[ascrunchyasimable]

Hi! We recently moved to the Chicago area and almost immediately got preggers. It'll be our fourth, and I'm pretty set on homebirthing (finally!), as we usually get to the hospital and have the baby within 20 minutes of our arrival and then check out at 24 hours.

We're all the way out in Cary right now, but are househunting in Elmhurst/Wheaton/Naperville since my DH works in Oak Brook.

The problem is, we're waiting for our house to sell back home, so we don't have a set time period for when we're going to move. So, very worst case scenario, we might still be here in Cary when the baby is due (Nov), or more likely we'll be somewhere else. I was looking at Homefirst because they have an office about 25 minutes from me here, and then one in Naperville as well. I've read through Homefirst's website, and it all sounds good, but there seems to be some possible dissent with that IRL?

Does anyone know of someone (preferably CNM or MD) who would be willing to work with me on this?

Also, if you have any reviews that you'd like to share of the providers available, please, please, please feel free to PM me!!!!

Thank you so much!

 

[Natsuki]

I'd call Debbie Boucher - www.yourbirth.com and Hillary Kaiser (don't know her website - search homebirth or her name on the forum and it will come up).

 

[Romana]

I had a good experience with a midwife practicing in Chicago - Jennifer Gagnon. This is her website: http://awomansplacechicago.com/ Your location may not make it possible for her, but I just wanted to give you the info.

Also, this website: http://www.birthlink.com/ is helpful for finding birth-related providers.

 

[Natsuki]

Here's the specific homebirth page with all area providers: http://www.birthlink.com/directory/homebirth.html

(note: they do not list area DEM's or CPM's though they are out there too - so if that is what you'd like you'll need to dig deeper)

 

[pokeyrin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natsuki I'd call Debbie Boucher - www.yourbirth.com and Hillary Kaiser (don't know her website - search homebirth or her name on the forum and it will come up).

Give Debbie Boucher a call, she's wonderful to work with. I homebirthed with her last September. Though she is in Libertyville, I know she does travel to certain areas and has assistants as well.

 

[deymm]

In IL, only MDs and CNMs are legal to attend homebirths.

HomeFirst is kind of its own culture. I took DS there a few times for well baby checks and was not impressed. I personally would not feel comfortable birthing with them.

I am currently seeing the gals at A Woman's Place for my pregnancy and they are fantastic. Cary is quite a haul (you'll drive to their office in the city for prenatal appts), but you can call and ask if they'd be willing to attend your birth.

I have no experience with Debbie or Hilary and there is one other midwife in the city whose name I am blanking on at the moment.

Otherwise, you can ask around about underground DEMs.

 

[ascrunchyasimable]

Yeah, we're pretty far out from the city. That's actually what worries me most about starting with a midwife out here and then moving. My third labor lasted less than two hours from first contraction to nursing my brand new LO. My midwives were a little over an hour away at a birthing center attached to a hospital, and we baaaaaaaaaaaaaaarely made it there.

I guess that's why I keep thinking that Homefirst might be my best option, just because they have an office near me here, and one in Naperville, which is around where we move, so I won't be up a creek without a paddle when/if we move. I'm just worried that there's info out there about why I do *not* want to use Homefirst and I can't find it.

 

[ascrunchyasimable]

A Woman's Place looks so great, but they're really, really far away. DH looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested it. He lived here for several years before we were married, and said that with traffic around O'Hare being what it is, and us being in the Northwest burbs that he was pretty sure he'd end up catching the baby if we're still in Cary come November.

I went ahead and made an information appointment with Homefirst, so we'll see how that goes.

I hate that we don't know where we'll be, and that there are so few midwives here that they fill up so quickly (but there are actually more here than where we were just living, so I guess I should be thankful). I guess once our housing situation gets figured out, I can call around and see who is near us and still has an opening.

Thanks so much for all the recs!

 

[Natsuki]

Here are the two reasons I chose not to birth with Homefirst (we used them as DS's ped for awhile and I know others who have birthed with them):

1. The $2,000 concierge fee. This is in addition to their regular medical stuff billed to insurance - insurance does not cover this fee, it is out-of-pocket and no other homebirth provider charges it.

2. According to my understanding, you don't know which doctor/midwife you'll get attending your birth b/c it's an 'on-call' situation - whoever is the one on-call for birth at the time is the one who will come. In addition, many of the homebirth dr.'s are male and I personally wanted a midwife to deliver me and not a male OB (though right now I'd be fine with either, at the time I was choosing having a woman was important to me).

Homefirst is a reputable, qualified, competent homebirth provider. I do not have any criticism about their handling of birth from a safety standpoint. It's just the $$$ fee and the multiple dr.s/male dr.'s things that made me not want to go with them.

 

[SuzieQ552]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natsuki (note: they do not list area DEM's or CPM's though they are out there too - so if that is what you'd like you'll need to dig deeper)

I used a DEM in Lake County for my HBA2C and she was great!

pm me if you want her contact info.

 

[earcher]

I've met Hilary and I love her! Here is her website - I don't know that's she'll come to Cary.

I'm a doula in Huntley who's had my three girls at home. If you'd like to chat let me know.