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A Woman's Place Birth and Health Resources
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attentive midwifery care
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What is a Certified Nurse Midwife?
A CNM (certified nurse midwife) is a registered nurse with advanced education in midwifery, and who has passed a national certifying examination. In Illinois, midwives must have a master's degree for licensure. Nurse midwives provide prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care, as well as normal newborn and routine gynecologic care. They can order lab work, ultrasounds, and write prescriptions. If a problem develops, CNMs will consult with a physician or refer the patient to physician care.
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What can a midwife offer me that my OB/Gyne can't?
In general, a midwife will have more time to spend with you than a physician can. This is because physicians typically carry larger caseloads, see both low risk and high risk patients, and do surgery and other procedures. Midwives generally limit their practice to low risk, healthy women and focus on health education and developing a relationship with clients. Office visits typically last 30 to 60 minutes to provide time to discuss any concerns or questions. At birth, midwives typically provide support during labor and closely observe the birth process to promptly identify and treat any problems. After birth, midwives ensure that breastfeeding has been established and that physical and emotional concerns are addressed. An OB/Gyne offers expert care for the woman with risk factors or pregnancy complications, but the midwife offers expert care for the healthy woman expecting a normal birth.
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How does A Woman's Place differ from other midwifery practices?
A Woman's Place is unique in that we attend both home and hospital birth. We support your right as a woman to give birth in the setting of your choice. If there are any risk factors or concerns, we will ask you to deliver in the hospital where we will continue to provide attentive and supportive care. We are a small, midwife-owned practice, which allows us to provide individualized, personal care. You can be assured that, under normal circumstances, your birth will be attended by a midwife that you know well.
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Do you accept insurance?
We are in-network with BCBS PPO, and most other private insurers will cover our services at the out-of-network rate. HMOs do not cover our services. We accept Medicaid on a limited basis for hospital births only. For self-pay clients, we offer a discount. Visa and Mastercard as well as personal checks are accepted.
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