With new hospital restrictions limiting visitors due to the outbreak of the coronavirus expectant mothers are facing a new norm in the delivery room. Some are now seeking alternatives and reaching out to midwives. Kyra Kana of The Natural Birth House says they’ve seen an increase in the number of new patients.
“Just in the past week, the majority of midwives in the state have had at least 15 calls of people wanting to transfer into care. To put that into perspective, most midwives get two to three calls for new patients per month,” says Kana.
What used to be an occasion shared with family and friends immediately afterward has been restricted and the delivery room is also limited. Kana says many mothers are not ready to forgo the change.
“Typically women are allowed at least two, if not three people to come to their birth with them, including their husband and a birth doula, but now that’s being restricted down to one, women are not really wanting to go into their birth without proper support,” says Kana.
Kana says if an expectant mother is wanting transfer from a physician delivery to a midwife, no matter what stage of her pregnancy, the midwife must receive the mother’s medical records and it typically takes 2-3 days for a doctor to send over records.
“Let the midwife review her medical records to confirm that she’s low-risk and her baby is low-risk, and perform her initial visit, a client is typically good to transfer,” says Kana.
To locate a midwife Kana recommends social media and the Louisiana Midwives Association Facebook Page. You can also follow Kana on her YouTube Channel “The Cajun Stork.”
Story by Brooke Thorington.