Home Birth during COVID-19 Crisis
Donation protected
As hospitals around the nation are transformed into coronavirus battlegrounds, many expectant mothers are deciding it's safer to give birth at home. Families in the final months of their pregnancies have been affected deeply by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are shifting to home births to lower the risks associated with entering a hospital in this pandemic. We are asking for your financial support in helping families in the Orange County area as they navigate this unprecedented situation.
My sister, Gilliam and her husband Nathan, are among those who have decided to switch to homebirth with a licensed midwife for the birth of their third child in July 2020. Having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014, and then shortly after experiencing birth related trauma with her first child in 2015, Gilliam has been forced to spend most of her savings on unplanned medical expenses. In order to minimize the financial burden of birth this time around, Gilliam and Nathan’s plan was a midwife-attended birthing center housed within a major hospital the cost of which would have been covered by their insurance. Since this birth center is sealed from the rest of the hospital, it was recently re-designated as a COVID birthing area leaving Gilliam no choice but to enter the hospital through the Emergency Room during labor. Their doula, who they partnered with in January 2020, will no longer be permitted to be present during the birth.
After identifying a midwife who offers home birth services, they decided to shift their birth plan to happen at home. The advantages of a home birth during this crisis are many:
-Midwife is able to provide pre- and post- natal care in their home, lessening the number of times they will have to enter a medical facility for the remainder of Gilliam’s pregnancy.
-Lessening pressure on a hospital system that is being stretched to capacity.
-Avoiding having a mother who has just given birth and a newborn in the hospital setting, as both are considered "high risk" for Coronavirus.
-Avoiding the uncertainty that currently surrounds in-hospital labor care, particularly the ability of a partner/spouse to be present for labor support under evolving no-visitor policies.
These advantages are why in March 2020, Blue Cross announced they will be covering home births during the COVID-19 crisis, but unfortunately only for federal employees. We hope they and other insurances will recognize that all pregnant women deserve this option. In the meantime, we will help.
The funds raised by this GoFundMe will go directly to paying midwife expenses associated with a home birth, including (but not limited to): newborn heel poke kit, a birth kit for safe and sterile materials, and any other emergency services. In the rare case of complications that require they move to a hospital after labor has begun, the midwife has hospital privileges and will be permitted to accompany Gilliam throughout the entire process. In other words, this shift will guarantee Gilliam will not have to labor and advocate for herself alone.
Any additional funds raised, will be passed on to the many other families in the Orange County area with the same need.
My sister, Gilliam and her husband Nathan, are among those who have decided to switch to homebirth with a licensed midwife for the birth of their third child in July 2020. Having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014, and then shortly after experiencing birth related trauma with her first child in 2015, Gilliam has been forced to spend most of her savings on unplanned medical expenses. In order to minimize the financial burden of birth this time around, Gilliam and Nathan’s plan was a midwife-attended birthing center housed within a major hospital the cost of which would have been covered by their insurance. Since this birth center is sealed from the rest of the hospital, it was recently re-designated as a COVID birthing area leaving Gilliam no choice but to enter the hospital through the Emergency Room during labor. Their doula, who they partnered with in January 2020, will no longer be permitted to be present during the birth.
After identifying a midwife who offers home birth services, they decided to shift their birth plan to happen at home. The advantages of a home birth during this crisis are many:
-Midwife is able to provide pre- and post- natal care in their home, lessening the number of times they will have to enter a medical facility for the remainder of Gilliam’s pregnancy.
-Lessening pressure on a hospital system that is being stretched to capacity.
-Avoiding having a mother who has just given birth and a newborn in the hospital setting, as both are considered "high risk" for Coronavirus.
-Avoiding the uncertainty that currently surrounds in-hospital labor care, particularly the ability of a partner/spouse to be present for labor support under evolving no-visitor policies.
These advantages are why in March 2020, Blue Cross announced they will be covering home births during the COVID-19 crisis, but unfortunately only for federal employees. We hope they and other insurances will recognize that all pregnant women deserve this option. In the meantime, we will help.
The funds raised by this GoFundMe will go directly to paying midwife expenses associated with a home birth, including (but not limited to): newborn heel poke kit, a birth kit for safe and sterile materials, and any other emergency services. In the rare case of complications that require they move to a hospital after labor has begun, the midwife has hospital privileges and will be permitted to accompany Gilliam throughout the entire process. In other words, this shift will guarantee Gilliam will not have to labor and advocate for herself alone.
Any additional funds raised, will be passed on to the many other families in the Orange County area with the same need.
Organizer and beneficiary
Olivia Jones
Organizer
Irvine, CA
Gilliam Buckley
Beneficiary