Back Up Midwife??

[joeylp]

This is a question for fellow solo practice homebirth midwives out there...
Do you have a relationship with another midwife who will provide coverage in the case that you want to go out of town or if you have 2 women in labor or for any other reason? If so, how do you conpensate that midwife for being on call or for attending a birth for you?

TIA

[MsBlack]

Yes, sort of...that is, only if SHE is not also busy at another birth. We pay each other for doing each other's births--sometimes in trade. That is, we have an agreement that we will check in every 6mos with each other to see if one of us has helped the other more, and then provide payment. But little money has actually changed hands, because first of all we seldom need each other, and secondly it most always works out that there is equal turnabout in that time period (whether actually covering a birth or just coming to help at a tough one). We both just try to be careful not to take too many clients--there are not many mws here, and distances are long (4-5/month).

I tell my fams that I simply cannot give them 100% infallible guarantee of being at their birth, or of anyone being there for them. The weather or a car accident or an emergency in my own family--at the same time that the other mw is indisposed--could happen. If they must have that guarantee, they need to use hospital services. That said, I also tell them that so far, apart from a few precipitous labors that I didn't make in time, I've never had to leave anyone hanging due to weather, a car accident/other emergency or whathaveyou, at the very same time that the other mw was also indisposed.

[birthgreeter]

I work with 2 other midwives, helping at births, and will take call for them if they are on vacation (what! we take vacations?! : )
If one of them are at a birth, and another client goes into labor, then I will help cover for them. They do the same for me-for vacations etc.
We all are in business for ourselves, but help each other if needed.

We usually have 2 midwives at a birth, unless we have more than one in labor, then we take a trained helper...so there can be a midwife at each birth.

[Maggi315]

Yes, I have 2 other midwives who help me out and I cover for them. We compensate each other, but not for call time, for the actual births. since I bill separately for birth and postpartum, I would give them most of that money and follow up with postpartum care.

I would like to be able to meet their clients and have them meet mine, because I think that it is important to devleop relationships, that's why people choose homebirth midwives, but I havne't found that to be a practical thing to do since we are all so busy (4-6 births/month)