Frequently Asked Questions

Because you’ll always remember the sound of that first cry as your baby is born. You will cherish the first time you felt the tiny hand grasp your finger, the first time you nuzzled your baby’s velvety head and looked into her eyes. The birth of your child is an experience unlike any other and shouldn’t be rushed or unnecessarily clinical. At the Oaks House we value the human aspect of birth and know that you don’t have to sacrifice the special moments to have a safe birth.

Birth Centers have demonstrated superior safety for mothers and babies for over 25 years. Numerous studies have shown that a birth center birth is as safe as or safer than a hospital birth for low-risk women. As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (12-89), Birth Center care offers "a safe and acceptable alternative to hospital confinement for selected pregnant women, particularly those who have previously had children, and that such care leads to relatively fewer cesarean sections."

The focus of midwifery care is in the education, support, and protection of each woman (and family) as she makes her journey through pregnancy, labor, birth, and mothering her baby. When women are prepared, well-nurtured, calm, confident and well-supported, birth works better, breastfeeding works better, recovery is quicker and adjusting to the new family is easier. We believe in prevention of problems; catching the little things before they become big things.

Ask yourself questions about your beliefs about the human body and the process of birth. Are you a healthy person? Are you educated about your body and birth? Do you want to make decisions about your birth? Are you comfortable having control about decisions if you have a knowledgeable supportive professional to help educate you? Can you trust yourself to make the best decision for you and your baby if you are given enough information? If you answered yes to these questions, you owe it to yourself and your baby to visit us before you make your final decision regarding the location of your birth!

Of course! We have regular gatherings where you can tour the birth center, meet the midwife and learn about your birthing options. This is an excellent opportunity for you to get a feeling of how our personalities and philosophies blend together, pick your birthing suite and find out how to get started with your care. See the calendar for the next gathering.

LM stands for Licensed Midwife and CPM is Certified Professional Midwife. Lori Luyten, is both a California Licensed Midwife (LM) and nationally Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). She has been extensively trained in academics and hands-on training. The North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) is the national organization that registers midwives and Lori has met the strict standards set by NARM.

Most women schedule a first appointment between the 8th and 10th week of pregnancy. Statistics show that women who start early prenatal care have fewer complications and better outcomes. We can also hopefully help you get a grip on morning sickness.

Absolutely! We will help you make an easy transition. All you need to do to transfer your care is make an appointment with us and then get a copy of your medical records from your previous provider. It’s that simple.

We provide complete prenatal care as long as you remain low risk. If a situation arises requiring medical attention, we will refer you to one of several qualified physicians or you may visit a doctor of your choice. Most of our clients like to schedule one or two visits with our consulting OB to establish a relationship. This way, in the event of transport you have an OB to accept you into care.

Yes, as long as they have had regular prenatal care, have taken good care of themselves during the pregnancy, we feel they are good candidates for out-of-hospital birth and we have the availability.

We only do births for women who are expected to have a good, normal outcome for both mother and baby. By maintaining healthy lifestyles – eating right, exercising, avoiding harmful substances such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, artificial additives and pesticides most of our clients remain low-risk. Age and number of prior pregnancies are less important than your health status.

We cannot accept clients who conceived with IVF or have conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, HIV, hepatitis, heart disease, placenta previa (the placenta is over the cervix), or a medical problem with the baby (such as heart defect, etc) that will require special care. Conditions occurring during pregnancy such as anemia, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or baby in a breech position (bottom or feet first) could also cause you to ‘risk-out’ although these conditions can often be prevented or even reversed with proper prenatal care and/or nutrition. The focus of midwifery is to prevent problems from occurring, not just treat problems as they occur. Very few of our clients have required complete transfer of care due to risk factors. If you have a question about your “risk status”, please contact us.

Yes, we have lab privileges and can order any lab work or ultrasound that you may need. You will have the option of having all the same tests that are available with a physician with the exception of amniocentesis and genetic counseling which would need a physician referral.

Although we do not routinely order ultrasound we believe it can be a useful tool. Some women want ultrasound and when making an informed decision we respect their choice to do so. Midwives are not anti-technology; we believe in the appropriate use of technology and informed choice and consent. Ultrasound is done at the Oaks House through a mobile sonography company.

At the Oaks House we have an extensive lending library, with books, videos and DVD’s covering many topics, including pregnancy, labor and birth, nutrition, massage, breastfeeding, parenting, immunizations, circumcision, herbs and books for children.

Of course but many of the things you’d have to special request and negotiate at the hospital are routine care at the birth center. Our staff will take the time to help you understand all the choices available for a positive birthing experience. We do encourage clients to tell us how we can make their birth special and we have a birth choice worksheet that you can complete to help us remember your wishes.

You can share your birth with anyone that you choose. Some families choose to include their older children, supportive grandparents, other family and close friends. Many hire a professional labor doula to assist them. Others prefer a very quiet birth with only the father and the midwives. It’s your birth!

As a mother Lori encourages family-centered care. She adores children and relates to them throughout your prenatal care so they are familiar with her by the time you have your baby. We also have books and videos to help you prepare them to be at the birth if that’s your choice. It’s our experience that even small children do wonderfully at births. Children do need to have a familiar adult to supervise and care for them and should know that they can choose to leave if they want to. You may not want to have small children come to the Oaks House until you are close to birthing because labor can be, well, B-O-R-I-N-G.

We keep in telephone contact with you throughout your labor and help you decide the right time to come to the Oaks House. Most women typically arrive at the Oaks House at about 5-7 cm dilation. If you arrive and are found to be less than 4-5 cm, you will be encouraged to go home and continuing laboring in your own environment. Lori would be happy to discuss the physiological reasons this is beneficial to your labor.

Yes, we encourage eating and drinking. Your body is working hard and needs energy. Bring what you like; the Oaks House has a fully equipped kitchen for your use.
How do you monitor the baby during labor?

We use a handheld Doppler to listen to the baby’s heartbeat during labor. This is called intermittent auscultation. Research shows that listening intermittently is equally as effective as continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) in identifying problems during labor and delivery. In fact, studies show that intermittent auscultation results in lower rates of c-sections with the same neonatal outcomes.

Absolutely! The buoyancy, warmth and relaxation of the water are very helpful during labor. Many women relaxing in the tub go on to give birth there. Mothers and babies love it. Lori has advanced waterbirth training from Germany and has lectured about water birth at midwifery conferences, mother’s groups and chiropractic colleges. As a waterbirth mom herself, she’d be happy to discuss it more with you.

Although we are trained to cut episiotomies, we rarely do so. Our current episiotomy rate is less than 0.5%. Instead, we encourage gentle pushing as the baby is crowning and provide perineal support using warm compresses and oils during birth. This eases the passage of the babies head, thereby minimizing tears. If you do have a tear requiring sutures we will repair it using a local anesthetic.

Certainly not! Moving about during labor actually helps with your comfort level and improves the labor process. We encourage you to walk around and change positions, even to go outside for a breath of fresh air. The Oaks House is peaceful and secluded so you can easily enjoy a stroll outdoors.

As involved as he wants to be. Most fathers cut the cord and join with the mother in announcing the sex of the baby to everyone else at the birth. Some fathers even want to be in the tub during the birth and help "catch" their babies. Others just want to be present. We support your choices.

No, we do not have any narcotic drugs or anesthesiologists at the Oaks House. But we do have something that helps most moms not even think about needing pain meds – the loving support of midwives, the freedom to labor at your pace as well as a comfortable place that has become familiar during your pregnancy. Since research shows that stress hormones increase pain and slow labor, we try to make things as low-stress and quiet as possible for you. During labor we take our cues from both mommies and daddies as to what they need. Some just need a hand to hold, eye contact and reassurance. Others need “Verbal Anesthesia” - talking them through the contractions, reminding them to breathe, reassuring them and praising their work. We also encourage mobility and frequent changes of position, rhythmic and repetitive movements, making noise, aromatherapy and homeopathics. Of course, nothing compares to an “Aqua-dural” (using deep water immersion). For severe back pain, Lori can administer sterile water papules to relieve the pain. When needed we lavishly use coaching and support for mother-to-be and her family so that labor, while challenging, is a good experience for all.

There is no one perfect position in which to birth a baby. Some women prefer to sit or recline on the bed, the birth stool or on the floor. Others stand up or squat down, kneel or lay on their side. Many choose the birthing tub. We can also suggest positions which may help you to be more comfortable, or enhance your delivery. Your perineum will be supported with counter pressure, warm compresses and oil. This usually feels good and helps you relax your bottom.

We place the baby where she belongs, on your tummy where she makes her gentle transition into the world, begins to breastfeed and integrates into your family. There is no rush to cut the umbilical cord and we never separate the two of you. After you’ve had time to bond we will examine you and do the newborn assessment. We make sure you have something to eat, assist you with the bathroom and showering and monitor both of you.

First, we don't separate babies from their mothers. You'll have as much time as you want to bond with your baby and you can have anyone you want touch or hold your baby. We monitor the baby and then after you’ve had plenty of time for cuddling we will do a newborn baby exam on the bed right next to you. The midwife will explain what she is looking for and what she finds. You will discuss such things as eye treatment and Vitamin K shots with the midwife during your pregnancy and make informed choices for your baby and situation. Follow-up care on the baby, California Newborn Screening and further breastfeeding assistance is done at your postpartum visits. Note: We do not give vaccines such as hep-B or provide newborn hearing screening at the Birth Center. These would be provided by your pediatrician.

Women stay an average of four to five hours after the birth. After that, most moms are ready to get home to their own beds. Before you leave the Oaks House we show you how to monitor both mom and baby.

Breastfeeding support and postpartum exams of the mother and baby through six weeks after birth are part of the total package. Parents are encouraged to call if they have any questions or concerns. We examine both mother and baby within 2-3 days and again at one week. An additional postpartum visit is performed when the baby is about six weeks old. By this time the midwife is practically a part of the family!

Although out-of-hospital birth is statistically safer, it does not guarantee a problem-free birth. That being said, dangerous deviations from normal usually have early warning signs which permit time to transport to the hospital. Our midwives are trained to detect and manage complications. We have all the necessary medical equipment and supplies as well as alternatives such as herbs, that may help mother and baby and allow them to safely stay at the birthing center. We’ve discreetly tucked away all necessary equipment for infant resuscitation, oxygen, IV therapy as well as medications to control excessive bleeding after delivery if needed. Should you have a tear that requires suturing, we can do that, first numbing the area with a local anesthetic.

If complications arise during labor or birth that are beyond the scope of care of the midwives, mother and baby would be transported to the hospital. Most transports to the hospital are not emergencies, but rather arise from long, slow labors and tired mothers. In these cases, the client, support people and midwives travel by car to the hospital.

In the event of an emergency situation we call 911 and the transfer will occur by ambulance. Lori has in-serviced the local firemen and paramedics so they are familiar with what we do and they provide fast and professional emergency services if it’s ever needed. We make every effort to accompany you to the hospital and stay with you until you are admitted and settled in.

Our cesarean section rate is very low; about 2-5% compared with the average hospital rates which can be as high as 45-50% in parts of Southern California.

Most insurance will pay some or the entire fee. PPO Insurance almost always covers midwifery care at the out of network rate and we’ve had a few instances of them paying the in-network rate (due to a network gap). We’ve also had a few HMO’s pay the entire fee.

In California, if you have maternity coverage on your policy, the law mandates coverage for Licensed Midwives. Although your policy may cover midwifery and out of hospital birth, many insurance companies do not pay the total fee for services, in spite of what they claim to do. We will do our best to help you get the maximum reimbursement from your insurance company. We will be happy to discuss the details of our policies regarding insurance claims with you.

No, we are not MediCal providers.

Give us a call or e-mail and sign-up for our Oaks House Gathering. We’ll help you from there!