wellspring provide excellent preparation for labor, and all of our packages include either a full or mini childbirth class. The people who care about you may also be able to help you cope with your pain by suggesting position changes, a warm bath, massage, or soothing music. These are called comfort measures. Wellspring also offers essential oils and herbs during labor for a variety of reasons. 

While we do everything we can to ensure you are healthy and carry your baby to term, very occasionally a baby arrives early or needs to be born in a hospital for medical reasons. If your labor begins before 37 weeks and cannot be stopped naturally, you will need to transfer to the hospital. Your midwife will come to the hospital with you if you wish, and you will be given referrals for any needs your baby has. 

Medical research does not show a need to routinely circumcise baby boys. It is a painful and risky surgical procedure. We discourage circumcision unless it is for a true medical reason. Visit NOCIRC.org or SavingSons.org for more information.

We strongly encourage breastfeeding! It is the best food for your baby, and the vast majority of mothers are able to breastfeed successfully with very little help. We encourage mothers to learn prenatally why and how to breastfeed, to initiate breastfeeding early after birth, and to feed their newborn on demand. We encourage co-sleeping when parents are healthy and not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We also encourage you to join a support group, such as La Leche League or the Kingwood Boob Group, for encouragement and education from other mothers who breastfeed. We also provide hands-on assistance in initiating and evaluating breastfeeding efforts, as well as a referral for lactation consultation if necessary.

We also understand that some mothers are unable to breastfeed or have strong reasons not to breastfeed. We support babies being fed by whichever means are best for that particular family. 

Yes! We can submit a claim on your behalf for an electronic Medela, Spectra, or Hygeia pump, among others. We recommend doing this a month or two before your baby is born. You can ask about this at your appointment or contact your insurance directly, and they will send an order form to your midwives. 

You can view our package options and available discounts under the Birth Services page. We offer discounts for paying early as well as for repeat clients, and these discounts may be combined.

We are out of network for all private insurance companies. Some of our clients choose to submit their final invoice to their insurance company to request reimbursement, and we can provide the invoice details as well as billing codes, but we do not offer insurance billing in house.

Wellspring is contracted with Medicaid as a facility. However, our midwives are not Medicaid providers, therefore Medicaid clients will be expected to pay a professional fee of $4100 for midwifery services, as well as any additional services not covered by Medicaid (examples: childbirth classes, prenatal massage, etc). You should also be aware that Medicaid does not cover homebirth, so if you would like to use your Medicaid benefits toward the facility, you must give birth at the birth center. You will need to pay the full self-pay rate if you desire a homebirth. If using Medicaid, please choose Molina when enrolling for Medicaid. 

Yes! Because our providers are not contracted with Medicaid, you do not have to be on Molina to begin care with Wellspring. We can still charge labwork to your current Medicaid provider through Quest Diagnostics. We advise you switch to Molina as soon as possible, as this process needs to be completed by the time you give birth. It can take 15-45 days to switch from one Medicaid plan to another (it takes effect on the 1st of the month with at least 15 days left in the current month). However, you can begin care with us as soon as you are approved with Medicaid or choose to pay for labwork separately if you are still waiting for Medicaid approval. We do not want your care to be delayed.

Yes! Some people use a Flex Spending Account or Health Savings Account. We have many clients who utilize these benefits to help pay for our services with pre-tax dollars. This is also a great way to save money. 

Health sharing plans usually offer great coverage for midwifery services. We are happy to provide invoices or whatever you need to submit to your health sharing plan for reimbursement. Companies like Samaritan Ministries and Christian Medishare offer great coverage for out-of-hospital births. The only catch is that you typically need to be using their plan BEFORE you conceive. So, if you are researching your options prior to becoming pregnant, we suggest you look into this type of healthcare coverage now. If you are already pregnant and thinking about switching, you can call the companies to inquire about expected coverage. 

A large part of midwifery care is building a relationship. This relationship fosters trust between the midwife and the expecting family. In fact, this is a very critical part of the midwifery model of care. You should begin care with your midwife ideally by 12 weeks or as soon as you know it is the right model of care for you. We do not encourage planning to hire a midwife at the very end of your pregnancy. We also do not offer a discount for this type of plan, as it increases the amount of risk to the midwife. We understand that some situations necessitate a transfer to happen late in pregnancy (such as moving from out-of-state), and we are happy to consider your situation. Late transfers (after 30 weeks) are considered on a case-by-case basis.