If you are ready to start your prenatal care with The Midwife Center, you are in the right place! If you'd like to learn more about prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care at The Midwife Center, please visit Pregnancy & Childbirth.
Our goal is to offer you high-quality, client-centered pregnancy and wellness care. To ensure a smooth entry into starting prenatal care with us, we ask that you take the steps below before your first prenatal appointment. If you've seen us for gynecological care or for a prior pregnancy, please follow these steps as well.
If you would like to transfer into care from another health care provider, please scroll down for some additional steps below.
1. Ensure that care at The Midwife Center is right for you
More than 80% of individuals are low-risk for complications for pregnancy and birth, so most people are good candidates for midwifery and birth center care. We ask that you take an active role in your care by working with The Midwife Center staff to keep healthy and low risk for your entire pregnancy and birth by:
- Attending all appointments
- Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet
- Continuing to exercise in preparation for birth and recovery
- Attending required classes as necessary
- Asking questions during prenatal visits
- Taking advantage of community resources
To learn more about receiving care at The Midwife Center, please click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions.
2. Schedule an orientation
If you are planning your first out-of-hospital birth or if you're unsure where you'd like to have your baby, please attend one of our required orientations. If you've attended orientation in the past you are welcome, but not required, to attend again. You can attend orientation via Zoom or in-person - view our class calendar for dates.
Please note that you are welcome to fill out our Start Prenatal Care Form (see step below) before attending orientation.
3. Fill out the Start Prenatal Care Form
Please fill out the Start Prenatal Care Form. It may take up to 2-3 business days for our staff to respond to your request to establish care. Please click the button below to fill out the form.
4. Fill out your health history
Once we receive your request to start prenatal care we will email you* with next steps, which include filling out your health history in our electronic health record. This information will help our providers prepare for your first appointment, so please be as detailed as possible. You must fill this out again even if you've received care at The Midwife Center before.
If you are transferring from another provider, please fill out a form releasing your records from them to us.
*Please call us at 412.321.6880 x211 if email is not the best form of communication for you.
5. Review and sign your financial estimate agreement
After we receive notification that your electronic health record is complete, we'll provide you with a financial estimate agreement. This estimate will include your out-of-pocket expenses based on your insurance plan's coverage for maternity care (prenatal and birth). We ask that all estimated out-of-pocket expenses be satisfied by the 32nd week of pregnancy. We will work with you to establish a payment plan if needed.
Click here to learn more about the insurance and payments we accept.
6. Scheduling your first appointment
Our Front Office staff will contact you within five business days after you've received your Financial Agreement to schedule your first appointment. We ask that you set aside at least one and a half hours for your first appointment.
If you are transferring from another practice, you must also do the following:
1. Provide your medical records for TMC to review
If you are 20 weeks pregnant or more, we must review medical records from your current provider before we can schedule your first prenatal appointment. This process can be lengthy at times. We recommend physically obtaining your records and bringing/faxing them to TMC as soon as possible.
Please fill out a form releasing your records from them to us.
2. If you're past 32 weeks pregnant
Because of the personal nature of our relationship with clients and the care we provide, we will accept a limited number of clients who are past 32 weeks pregnant after a screening process with the Clinical Director. Please complete the Start Prenatal Care Form and complete the release of records form to initiate this process.
If you have questions about our intake process, please contact us at intake@midwifecenter.org.
3. Please continue to go to your prenatal care with your current provider
And complete all needed ultrasounds and lab work. Regular prenatal care and necessary labs and ultrasounds are very important and will be considered as we look to accept families for transfer.
