Many expectant parents, especially those who are pregnant for the first time, might not know much about transferring care to a birth center. We hear from some of our clients at Magnolia that they thought they had to initiate prenatal care with an obstetrics practice first and then get “approved” to deliver at a birth center. Thankfully, that is not true! You can be in our care from the first trimester if you’re low risk.
If you’re reading this in your second or third trimester, you might just be starting to learn about out-of-hospital birth. As the global pandemic continues, you may be wondering if you can change your mind about the hospital delivery you were planning. Perhaps you’re asking, “Can I transfer my care to a birth center? Is it ever too late in pregnancy to switch?” Keep reading to learn about transferring to Magnolia, especially late in pregnancy.
How Late in Pregnancy Can I Transfer Care to a Birth Center?
Most obstetrics practices in South Florida do not allow transfers in the third trimester, or after about 28 weeks. But at Magnolia, we are always willing to consider low-risk clients who want to transfer prenatal care, even during the third trimester.
That said, it’s important to consider that one of the elements that make out-of-hospital birth successful is relationship building. Connection is an essential part of midwifery care, and it takes time to establish trust. The less time we have to build that relationship, the harder it is to have a relationship of trust, where we trust you to provide us with accurate and full information and you trust us to guide you during pregnancy.
Even 12 weeks in midwifery care is probably going to be more personalized than 40 weeks of prenatal care in a mainstream obstetrics office, where everyone follows the medical model. For those who are interested in transferring care to a birth center late in pregnancy, we evaluate those requests on a case-by-case basis.
How Do I Know If I Qualify for Birth Center Care?
There are really two main requirements when transferring to Magnolia late in pregnancy. One is that you’ve been receiving prenatal care during your pregnancy, and the other is that you are low risk. Of course, now you’re probably wondering, “What exactly does low risk mean?”
Midwives specialize in caring for healthy expectant parents whose pregnancies and births exhibit few or no risk factors. By definition, low risk excludes folks who have conditions that predispose them to medical management during pregnancy and birth. Common examples are diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Other exclusions include having a previous cesarean birth, carrying a baby who is not head down, and expecting more than one baby.
What Happens When I Transfer Care to Magnolia?
If you decide to transfer into our care, we ask that you bring a complete copy of your prenatal medical records to your initial consultation so we can review your prenatal history. If you’re not able to obtain your records, we can usually request them from your care provider’s office, and hopefully, your OB will provide them to us.
During your first appointment, we will perform a thorough history and conduct a physical, and evaluate your health via several risk assessment tools. An essential component of providing quality care, risk screening allows us to establish a baseline that we can reference for the rest of your pregnancy. This enables us to determine any health concerns as your pregnancy progresses. At Magnolia, we assess risk ongoing during your prenatal care, something that helps us implement preventative strategies and manage potential concerns before an actual problem arises.
What Else Do I Need to Know About Transferring My Care?
When considering transferring care to a birth center, sometimes prospective clients — or partners or other family members — are concerned about safety. Mainstream obstetrics and giving birth in the hospital does not guarantee your safety. Research has shown that birth centers are extremely safe for healthy, low-risk people.
It’s important as well to understand that midwives are highly trained healthcare professionals who are acutely sensitive to variations of normal. Midwives notice signs and symptoms of complications that may manifest during labor. We know our clients’ physical and emotional histories. Because we are attentive to details during prenatal appointments, we can recognize what is abnormal for each individual client and tailor your care to your specific needs.
The team of midwives at Magnolia offers a mixture of evidence-based practice and intuition in combination with the kind of knowledge that comes only through experience. We provide person-centered care that is sensitive to even small variations that can occur during labor and delivery.
If you’re interested in transferring your prenatal care to Magnolia, we’d love to talk with you. Contact us on our website, email us at info@magnoliabirthhouse.com, or call us at 786-977-4756.
