COST & REQUIREMENTS

If this is your first time giving birth OR your first time giving birth without an epidural, this section is for you. 

 

Birth is a powerful experience and a true rite of initiation. Unmedicated birth tends to be hard. There is much we can’t control; preparation is something we can. The consistent presence of a trained doula and the preparation of childbirth classes are invaluable supports for unmedicated birth. We REQUIRE these components of care if this is your first unmedicated birth because, after many years of working with birthing families, we have found they increase the likelihood that you will birth at home. Costs for doula and childbirth classes are separate from the Desert Rain Midwifery fee.

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Doula Care

A doula is someone trained in providing social-emotional support during labor and birth. She serves as a reassuring presence throughout your experience. She can assist with positions and natural pain-coping methods, share information and suggestions, and help advocate for you. Doulas do not provide medical care. Research shows that doulas “improve birth outcomes and increase satisfaction with the birth experience” (ACNM Birth Doula Position Statement, 2022). For an evidence-based overview on the benefits of doulas, click here. In our experience, people who have a doula cope with labor more effectively and feel better about their experience regardless of where they birth.

 

The doula you hire MUST be trained as a birth doula and willing to join you at home BEFORE active labor. First-time labors often take a while, and a doula can be invaluable before it’s time for the midwife to arrive. Once the midwife arrives at your home, she will collaborate with the doula in recommending comfort measures, position changes, and supportive labor practices. Should a transfer to hospital be necessary, the doula remains with you. 

 

Medicaid covers doula care in full. See our Resources Page for more information about doulas in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. 

 

To find a doula covered by BCBS Turquoise, search Doula in the BCBS Turquoise Provider Directory  

OR 

Go to NM Doula Directory, select Search, under categories select Payment Options, and then select BCBS-Medicaid.

OR

Contact member services, phone number on the back of your BCBS Turquoise card.

 

To find a doula covered by Presbyterian Turquoise, go to NM Doula Directory, select Search, under categories select Payment Options, and then select Presbyterian-Medicaid.

OR

Contact member services, phone number on the back of your Presbyterian Turquoise card.

 

For commercial insurance clients, contact your insurance company to see if doula care is covered. If it is not, this will be an out-of-pocket fee. Costs vary widely based on the doula and package you select. 

 

Childbirth Classes

Having an idea of what labor can look like, what to expect with breastfeeding, and how to care for a newborn are critical components of shared responsibility and safe homebirth care. If this is your first baby, you will learn about the stages of labor, warning signs, when to call the midwife, and consider (and hopefully practice!) natural pain-coping methods. You may also learn what to expect if transfer to hospital is needed. If you have birthed before with an epidural, then you may already have an idea of what labor can look like; classes are an opportunity to refresh your knowledge and focus on coping without medication. While no childbirth class can replicate the intensity of labor, classes can help build a pain-coping mindset that can really help the day your baby decides to make their entrance. 

 

Childbirth class fees vary in price based on class size, number of meetings, and whether the class is held in person or remotely. See our Resources Page for more information about local and remote childbirth education options.