THEIR LIVES HAVE BEEN UPENDED. % TEACHERS, THEY NEED TO BE WITH %
THE STUDENTS EVERYTHING THAT I.
>> Reporter: THE STAKES ARE
HIGH. %
HIGH. % >> IT IS LIFE-AND-DEATH.
>>> THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF %
PEDIATRICS HAS ISSUED UPDATED %
SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR %
HOMEBIRTH. %
HOMEBIRTH. % IT SAYS HOSPITALS AND %
ACCREDITED BIRTH CENTERS REMAIN
THE SAFEST SETTINGS IN THE %
U.S., EVEN AMID THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC. %
PANDEMIC. % MIDWIVES HAVE SEEN A THIRD OF
EXPECTANT MOTHERS INTERESTED IN
HOME BIRTHS OVER HOSPITALS %
DURING THE PANDEMIC. %
TWO MOTHERS SHARED THEIR %
STORIES WITH US. %
>> I FELT LIKE MY BIRTH PLAN
WAS RIPPED OUT RIGHT FROM %
UNDERNEATH ME. %
I AM STILL PREGNANT. %
I AM NERVOUS, IT ALSO WONDERING
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND %
LOOKING TO FIND NEW OPTIONS %
VERY QUICKLY. %
>> LABOR PRESENTS SO MANY
UNKNOWNS. %
UNKNOWNS. % WE HAVE A HUGE, BIGGER UNKNOWN
ON TOP OF THAT. %
I DON’T KNOW IF I HAVE BEEN %
ABLE TO PROCESS ANY OF IT. %
>>> THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY %
STRESSFUL TIME FOR EVERYBODY.
WE ARE PRACTICING IN A WAY THAT
IS NOT TYPICAL FOR US.
>> AS WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT
HOSPITAL CHANGES AND ALL THAT %
STUFF, WE STARTED LOOKING INTO %
HOMEBIRTH A LITTLE BIT MORE. %
I LOOK TO MY COUSIN FOR SUPPORT
FOR THE NATURAL BIRTH THAT I %
WAS LOOKING FOR.
THE CORONAVIRUS REALLY STARTED %
TO UNRAVEL BACK WHEN OUR PLAN %
STARTED TO CHANGE. %
I WOULD SAY AROUND 39 WEEKS %
PREGNANT, WHICH SOME HAVE THEIR
BABY BY THEN.
MY MIDWIFE CAME TO ME AND SAID %
OUR HOSPITAL HAS DECIDED TO
ALLOW ONLY YOUR LIFE PARTNER.
THAT BROKE MY HEART.
>> I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THIS %
FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. %
I HAVE DONE HOMEBIRTH AND
FREESTANDING BIRTH.
FREESTANDING BIRTH. IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, WE %
HAVE ABOUT DOUBLED OUR CLIENT %
LOAD FOR THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING
TO GIVE BIRTH IN THE NEXT SIX %
WEEKS OR SO. %
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE %
CALLING US TO SWITCH THEIR CARE
FROM A HOSPITAL ARE DUE TO A %
CONCERN OF BEING EXPOSED TO %
COVID-19 WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL.
>> IT HAS BEEN MULTILEVEL
ASSESSMENTS. AM I GOING TO BE
THE SAFEST?
THE SAFEST? WHEN I WAS NOT IN A PANDEMIC, %
THE SAFEST PLACE FELT LIKE A %
HOSPITAL. %
HOSPITAL. % ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE HOSPITAL %
WE WERE GOING TO BE DELIVERING
AT WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST
DRIVE-THROUGH COVID-19 TESTING %
SITES THAT GETS SET UP IN %
WESTERN WASHINGTON. %
THAT BECOMES A HIGHER RISK %
PLACE FOR ME TO WALK IN.
WE TRANSFERRED DELIVERY CARE %
PRETTY LATE IN THE GAME.
WE DON’T WANT TO BE SWITCHING %
CARE PROVIDERS IN YOUR THIRD %
TRIMESTER IF YOU CAN HELP IT. %
>> WE HAD TO MAKE A NUMBER OF %
CHANGES IN THE WAY THAT WE CAN %
PROVIDE CARE. %
PRENATAL CARE, WE MOVED A %
NUMBER OF OUR VISITS. %
>> I HAVE HAD TWO VIRTUAL
VISITS NOW.
VISITS NOW. I JUST HAD MY SECOND IN PERSON %
VISIT. %
VISIT. % I AM AT A POINT NOW WHERE I %
TYPICALLY WOULD BE BRINGING %
THEM IN FOR THE LAST FOUR %
WEEKS, EVERY WEEK DURING THE %
PREGNANCY. %
PREGNANCY. % BUT I WILL PROBABLY ONLY SEE %
THEM ONCE OR TWICE MORE BEFORE %
THE BABY COMES. %
>> WE ARE WEARING MASKS DURING %
OUR PRENATAL VISITS, AND GLOVES
JUST TO TAKE BLOOD PRESSURE. %
>> I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT %
ONE OF MY MIDWIFE’S LOOKS LIKE %
IN PERSON.
IN PERSON. THERE IS AN IMPERSONAL NATURE %
TO A. %
TO A. % >> WE HAVE TO ASSUME WE ARE %
CARRYING THE VIRUS. %
SO MANY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE ANY %
SYMPTOMS AT ALL. %
>> HAVING WOMEN COME INTO OUR %
HOME, WE HELP THEM AS BEST AS
THEY COULD. %
WHENEVER THEY COME HERE FOR A %
TEST, WE WASH HANDS UP TO THE %
ELBOWS AND EVERYTHING. %
WE TRY TO KEEP THINGS AS CLEAN
AS POSSIBLE AND PREPARE THIS %
ENVIRONMENT TO MAKE SURE IT IS %
CLEAN. %
CLEAN. % WE JUST TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE ARE CLEANING EVERYTHING.
WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH PHYSICAL %
CONTACT AT ALL BEFORE LABOR %
STARTS.
STARTS. YOUR BODY IS DESIGNED TO BIRTH
YOUR BABY.
YOUR BABY. SO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, BELIEVE
IN THE CAPABILITIES OF YOUR %
BODY.
BODY. >>> THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF %
PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS WOMEN
CONSIDERING HOMEBIRTH MEET ALL %
OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
THEY HAVE A LOW RISK PREGNANCY,
HAVE CERTIFIED PERSONNEL WHO %
WILL ATTEND THE BIRTH IN CASE %
OF A TRANSFER TO THE HOSPITAL, %
ENSURE THAT THE CARE FOR THE %