FAQs

Yes, we welcome doulas, photographers, and other members of your birth team. Please let us know in advance so we can make space for them to support you.

No, you do not have to give birth in the water unless you choose to. At Community Birth and Wellness, we have experience supporting a variety of birth preferences. It is entirely up to you. Our midwives are here to honor your preferences, whether you choose to give birth in your bed, on a birthing stool, or in another part of your home. Your comfort and autonomy during your birth experience are our priorities, so we’ll support you in whichever setting you feel is best for you.

Our midwives are trained to handle a variety of situations, including emergencies, though complications are rare. We come to each birth prepared with emergency equipment such as oxygen, medications to prevent excessive bleeding, and neonatal resuscitation supplies. If complications arise, such as prolonged labor or signs of fetal distress, we assess the situation carefully and recommend a hospital transfer if necessary.

If a transfer is required, your midwife will continue to support you to ensure a smooth and safe transition, and to ensure clear communication with the hospital staff. Even though transfers are rare, we prioritize your safety and are committed to a seamless handover of care if needed.

Yes. VBAC is an option for many Community Birth and Wellness clients depending on your individual history. We will review your surgical and prenatal records to ensure safety before confirming VBAC eligibility.

Yes, many of our clients choose waterbirth. There are many benefits for the birthing person, including increased endorphins, decreased pain and pressure, and less tearing. You can choose to labor in the bathtub, or we can supply a birth pool which is included in your cost of care. If you would like to use the birth pool, you will need to purchase a liner. Your midwife will make those arrangements with you ad discus how and when to set up the pool.

Yes, we have an insurance biller who can file with most insurance companies, sometimes this works as a reimbursement to you after the birth from your insurance, depending on the plan you have.

We prefer the payment plan arrives with you paid in full before you are in dates, 36 weeks, and the midwife is committed to being on call 24/7 for you.

We offer home birth services and births like home in a birthing cabin near our office.

In the rare event that a hospital transfer becomes necessary before or during labor, your midwife will accompany you to the hospital and continue providing support throughout that transfer and continue with postpartum appointments.

If you are healthy, free of major complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or placenta previa, you are likely a candidate. We recommend scheduling a consultation to discuss your individual situation.

Numerous studies have been done to determine the safety of out-of-hospital birth. All of these studies have shown that home or birth center birth with a skilled attendant are just as safe, and in some instances, safer than hospital birth for healthy, low-risk women.

In fact, the countries in the world with the best birth statistics are those in which midwives are the primary caregivers for pregnant women and the home birth rate is much higher than in the United States.

Of course, there are some situations in which the hospital is the best place for a woman to have her baby, and for these situations, we are grateful to have the hospital as an option. Part of what makes community birth safe is having a collaborative relationship with hospital-based providers to allow for a smooth transfer of care should acute care become necessary.

But the fact is, out-of-hospital birth is a safe alternative to hospital birth for the vast majority of pregnant people.

People often want all their children to be present. We require that you arrange for a care provider to be present for the sibling(s). It is important for the laboring person and their partner to be able to keep their attention focused. Sometimes people hire a local doula or have a friend or relative that comes to the birth to assist with the sibling(s). There are many close by BnB’s that can accommodate your family or friends, and to assist in coming and going that young children appreciate.

Most women do go a few days or a week past their due date. We can not do a home birth after 42 weeks. During your entire pregnancy Community Birth and Wellness will work with you to be the healthiest and best prepared.

You can come in labor, or come ahead of time to stay in a birth cabin on The Farm before you deliver.

While most of our clients live within a 100-mile radius of our community, we often work with clients who come from long distances.

This brings up the question of prenatal care. There are several options:

Receiving prenatal care from a physician or midwife in your area.

Tele-health appointments.

An in-person visit in the beginning and then the remaining appointments when you arrive here.

We will need copies of all your records, sonograms, and lab reports.

Many people find that midwifery care, water birth, and natural comfort measures meet their needs. We use position changes, massage, hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, and emotional support. If you decide you want medical pain relief, we will support you in transferring to a hospital.

Sorry. Our facilities are unable to accommodate pets.

We specialize in caring for healthy, low-risk people experiencing normal pregnancies. During your initial consultation, we’ll review your health history to make sure the services we provide are the right fit for you. If higher-risk concerns arise during your care, we’ll help connect you with collaborative providers or hospital-based care as needed.

Some items like food and snacks you can bring from home, where as the birth pool is provided, but you will need to purchase a pool liner and a birth kit, your midwife will explain this in more detail as the due date approaches.

We host an annual picnic that is both a ‘Meet-and-Greet’ and a reunion with clients, the first weekend in May. Additionally, please follow our Facebook and Instagram page for more events.

The Farm Community is open to visitors. For a self-guided tour, stop at the Welcome Center to get a map, or to schedule a guided tour contact the Welcome Center 931-964-3574.

Without a scheduled appointment, The Farm Midwives are unable to accommodate general visitors.

As always, to schedule an in-person prenatal consult with a midwife, please message us and if you wish, ask for a particular midwife.

Are you a traveling Midwife? Use the message section of the contact page to connect with us, and please include when you might be in Tennessee.

Each case is unique and ultimately will be discussed with your midwife. Generally, if you transfer out of care and change providers before 37 weeks, and we are not involved in your labor, delivery, and postpartum care, then we may be able to refund your balance paid minus the deposit(s) and minus the prenatal care appointments in person and tellahealth appointments already received.

Please visit our Contact page and fill in the form.

After your initial comprehensive appointment, which typically lasts an hour, you’ll have monthly check-ins until 28 weeks. These appointments are designed to discuss your health, baby’s development, and any lifestyle factors like nutrition, sleep, or stress that might affect your pregnancy.

From 28 to 36 weeks, your visits become more frequent, happening every two weeks. This is the stage when we do more in-depth monitoring of both you and your baby, ensuring everything is progressing smoothly. At 36 weeks, we conduct a home visit if you are having a homebirth, or tour the birth cabin if you are traveling here for your birth. We will go over the items in the birth kit and the logistics of the birth pool in your home. After this point, visits are weekly until your baby is born, giving us the chance to continue addressing any concerns, and answer questions to prepare for labor and postpartum.

In addition to these scheduled appointments, you have 24/7 access to your midwife via phone, or text if any concerns arise between visits. Non-emergency questions should be between 9am and 5pm. If your midwife is at a birth or in an appointment she will return your call as soon as possible, please be understanding, we do not have a receptionist. if you call and do not get through: please always leave a message, or send a follow up text.

After 37 weeks your midwife is on call for you 24/7. However, Non-emergency questions should be between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday. If your midwife is at a birth or in an appointment she will return your call as soon as possible, please be understanding, we do not have a receptionist. if you call and do not get through: please always leave a message, or send a follow up text.

During the drive to some of our home visits, occasionally the cell coverage is spotty and the calls drop in and out. If you send a follow up text this will arrive after wifi is reestablished.

Tennessee Midwives  Association (TMA) practice guidelines state a “post-maturity pregnancy (>42 completed weeks) require physician consultation and mayrequire physician referral and/or transfer of care.”
If you go past 42 weeks, we will facilitate and be present with you, if you choose one of our local hospitals. Collaborative care can continue for your post-partum.

Some people choose to continue to the birth house or BNB that they rented and and the midwife and team assist with the routine postpartum care, including the new born exam. Some people have planned to stay a few days or weeks after the birth and receive postpartum care and enjoy a ‘baby-moon.’ (like a second honeymoon)

You have many options, we can help arrange a provider near you who offers ultrasound services. We can arrange in home or in the office ultrasounds. Many of our clients obtain at least one anatomy scan, and you are welcome to have additional ultrasounds if desired.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we kindly ask that you let us know quickly so we can adjust our schedule accordingly. This ensures that we can accommodate other clients who may be waiting for an appointment.

If you do need to cancel or reschedule, simply contact us by phone, or text, and we’ll be happy to work with you to find a new appointment time.

We offer a variety of tests to ensure both you and your baby are healthy throughout your pregnancy.

If you have commercial insurance, any labs draw can be submitted to them. All blood draws can done at our office or we can arrange a local option. In addition to the routine tests listed below, we can tailor your care based on your individual needs and preferences, adding or omitting tests as appropriate.

Here’s an overview of the standard testing schedule:

All Appointments:
We conduct a simple urine test to monitor for signs of any issues like a urinary tract infection or protein in your urine. 

First Prenatal Appointment:
During this visit, we perform routine blood work to check for blood type, Rh factor, iron levels, and screen for infections or potential complications like gestational diabetes. We also conduct a urine test to monitor for signs of any issues like a urinary tract infection or protein in your urine. We also offer the SneakPeek Test: an early blood test that tells expectant parents the sex of their baby as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy.

20 Weeks: Ultrasound:
At around 20 weeks, an ultrasound can check your baby’s development, and evaluates the position of the placenta. A 20-week ultrasound is the ideal time for an anatomy scan because the baby’s organs and internal structures; including the four chambers of the heart, the brain, kidneys, stomach, and spine—are fully formed and large enough to evaluate. Standardized measurements like head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length, follow a predictable baseline across pregnancies at this specific stage.It’s also an opportunity for you to find out your baby’s gender if you wish. This test can often be submitted through insurance as well.

28 Weeks: Glucose Test and Iron Levels:
We offer a glucose screening to check for gestational diabetes. We offer Glucola or the “Fresh Test,” which is an organic alternative with a minty lemonade flavor. We also recheck your iron levels to ensure you’re not anemic and address any deficiencies before birth.

36 Weeks: Group B Strep
This swab screens pregnant women for bacteria called Group B Strep that can be passed to a baby during birth.

While good prenatal care will identify or eliminate most complications during the pregnancy, there is always a possibility that a complication may arise during labor. For this reason, midwives are trained in handling emergency situations. Sometimes transfer is appropriate. If it should arise, the midwife accompanies the client and her family prenatally or in labor to the hospital to provide support and facilitate a smooth transfer of care.

The vast majority (98%) of transports in labor are for non-emergency reasons and transfer is done by private car to the hospital. In the case of a true emergency, transfer might be by ambulance to the nearest hospital with an obstetrical unit. An emergency care plan is completed by the 36th week of pregnancy to outline the plan for each client.

Yes. We offer a breastfeeding class every few months so you can take a class prenatally in preparation and meet our IBCLC before your baby is born. the class is available in person or virtually. We encourage families who traveled to stay for several days after birth, so we can provide assistance and line up appointment(s) with our IBCLC if needed. We also offer follow-up visits via telehealth when you return home. Additionally, we encourage you to establish local support for breastfeeding and newborn care, and we’re happy to collaborate with your providers.

Yes, midwives provide complete newborn assessments, newborn screenings (such as hearing tests and metabolic screens), and assist with cord care and breastfeeding in the early postpartum. We also file the birth certificate and Social Security paperwork.

We like for people to stay at least 48 hours, however, longer is even better. If you have a great distance to go to get back home, then you should stay a week or more to allow time for healing and establish breastfeeding. Every client is unique, and we will work on an individual plan based on your needs.

At Community Birth and Wellness, thorough postpartum care is essential. After your baby is born, our focus is on ensuring that you and your baby are healthy and well-supported as you transition into this new chapter.

• Immediate Postpartum : We stay with you for about 3–4 hours after the birth to monitor both you and your baby. This includes ensuring you are recovering well, monitoring your baby’s vitals, and assisting with the first breastfeeding session if needed. We also take care of cleanup, including the birth area, draining the tub (if you had a water birth), and your first trip to the bathroom.
• The first day Postpartum: We return to your home within 24 to 36 hours after the birth for a follow-up visit. During this time, check your baby’s heart and respiration rate, note first urine or bowl, called meconium, if it did not already occur at the birth, and assess your physical recovery. We also help with breastfeeding, ensuring a good latch and answering any questions you have about feeding.
• 1–2 Weeks Postpartum: At one to two weeks postpartum, we conduct another home visit to continue supporting your recovery and addressing any postpartum challenges, including breastfeeding and emotional well-being.
• 6-Week Postpartum Visit: Six weeks is a final postpartum appointment in our office or virtually, where we wrap up your care. This is an opportunity to check your physical recovery, discuss contraception if desired, and ensure you are feeling well both physically and emotionally.
• Beyond 6 weeks: to receive continued Matrescence Care: we recommend a consultation with Corina Fitch at Motherfly to explore the 9-month MotherFly program designed to empower you to leverage matrescence as a portal to your most powerful self. Whether you’re pregnant or well into your mothering, Corina can help you thrive so that motherhood can be the enrichment program that it was designed to be.

Throughout the postpartum period, Community Birth and Wellness is always available for phone or messaging support if you have any concerns.