Rock Creek Midwifery

Rock Creek Midwifery

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is designed to provide you with clear, helpful information about what to expect before, during, and after your birth experience, including details about insurance, support people, pain management, and newborn care.

Our goal is to empower you with knowledge so you can feel confident and prepared for your journey. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for here, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

Is Home Birth Safe?

Studies show that planned home births for low-risk clients, attended by trained midwives, are just as safe for mothers and babies as planned hospital births.

Lower Intervention Rates
Multiple studies also show that planned home births have significantly lower rates of:

  • Episiotomy

  • Forceps and vacuum-assisted deliveries

  • Caesarean sections

Further Reading
Please see our Articles and Resources page for peer-reviewed studies from around the world.

Coverage varies depending on your insurance plan. We are an out-of-network provider, so payment is required upfront. However, our services are eligible for FSA and HSA use, and many families receive partial reimbursement.

To make the process easier, we work with a professional billing company that:

  • Verifies your benefits

  • Requests out-of-network exceptions

  • Files claims and handles appeals

You get expert support without the insurance red tape.

Visit our Payment & Insurance page for full details on payment timelines, reimbursement support, and flexible payment plans.

We love doulas, and research shows that laboring people report having better birth experiences when they have continuous labor support.

A CPM is a midwife educated in the specialized care of out-of-hospital birth. They are accredited by the North American Registry of Midwives. CPMs provide care throughout a client’s pregnancy, is the trained attendant throughout labor and at the birth, and through six weeks after the baby is born.

We offer all in-person care, or a mix of in-person and virtual appointments. For either option, we come to your home once in the prenatal period and 2-3 times in the early postpartum period. All office appointments are in Takoma, DC. To facilitate virtual appointments we loan everyone equipment and teach you to use it so you can report your vitals to us.

People of any age who are experiencing a normal, healthy pregnancy are able to have a home birth. Conditions that risk you out of our care include:

  • Preexisting conditions including but not limited to heart conditions, epilepsy, insulin-dependent diabetes
  • Complications that may develop during pregnancy that would require you to find another birth provider include: baby being breech, having twins or multiples, development of severe high blood pressure, uncontrolled gestational diabetes or preeclampsia

We support VBACs when the birth will happen in D.C. or Virginia.

Unfortunately, Maryland regulations do not currently allow CPMs to attend VBACs at home.

We do not provide birth care for twins or other multiples. If you are interested in co-care, we can provide that during your pregnancy and postpartum. Please see our Services section for more details.

Yes! If you have a tub at home that is big enough, you can use your bathroom tub. If you prefer a purpose-built tub, you may borrow one of ours and set up it up in your home.

Yes! Whatever you want, however much you want.

Feeling safe, calm, and in control helps labor progress more smoothly. A relaxed body allows labor to unfold with fewer interruptions and less discomfort caused by stress.

Benefits of Laboring at Home
Being in your own home can support relaxation in many ways, including:

  • Choosing where and how you labor

  • Eating and drinking on your own schedule

  • Using your own shower or birth pool

  • Adjusting lighting and music to your preference

  • Being surrounded by trusted people and familiar comforts

  • Having continuous support from your partner and care team

Supportive Techniques
Doulas and midwives offer:

  • Massage and acupressure

  • Help with position changes and support

  • Encouragement and emotional reassurance

  • Gentle guidance throughout labor

Preparation and Pain Coping
Childbirth education classes help you and your birth partner learn relaxation techniques and labor support strategies ahead of time. These pain coping tools are effective and empowering.

Pain Medication Options
Please note that epidurals, narcotics, and nitrous oxide are not available during a home birth.

Our team cleans up the mess before they go including wiping things down and cleaning up any mess, breaking down the birth tub (if you have one), starting laundry and taking out the trash. We also discuss plans for preventing mess, including the use of tarps and coverings on carpets or other surfaces.

Rock Creek Midwives can do all blood work and labs with you, and give you recommendations and referrals on where to get an ultrasound.

Care with us happens on the same schedule as with all perinatal providers in the USA – but because our appointments are at least an hour long you get almost triple the time with your provider.

Schedule of Care

  • First appointment: initial blood work done; genetic testing and ultrasound referral provided, if desired
  • Monthly visits from early pregnancy until 28 weeks
  • Biweekly visits from 28 weeks until 36 weeks
  • Weekly visits from 36 weeks until birth
  • Five visits in the postpartum period: 24hrs, on day 3-5, day ten, 2 weeks, 6 weeks

We offer the same standard testing options that any other perinatal provider would, including:

  • Pregnancy blood work panel at initial appointment
  • Genetic testing and confirmation of pregnancy ultrasound in first trimester
  • Fetal anatomy scan ultrasound at 20 weeks
  • Gestational diabetes screen plus one more blood panel between 24 & 28 weeks
  • GBS test at 36 weeks
  • Fetal position check ultrasound at 36 weeks

Additional ultrasounds, blood work or consultations with OBs or Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists are offered if it is clinically indicated.

Your Midwifery Team
Two of our midwives will attend your birth. A student midwife may also be present, with your permission.

You Choose the Rest
This is your space and your experience. You are welcome to invite anyone you want, including:

  • Your partner

  • Your children

  • A doula

  • A birth photographer

  • Family or friends

  • Even your pets

In Case of Schedule Changes
On rare occasions, if two Rock Creek Midwives are not available, another trusted midwife or skilled birth assistant will step in as your second attendant.

We are able to attend clients, regardless of age, as long as they remain healthy throughout their pregnancy and labor. We do not consider someone over 35, 40 or even 45 high risk based on age alone.

Emergencies Are Rare
With excellent prenatal care, true emergencies during birth are uncommon. However, when they do happen, we are fully prepared.

Midwives Are Highly Trained
Our midwives receive intensive training to manage emergency situations and ensure a fast and safe transfer to the hospital if needed.

We Come Prepared
We carry essential medications and equipment to handle complications at home, including:

  • Medications to manage bleeding

  • Oxygen

  • Neonatal resuscitation equipment

  • Other emergency tools and supplies

We arrive fully equipped to support a safe birth at home. Our supplies include:

  • Sterile instruments and gloves

  • IV supplies

  • Antibiotics for Group B Strep (GBS)

  • Medications to prevent and treat hemorrhage

  • Oxygen

  • Equipment for newborn exams

  • Neonatal resuscitation supplies

These tools help us manage emergencies safely, should they arise.

What We Offer
For families who choose them, we provide:

  • Vitamin K injections

  • Erythromycin eye ointment

What We Do Not Provide
We do not offer:

  • The Hepatitis B vaccine

  • The newborn metabolic screening

These can be done with your pediatrician after the birth.

We do not offer classes at this time.

We do, however, strongly encourage all first-time parents to take a class with their birth partner that focuses on natural childbirth. Some excellent options include:

  • The Bradley Method

  • Hypnobirthing

  • Birthing from Within

These classes can help you prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for labor and birth.

A tender moment as a mother cradles her newborn on her chest. A healthcare professional uses a stethoscope to check the baby. The atmosphere is warm and nurturing.
Mother smiling joyfully in a birthing pool, holding her newborn baby. The baby is crying, wrapped in the mother's embrace.
A pregnant woman resting with a man's arm over her belly, while a healthcare professional uses a monitoring device.
A mother in a birthing pool tenderly holds her newborn, wrapped in a soft, dotted blanket. Both appear calm and content in a serene, loving moment.
A joyful mother cradles a newborn, beside a delighted child playfully raising their arms in a cozy bed.
A tender moment as a mother cradles her newborn on her chest. A healthcare professional uses a stethoscope to check the baby. The atmosphere is warm and nurturing.
Mother smiling joyfully in a birthing pool, holding her newborn baby. The baby is crying, wrapped in the mother's embrace.
A pregnant woman resting with a man's arm over her belly, while a healthcare professional uses a monitoring device.
A mother in a birthing pool tenderly holds her newborn, wrapped in a soft, dotted blanket. Both appear calm and content in a serene, loving moment.
A joyful mother cradles a newborn, beside a delighted child playfully raising their arms in a cozy bed.

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