What is The Birth Center of St. Pete?
The Birth Center of St. Pete is a free-standing health care facility staffed by Florida Licensed Midwives serving families of the greater Tampa Bay area. We offer prenatal and postpartum care at the birth center, and offer home and birth center birth in accordance with Florida Midwifery Law and Rule (Chapter 467 and 64B24-7) and the Florida Birth Center Standards and Licensure (59A-11). The Birth Center of St. Pete also offers childbirth education, breastfeeding support and parenting classes.
What is a licensed midwife?
A Florida Licensed Midwife (LM) is a direct-entry, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) who has completed a three-year midwifery education program and passed the North American Registry of Midwives national exam. Licensed midwives are trained and certified in CPR, neonatal resuscitation, administration of routine antibiotics and antihemorrhagics, and evaluating routine vital signs. LMs are autonomous health care practitioners who provide comprehensive, holistic maternity care to healthy, low-risk women in the out of hospital setting. Midwives have been licensed and regulated in Florida since 1931. They are experts in out of hospital birth in both the home and birth center setting.
Midwives provide all routine medical care throughout pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. If you have specific questions about the services or procedures our midwives provide, please call the office or schedule a consultation. Briefly, our midwives provide the following basic skills:
- Monitoring blood pressure, pulse, fetal heart tones, and temperature during prenatal, birth, and postpartum care
- Drawing all routine blood work (in-house) and ordering ultrasounds
- Evaluating fetal position utilizing Leopold maneuvers
- Testing for Group Beta Strep (GBS) and Gestational Diabetes Screening, both in the third trimester
- Providing IVs to deliver antibiotics and/or fluids as needed in labor
- Offering informed consent for artificial rupture of membranes (“breaking of waters”) as needed
- Suturing tears after birth (under local anesthesia)
- Administering antihemorrhagics in the event of postpartum hemorrhage
- Using oxygen as needed
- Performing a routine newborn exam after birth (including weight, measurements, and monitoring newborn vital signs)
- Providing Vitamin K and Erythromycin eye prophylaxis under informed consent
- Screening for congenital heart defects at 24-48 hours postpartum
- Performing infant metabolic screening (in your home)
- Collaboration with physicians and hospital staff in the event of complications
And much, much more…
What is the Midwives Model of Care ™?
The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events. The Midwives Model of Care includes:
- Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- Minimizing technological interventions and
- Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this model has been proven to reduce to incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
From: MANA.org
Please check out our comprehensive Resources for more information on midwifery care, evidence based, best practices and out of hospital birth.
Do I need an OB in addition to a licensed midwife?
No. Licensed midwives are autonomous practitioners who provide standard maternity care including labs and ordering ultrasounds. There is no need to be seen at a hospital in labor or postpartum unless a complication arises. If you began your care with an obstetrician and wish to transfer to the Birth Center of St. Pete, your records will be requested and included for continuity of care.
Do I need a pediatrician?
Yes. We recommend babies be seen by a pediatrician, family care doctor or nurse practitioner 24-72 hours postpartum. There is no need for the baby to be seen in the hospital postpartum unless a complication arises. All routine care for newborns immediately following birth is provided by your midwife. This may include a newborn exam, measuring for weight and length, administration of vitamin K and/or eye ointment.
How do I know if I’m “low risk and healthy?”
Florida midwifery law and rule has a guideline that outlines what constitutes risk in the out of hospital birth setting. The midwives at the birth center will gladly go over your individual health history to determine if you are a good candidate for an out of hospital birth.
I’ve had a previous cesarean section, am I too high risk for the birth center?
Florida law does not allow women seeking a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC) to have a birth center birth, however, women are able to have a VBAC at home. The midwives can review your previous operative report to help us determine if you’re a good candidate for an out of hospital birth.
For more information on VBAC’s check out the Tampa Bay chapter of The International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN).
I’m having twins, can I have my baby with The Birth Center of St. Pete?
No. Florida law prohibits midwives from providing care to women carrying multiples (twins, triplets, etc).
If my baby is breech, can I have my baby with The Birth Center of St. Pete?
No. Most babies will be breech at some point during pregnancy. However, if your baby is breech at the time of labor you will be transferred to a hospital for delivery.
How does prenatal care work at The Birth Center of St. Pete?
Prenatal care with The Birth Center of St. Pete follows a standard schedule of visits. Ideally, your prenatal care will begin in the first trimester (12 weeks or less), however, if you have had prenatal care elsewhere and are transferring your care to the birth center, this is an easy transition.
- Routine prenatal care includes visits every four weeks until 28 weeks (one hour)
- Every two weeks until 36 weeks (one hour)
- Every week until the birth of the baby (30 minutes).
At each visit the midwife and client will discuss the pregnancy, address any questions, make referrals and suggestions for information or counseling as needed. The midwife will assess the client’s blood pressure, measurements, weight, and listen for fetal heart tones at each visit. You are welcome to bring children, family, or friends to any of your visits. Initial prenatal appointments are scheduled for two hours in order to complete all intake paperwork, review any pertinent records, collect health histories and draw necessary labs. *The 36-week visit is the “Birth Team Meeting.” This visit takes place in your home if you plan a home birth, or at the birth center. This visit gives the family’s birth team an opportunity to tour the birth center and ask questions. Every appointment after 36 weeks is scheduled for 30 minutes. After birth, the midwife comes to your home 24-48 hours postpartum. A lactation counselor (CLC) will come to your house for a 3-5 day home visit to assist with breastfeeding. Clients return to the birth center for postpartum care at 2 and 6 weeks postpartum.
We respect our client’s time and our midwives work diligently to keep appointments on schedule. Our appointments are never double booked. Please note that unexpected cancelations can and do occur in the event of a birth. If we know we will be rescheduling appointments we do our best to notify our families as soon as possible. We appreciate understanding in this matter.
When should I start care at The Birth Center of St. Pete?
We encourage families to start care in the first trimester, typically between 9-12 weeks, although this is not required. If you are in care with another provider and are a candidate for an out of hospital birth, it is never too late to switch care to The Birth Center of St. Pete. If you are considering transferring your care to the birth center, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation with a midwife to review your records.
How do I start care at The Birth Center of St. Pete?
Orientations are held weekly and by appointment. We encourage all families to attend an orientation to have their questions answered and as an opportunity to tour the birth center and meet the midwives. Please view the calendar for upcoming orientations or call the birth center to schedule a time to tour.
How much does it cost to have your baby with The Birth Center of St. Pete and what is covered?
Our global fee is $6,000 and is due in full by 36 weeks. This fee includes all prenatal visits, hydrotherapy, labor and birth, birth assistant fee, newborn exam, infant metabolic and critical congenital heart defect screening, all postpartum visits, childbirth education at the birth center and breastfeeding support with our lactation counselors.
This fee does not cover lab work or ultrasounds nor does it cover any fees incurred from outside sources such as consulting physician, ambulance or hospital birth in the event of a transfer. Each family is responsible for purchasing their birth supply box from our third party supplier by 36 weeks which costs between $60-$100.
For more information on insurance and billing check out our Insurance and Fees page.
I have TRICARE, is The Birth Center of St. Pete covered?
Unfortunately, TRICARE Maternity Care does not cover licensed midwives. There is a birth center in Largo, run by nurse-midwives, that is in network with TRICARE. Please contact their office for more information.
What forms of payment do you accept?
The Birth Center of St. Pete is currently in network with Aetna, Cigna and Florida Medicaid. We work with a third party billing system as a courtesy to assist our families in submitting their claims. Often, we get our services covered at an in-network rate with insurance companies we are not contracted with. It is a Florida State Law that all insurance companies (not including out-of-state or self-funded plans) and Medicaid cover services provided by licensed midwives and birth centers. A $500, non-refundable enrollment fee is due at the time of your first visit. If you cannot afford to pay this fee in full, please speak with our office at the time you schedule your visit.
The Birth Center of St. Pete offers creative payment plans and offers a 10% discount to families that pay their balance in full by their second visit.
Payments can be made with cash, check or card.