Help me find homebirth info for Ohio! - Page 2

[half-pigeon]

I am also interested in finding a midwife for a homebirth. I am also looking for suggestions for a CNM if I end up going the hospital route. Anyone have any suggestions for the Cleveland area?

[NicswifeSarah]

Originally Posted by half-pigeon

Anyone have any suggestions for the Cleveland area?

Yes!

Pam Kolanz, her email can be found here: http://www.icanofgreatercleveland.org/node/12

and Kimberly French, who is at the Homebirth Option of Cleveland

my Midwife is south of Cleveland in the Portage Lakes area, i LOVE her. let me know if you're interested in her or someone else a little south of Cleveland.

you can also talk to Pam about going to this awesome hospital with CNMs, i think its called wadsworth/rittman. it wasn't an option for me because i live in Canton.

i hope this helps you out!

[half-pigeon]

Thanks for the info. Pam had been suggested to me already and I sent her an e-mail today. It is good to hear that multiple people recommend her. Does your midwife travel to Cuyahoga county?

[NicswifeSarah]

Half pigeon, i PMed you!

[swissmiss2584]

I know there are large Amish communities in Ohio and as far as I know they still have home births. Maybe you can find an Amish midwife to assist your home birth. Just a thought.

[jaxxy]

Originally Posted by swissmiss2584

I know there are large Amish communities in Ohio and as far as I know they still have home births. Maybe you can find an Amish midwife to assist your home birth. Just a thought.

Sadly, a good many of them go to the hospital these days too!! (Many still stay home too though)

[Comtessa]

This has been SUCH a helpful thread, thanks for posting it. I've been in touch with a couple of CPM's in Cleveland but would like to know who else is out there. It's been a frustrating journey trying to find supportive people - and every naysayer we run into (including my exasperating nurse-practitioner MIL!) only solidifies my DP's quiet opposition to the entire idea of homebirthing. I could use some contact with people who can address his concerns while also making me feel like I'm not schizophrenic.

I'm on Medicaid and I doubt they'll cover any costs for anyone but a CNM or OB who's considered "in network" for my care plan. I think it would make my DP more comfortable if we could meet with a "medical professional" who will tell us a homebirth was a safe idea for us. Not that I give a hoot for what the Professionals tell me - I'm smart enough to do my own research, thankyouverymuch - but he's a big fan of Experts and in his book, I don't count (and neither does my research).

So, here's my question: does anyone know any OB's or CNM's *at all* in the Cleveland area who are supportive of homebirth (even if they won't attend HB's themselves)? And then the second question is: has anyone had a HB with a Northeast Ohio midwife? Would you strongly recommend your midwife? Would you be willing to PM or call me with contact information for her?

AND, this might be a long shot, but... has anyone had a homebirth and had Medicaid cover any of the costs???

*Sigh* Feeling SO close to giving up on this idea... just so much opposition at every turn...

[NicswifeSarah]

Hi Comtessa!
its so nice to see all these girls from NE Ohio!
as far as i know, no insurances in our area will cover any part of homebirth, but it couldn't hurt to call them up and ask some hard questions!

have you seen The Business of Being Born? you should get it from your library, that might help your DP, because it has medical professionals in it who support HB, but *most* medical professionals in our area frown on birthing at home... you could try contacting Pam Kolanz, she's based in Cleveland, and she knows people.... so she may know a med. prof. you could speak to. also Kimberly French heads up the Home Birth Option of Cleveland, and they have monthly meetings. you could meet someone there to help hook you up with someone.
just google her name and "home birth option of cleveland" and you'll find her info.

this is my first home birth, so i don't have the "experience", but someone opened up all this info to me, so if i can help you further i'd love to pass along more of what, and who i know. my MW is in Akron, and i know another 1 in Akron, those two above mentioned ladies are the only ones i've met/ heard of in Cleveland with a lot of experience.

good luck to you!

[womenswisdom]

Hi there! For those in Cincy seeking a homebirth midwife, you might want to join the cincinnati homebirth yahoo group. We have monthly homebirth circle meetings in Norwood. You can meet other mamas who have had or are planning a homebirth and find contact info for the few midwives in the area. PM me if you want more info!

[heartland midwife]

help me find homebirth info for ohio

greetings to all. how lovely to see the appreciation for birth at home !

In most all neck of the woods here in Ohio, a midwife can be found : ) Asking at your nearest health food store and checking for posts on bulletin boards, inquiring at farmers markets or among homeschool groups usually brings success locating the midwives.

The good news: there's plenty of evidence that Ohio midwifery is alive and well ! Columbus has a group practice whom have carried advertisement in the Cols. yellow pages for a long time. Many OH midwives interact directly & readily with the local registrars at their county health depts. (as midwives cross county-lines...that was meant to state plural contacts). Also, many OH midwives fill out and sign birth certificates, as the State of Ohio Dept. of Health recognizes both the CPM and "lay midwife" in language. Further, a low court provided direct oversight (for three year period) to Freida Miller's midwifery practice as this was part of her plea bargain arrangement for attempted practice of medicine conviction (possession of a dangerous drug, etc.). ~ How does a court mandate the state regulate an illegal activity ? Ah, well, it was a low court.

owlam.org will provide an understanding of Ohio.

Ohio midwives do not enjoy _legal protection_ by state statute (the state does not offer that), nor do they suffer with state statutes that prohibit midwifery. The Ohio Direct Entry Midwifery Study Council's majority recommendations (this was a formal legislative study council) were for the legislature to clear up any ambiguities in law that MAY exist.

If one makes an effort to discover how the great majority of the state's CNMs fare in actual practice ability (remember they have master's degrees,etc., hoops jumped), then there might be a real appeciation for the lowly state of the independent midwife in Ohio ! Homebirth midwifery is alive and well in this state, with some areas covered by practices that are 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years old.

~~ wishing you each wonderful and sweet childbearing (pregnancy, labor/birth/postpartum) experiences here in Ohio ~~

[NicswifeSarah]

this link - http://www.safebirthohio.org/ gives us a clear understanding of whats going on for us regarding midwifery laws here in ohio. also, ways to support our midwives!

[dkcdac]

CNM in Cleveland and other stuff

Comtessa
We are currently on Medicaid (we use CareSource) and I have been able to go back to the CNM who took care of me in past pregnancies. Her name is Nicki Pearce and she is with the Cleveland Clinic. She is as hands off as you want her to be for the most part (she didn't make me take the glucose test, but did ask that I eat a certain meal and get my blood tested in office just to have something to write on my chart) and fully supports the fact that I am going to be delivering at home with someone other then her. All she asked was that I call and let them know when the baby arrives so they aren't left wondering.

As far as at home is concerned, Kim French has been mentioned by others and this will be my third birth with her. She is a very good midwife and cares about your birthing experience.

Hope this helps, and good to meet a fellow Clevelander who likes homebirthing!

Kate