Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Am I low risk? Do I qualify for the birth center?
A: At your initial prenatal visit, your midwife will thoroughly review your medical and pregnancy history to ensure that you are eligible for a birth at Auburn Birthing Center. At every following prenatal visit, your midwife will continue to track any pregnancy risk factors that may arise, in consultation with our medical director. We will advise you as soon as possible if birth at the center is not an option for you. In the vast majority of cases, if you “risk out” of the birthing center, we are able to attend you at DeKalb Health.
Q: Are appointments held at the birth center itself?
A: Appointments are held in our office space on the DeKalb Health Campus. This ensures greater privacy for clients in labor. Orientation sessions and childbirth classes are held at the birth center itself. However, these may be rescheduled if the birth center is in use.
Q: How do I establish care or talk with a midwife to learn more about the center?
A: Please feel free to call our office, Auburn OB-Gyn and Midwifery, at (260) 927-0035 and we will be happy to help you schedule an appointment with one of the midwives. When you call, please inform the scheduler as to whether you would like a full prenatal appointment, or a simple “meet and greet” appointment to learn more about the center and our practice. The difference is that “meet and greet” is conversation only, while a full prenatal appointment officially begins your prenatal care with us, and includes vital signs and assessment by the certified nurse-midwife.
Q: I’d like to see the center, how do I go about arranging a tour?
A: Since anyone who births at Auburn Birthing Center must see one of the providers at Auburn OB-Gyn and Midwifery for their prenatal care, we recommend that you first see one of our midwives to establish prenatal care or to learn more about our center. **Please note that this appointment would be in our office. We do not hold appointments at the center itself.** From there we can set up an individual tour, or find an orientation session (which includes a tour as part of the orientation to the birth center) that works for you and your partner.
Q: What is included in the facility fee for the birth center?
A: The facility fee for the birth center is analogous to a hospital fee for in-hospital birth. It covers your orientation class and tour, your childbirth classes at our center, direct care by your nurse-midwife and RN birth assistant during labor, birth, and recovery at the center, and your home visit by one of our RN birth assistants when the baby is about 3 days old.
Prenatal care is separate from the birth center fee and includes your initial checkup with your midwife and all follow up prenatal appointments.
Q. Does Auburn Birthing Center accept health insurance?
A: Auburn Birthing Center does bill insurance companies on behalf of our families. We are in network with several major plans, including PHP, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Sagamore, and Cigna. If we are not in network with your insurance, we can still bill them as out-of-network providers. To inquire about whether we are in network with your specific insurance company, you are welcome to call us at (260) 927-0035. The out-of-pocket amount that a family pays can vary widely due to insurance plans, deductibles, and co-pays. Once we have met you in our office, we are happy to have our office check benefits for you. For families who do not have health insurance, we offer cash-pay/prompt-pay discounts.
We are not able to accept Medicaid for birth center care at this time. However, if you have Medicaid coverage, we can see you for your prenatal care and attend you at Parkview DeKalb for your birth.
Q: I have already begun prenatal care with another provider. Can I still have my baby at the birth center?
A: Yes, we have had several clients begin care with a different provider and then transfer care to our practice once they know that their plan is to birth at Auburn Birthing Center. We strongly recommend transferring care no later than 32 weeks of pregnancy (the earlier, the better). This gives us time to thoroughly review your health history, to set up a financial plan with you, and to make sure that all requirements including orientation and childbirth classes are met in full.
After 36 weeks, it is almost too late to transfer unless you have a very uncomplicated health history, and you have the financial flexibility to pay the up front portion on short notice, and you have already had a childbirth class that meets our requirements. However, birthing with one of our midwives at DeKalb Health may still be an option for you.
Q: How long is a typical stay at the birth center?
A: A typical stay at Auburn Birthing Center is 4-6 hours after the baby is born.
Q: I want to read birth stories!
A: Click on “Our Babies” in the bar above to see our list of babies born at the center, and check out the “Birth Stories” category!
Have a question that you don’t see answered here? Send us an email!
Please allow up to 7 calendar days for us to respond, since with
labor and birth, our schedule can be unpredictable. You can contact us at
auburnbirthingcenter@gmail.com
