Yes! We welcome anyone to come learn about and visit our birth center during one of our scheduled group Orientation and Tours. It is important that clients feel our model of care is a good fit for them, so people considering coming to Beginnings Birth Center for pregnancy care are required to attend an orientation before scheduling their first appointment. Click here if you would like to schedule a free orientation and tour of the birth center.
Some conditions/situations that are risk factors and make a client an inappropriate candidate for birth center birth include the following (this is not considered an exclusive list, other conditions/situations may occur that require transfer of care).
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Multiple gestation (twins, triplets, etc.)
- Preterm labor prior to 36.4 weeks with cervical change
- Post Term Pregnancy: pregnancy beyond 42.0 weeks
- Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
- Polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios
- Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD)
- Incompetent cervix
- Placental complications including but not limited to placenta previa or placental abruption.
- Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Prior to Onset of labor (PPROM).
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes requiring management with oral medication or insulin.
- Anemia unresponsive to treatment: hemoglobin levels below 9 despite iron therapy during the 3rd trimester
- Syphilis (primary)
- HIV Positive
- Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
- Conditions that require blood thinning medication be given throughout pregnancy (with the exception of low-dose aspirin in certain situations)
- Preeclampsia with or without severe features
- Gestational hypertension
It is our experience that doula support makes a significant difference toward having a successful natural birth experience. In births where a trained professional doula was present there is a:
31% decrease in pitocin use (if pitocin is needed, a transfer out of birth center care is required)
28% decrease in risk of c-section birth (if a c-section birth is needed, a transfer out of birth center care is required)
12% increase in likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth (which means staying at the birth center)
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief (which means staying at the birth center)
14% decrease in the risk of the newborn being admitted to special care nursery (which means mom and baby stay together at the birth center)
34% decrease in risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
This is why we require doulas especially for our first time parents and for those having their first VBAC, and why we strongly encourage having a doula for all our clients.
We are equipped with medication and equipment to manage complications or emergent situations for mother and baby. Often we will be able to manage those entirely here at the birth center, or if not, we have access to emergency services to get you to the care you need at the hospital two miles away – UCHealth Memorial North. If we go to the hospital during labor, a birth center midwife or nurse will go with you to get you settled. Once a plan is in place with the provider at the hospital, we fully transfer care to the OB hospitalist on call. We can resume postpartum care as appropriate and as you desire for you and/or the baby after discharge from the hospital.
Most of our clients have insurance plans to help cover the costs of their care, so the amount that will be due by each client depends on their specific plan coverage and their deductible/co-insurance/co-pay amounts. So, the answer to this is very individualized. Fortunately, Beginnings Birth Center’s billing staff is happy to help clients estimate what they can expect for out-of-pocket costs. The first thing we suggest is that you call the number on the back of your insurance card and find out if your insurance covers birth center and nurse-midwifery (CNM) care. You can then Contact Us and request to pay a small fee for a Verification of Benefits and then we can provide an estimated out-of-pocket amount based on this information. We do strongly encourage you to consult with your health insurer to confirm accurate information about your coverage and benefits. We do work with sharing plans, and for clients not working with insurance or sharing plans, we offer a pre-paid discount package option. All clients are set up on a payment plan for their estimated out-of-pocket cost to be paid in full by 36 weeks. Please contact us if you have other questions or would like to start this process.
Yes! As a courtesy to our clients, in most cases we will send billing for your care to the company you contracted for health care services. We have worked very hard to get contracts with most major plans, including Kaiser Permanente, Tricare Select (Tricare Prime with referral only), CHP+, Colorado Medicaid, United Healthcare, Cigna, Anthem BCBS, Bright Health, and Christian Care Medishare. We are considered in-network with *most* of the plans within each of these companies. We have also worked with clients with sharing plans such as Liberty HealthShare, Samaritan Ministries, Christian Care Ministries, and Altrua HealthShare. Aetna, and Humana, remain out of network. Out-of-network benefits with Aetna still result in lower out of pocket costs here at the birth center versus in-network OB/Hospital care. The best way to find out if YOUR plan covers care at the birth center is to call the number on the back of your insurance card and find out if your insurance covers birth center and nurse-midwifery (CNM) care. You can then Contact Us and request to pay a small fee for a Verification of Benefits and then we can provide an estimated out-of-pocket amount based on this information. We do strongly encourage you to consult with your health insurer to confirm accurate information about your coverage and benefits.
We want to thank all our clients for their understanding as we continue to make changes through the COVID-19 situation.
We are happy to say that we have returned to operations as normal, and welcome our clients into the center.
Thanks so much for your cooperation. We have been able to continue to provide birth center care and birth through the pandemic because of the understanding and cooperation of our clients. Please continue to be conscientious of updated recommendations in order to help prevent needing more restrictions again. Thank you for helping us keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible!
Please click here for our current Privacy Policies & Terms and Conditions
We are able to accept VBAC clients who have had one previous cesarean birth with a low transverse incision who are also otherwise candidates for birth center care. We do require our clients to sign a VBAC consent form and have an ultrasound that demonstrates placenta is not anterior and low lying (which could indicate it could be over the scar from the previous surgery).
The Birth Center is fully equipped with most everything you would have in your bedroom at home but tailored specifically for medication-free birth. You will be able to use the built-in labor/birthing tub, birth balls, support sling, birth stools, private bathroom with shower, adjustable beds, adjustable lighting, Bluetooth speaker, heated towel racks, essential oil diffuser, and other equipment meant to help aid in the delivery process.
Items you’ll want to consider bringing from home include: swim top for mom & swim suit for partner, a nursing bra or tank, hair ties and a headband, a toiletry bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, makeup remover, and lotion; a change of clothes for mom & partner for going home, healthy snacks and drinks, a great playlist, your preferred essential oils for massage/diffusing, your phone & charger, baby’s coming home outfit, a swaddle blanket, newborn scratch mittens, and your infant car seat installed. We discuss what is provided at the birth center and what to plan to have at home more in the Birth & Postpartum Prep class that all families take at the birth center.
The U.S. is unique from other countries in that it offers a variety of routes for becoming a midwife.
While the primary certifying organizations for midwives are nationwide, each state sets their own
regulations. This means there is a LOT of variety between midwives with different certifications in
different states.
Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are licensed and trained as Registered Nurses and Midwives. The entry-
level education required is a Master’s Degree in Nursing. CNMs can practice in all states, can prescribe
and administer medications in all states, can attend births in all settings (home, birth center, or
hospital), and can provide care from puberty through menopause. CNMs are licensed Advanced Practice
Nurses in Colorado, the same as any other nurse practitioner. Being licensed and carrying malpractice
insurance allow us to be contracted with insurance companies.
Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) are trained in midwifery only. Someone can become a CPM
without going to a school by completing an apprenticeship and undergoing the PEP (Portfolio Evaluation
Process). If schooling is part of the process, the school may or may not be accredited. Non-accredited
schooling requires PEP as well. The minimum education for a CPM is a high school diploma or GED.
CPMs can practice in some states, but some states will not recognize CPMs. In Colorado, the state has a
process for registering CPMs and by registering they agree to follow certain rules about their practice;
CPMs are not licensed in Colorado and don’t carry malpractice insurance. CPMs in Colorado can attend
home birth but not birth center or hospital births. In addition, CPMs cannot write prescriptions or
administer certain medications, and the care they can give is limited to pregnant, birthing, and post-partum women.
Yes, but we do recommend that you bring something besides food along to keep them happy and occupied because your visits with the birth center can range from 25-90 minutes.