Tender Gifts Midwifery & Birth Center Releases a Self-Assessment Guide For Women Considering an Out-Of-Hospital Birth During COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Tender Gifts Midwifery & Birth Center has created a list to help you assess if you are a good candidate for an out-of-hospital birth, particularly during COVID-19

News provided by

Tender Gifts Midwifery

Mar 30, 2020, 08:05 ET

FORT COLLINS, Colo., March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Althea Hrdlichka, CPM, LM, RM of Tender Gifts Midwifery & Birth Center wants you to know you have options when it comes to where you give birth. Tender Gifts Midwifery (www.tendergiftsmidwiferyandbirthcenter.com), has released a self-assessment guide for the many women now considering out-of-hospital births in light of recent events due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Althea, supporting a mama right after birth

Midwives have been delivering babies at home for centuries. In more recent times, more and more women are choosing to give birth at home, as well as in freestanding birth centers that are not affiliated with hospitals. Althea has spent many years providing home birth services to women in this area and has recently been contacted by over four dozen families in the last two weeks looking to begin care with an out of hospital midwife, with the intent of giving birth at home. With the recent ACOG recommendations to only use a hospital when absolutely necessary, more and more women are realizing they are capable of a low-risk homebirth. To accommodate as many families as possible during this crisis, Althea has lowered the fees associated with late-term transfers and is offering telehealth services (except for essential in-person appointments). Her and her staff are screening for symptoms through telemedicine services to ensure safety during in-person appointments.

Homebirth is a safe option for low-risk women. Please take the time to read this study by the Midwives Alliance of America. (https://mana.org/healthcare-policy/homebirth-study-fact-sheet)

To better understand if you are a good candidate for homebirth, see Colorado's risk-out factors below.

Colorado Risk Factors:

Diabetes
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Pulmonary disease or cardiac disease
Thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism
Hematological or coagulation disorders (leukemia or sickle cell anemia)
Seizures
Hepatitis B, HIV positive, AIDS
Current use of psychotropic medications
Current substance abuse with drugs or alcohol
VBAC-Cesarean with a due date LESS than 18 months from your previous birth (email for clarification)
Rh sensitization (positive antibody screen Rh-negative blood type moms)
Placenta previa
Incompetent cervix
Twins
Breech presentation
Infected with COVID-19 or has any current illness in the home (cold or flu)
There may be other risk-out factors, pending review of records