What is Home Birth?
Home Birth is giving birth in comfort of your own home, duplex, apartment, etc. You are attended by a Licensed and Certified Midwife. We bring all the supplies to you for a safe birth experience.
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Birth in your own space, the way that is right for you. You will have the freedom to move around as you wish, eat and drink and invite any quests you would like that is supportive of your experience.
No routine hospital policies, no rigid rules to obey. You decide what is best for you. Research shows that home birth is just as safe a hospital birth, but home birth has lower rates of interventions such as Induction, Augmentation and Caesarean Sections.
What is a Midwife?
Fara Bitter is the owner of Mountain Creek Midwifery, LLC. She is a Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife and a Certified Professional Midwife.
A Midwife is a qualified birth professional that specializes in low-risk out-of-hospital birth. This includes, but not limited to, natural birth, water birth, hypnobirth, nutrition, exercise, relaxation education, etc.
Midwives practice the Midwives Model of Care. This model of care includes working together with the expecting parents to have the birth experience they hope for.
What if there is an Emergency?
Midwives are trained to manage emergencies. As a Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife we carry hemorrhage medications, oxygen, resuscitation equipment, IV fluids and much more.
We are Certified in Neonatal Resuscitation and Adult and Infant CPR. We also attend continuing education classes every year, they include Fetal Heart Rate Surveillance, Managing Shoulder Dystocia, Gestational Diabetes Management, etc.
Research has proven that out-of-hospital birth is just as safe as hospital birth for low-risk women and when Midwifery is integrated into the community. This means that we make referrals when necessary for consultations depending on the scenario.
What About the Mess?
Midwives have an amazing talent of not making a mess. Midwives clean up after the birth by delating the pool, clean up the birth space and start a load of laundry before we leave. If by chance a drop of blood gets on a sheet or the floor we promptly remove it with hydrogen peroxide and it comes right out.
What is Water Birth?
Water Birth is simply giving birth in the water - and it's amazing! Midwives carry birthing pools that are designed to provide comfort to the laboring women. Birthers can give birth in any position they choose because the water helps reduce the gravitational pull which makes changing position so much easier to do. Water provides a natural pain relief also known as "Mother Natures Natural Epidural."
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What if the Baby Breathes Underwater?
Babies don't breathe the moment they are born. They breathe when their face comes out of the water. Babies have receptors on the front of their face. Babies don't initiate breathing until these receptors hit the air and are stimulated. When a baby is born into the water, they are moving from a fluid environment to another fluid environment. After the birth the baby is promptly brought up out of the water and baby initiates breathing.
What is the Difference Between a CPM, LDEM and a CNM?
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM): The credential comes from the Northern American Registry of Midwives and is the premier credential for out-of-hospital Midwives. A CPM directly enters into their Midwifery education and does not first attend nursing school. To become a CPM one must spend a minimum of two years attending prenatal appointments, births and postpartum appointments. They must demonstrate competency in hundreds of skills and pass an skills test and 8 hour written exam. A CPM is also called a Direct-Entry Midwife.
Licensed Direct-Entry (LDEM): A Midwife who is a CPM and has taken additional classes and has applied to the state to be licensed. A LDEM can carry hemorrhage medications, administer IV's if necessary, provide antibiotics for a client who is GBS positive, whereas, a non-licensed CPM, cannot legally provide those services in the state of Utah
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM): A CNM firsts attends nursing school, then attends midwifery school. They primarily deliver in hospitals. In Utah, there are some CNM's who attend out-of-hospital births and fall under under the regulations of an Unlicensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife or Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife.
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Unlicensed Midwife (DEM): An Unlicensed Midwife has varied experience and education and may be also a student. Do be cautious. Many students are also calling themselves Direct-Entry Midwives. These midwives have not completed their training and are not yet qualified to be taking their own clients. Make sure to ask every midwife for their Informed Disclosure document. The experience of a student who is calling themselves a Direct-Entry Midwife has very different credentials than an experienced Direct-Entry Midwife who has completed their training.
What if I Have More Questions?
We offer free consultations. We would love to meet with you to see if we are a good fit. We love to answer questions about what we do!
What Kinds of Couples Do You Support?
We support everyone. Those who are Single, Married, Separated, Divorced, LGBTQIAP, Plural Marriage, A Teen Parent. Come as you are! Every person deserves to be supported.
Why have prices gone up?
Experience Matters. Fara Bitter has been supporting and educating families for more than 20 years. She has extensive experience in Midwifery, Labor and Birth, Childbirth Education, Breastfeeding, Newborn Care, Postpartum Care and more.
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Sure, there are cheaper midwives out there. When it comes to the life of your baby most people agree that they want someone who is confident and experienced.
Fara is one of the two midwives still practicing out of more than ten midwives from two busy birth centers. Sustainability in midwifery is key. Charging a living wage supports a midwife, although midwifery is a passion, it is still a business and midwives need to eat too. A living wage ensures sustainability, this means that experienced midwives remain in the field helping people have safe and positive birth experiences. Experience also ensures that the next generation of midwives are adequately taught. Experienced midwives lead to safer outcomes.
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Fara Bitter not only has decades of experience helping hundreds of families, but she is also a Preceptor for the North American Registry of Midwives and the Midwives College of Utah. Among dozens of volunteer positions she has held over the last twenty years, she currently serves as Secretary for the Utah Midwives Organization.
Do You Bill Insurance?
We currently do not bill insurance directly. Our clients who have Christian Ministries Health Insurance have had our services covered 100%. HSA accounts typical cover our fee's 100%. We provide a global bill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
The Cost of Having a Baby?
Our fee of $4,500 is a complete care package. This includes almost a year of care including unlimited prenatal visits, labor and birth services, unlimited postpartum and pediatric visits in the first six weeks, routine lab work, a birth kit, pool rental, education, access to the midwife, breastfeeding visits and support, newborn testing and medications, and more. Below is a comparison of how our fees are differ from other providers.
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Prenatal Appointments:
Us: Unlimited 1-HR long visits. Most clients have 13 prenatal visits with us.
Them: OB's and CNM's charge per each visit you have with them. This varies, but charges can be up to $300.00 per each visit. These visits do not include lab work. This is extra. With our care, all prenatal visits are included. As well as routine blood work. Plus, their appointments can be just a few minutes long.
With an OB/CNM you would pay $300.00 x 13 prenatal visits = $3,9000.00
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Birth:
Homebirth: Labor care and birth services are included.
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Hospital Based Care: Additionally bill separately for the:
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Birth ($4,569.00-$12,000.00)
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Hospital Stay
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OB/CNM Delivery Fee
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Routine Meds
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Newborn Exam by the Pediatrician
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Postpartum Appointments:
Home Birth: Unlimited appointments, We provide unlimited postpartum exams. We meet after the birth on:
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1-2 days
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4-5 days
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2 weeks
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4 weeks
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6 weeks
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8 weeks
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12 weeks
Hospital Based Care: Did you also know that an OB/CNM will meet with the client once before they leave the hospital and one more time at the six week visit. These can cost several hundreds of dollars each visit.​
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Pediatric Appointments:
Homebirth: We provide unlimited pediatric visits and examine baby at the same time we see the mom. This includes additional weight checks or follow-up visits. No extra charge.
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1-2 days
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4-5 days
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2 weeks
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4 weeks
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6 weeks
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8 weeks
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12 weeks
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Hospital Based Care: Pediatrician visits only include the baby and cost additionally about $100.00.
When you birth with us we provide all the pediatric visits for the first few months. Most clients see their pediatrician after our care is complete.
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So, even if a client transfers in labor it is clear how much care the client receives. Postpartum and pediatric care continues as outlined even with a labor transfer.
Also, each of our appointments last 1-HR long and you always have access to reach the Midwife.
Hospital Based Care $9,450 - $17,600.00
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Home Birth $4,500.00
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