What you need to know
To the families and supporters of Homer Birth and Wellness Center. We have been listening to our governing bodies and other healthcare professionals to implement the best practices and protocol in response to COVID-19. We especially thank Manga Penwell CPM at Alaska Family Birth Center in Fairbanks.
We have come to understand that nothing is as it was; except the profound knowledge that women will continue to care for their families to the best of their abilities including safety and trust in their birth experience. We understand the stresses that these changes are putting on our families therefore, we want to make support available and as easy as possible.
At this date we are contacting all our clients the week of their appointment to speak with them directly and make a plan for their upcoming prenatal or postpartum visit. We understand that each client is unique and therefore our response and approach to your care will be as well.
Some possibilities will include:
A virtual appointment by Skype or Facetime or Zoom.
If it is determined that routine care such as fundal measurements, blood pressure, fetal heart tones, etc. is in the best interest of the client, we ask that you come alone to the birth center. If this is a hardship, we will make other arrangements on a case by case basis.
All labs will be done at the birth center and we are allowing plenty of time in between to clean. Please do not come early for your appointment.
Of course, if you, or anyone in your family have had contact with a known case of COVID-19 or are sick AT ALL, or have traveled outside of the immediate area, please call us and we can discuss the most appropriate plan for your care.
We have closed the office to any walk-in traffic Monday through Friday. You can call to schedule appointments, but no access to the birth center will be granted except for scheduled appointments and labors, not necessarily scheduled 🙂.
If you need verification of pregnancy, please call our office phone 907-299-7133.
Also, Homer Birth and Wellness Center has had calls from pregnant clients who are due soon and inquiring about transfer to our care. Although we are accepting late to care clients, it is under strict guidelines. We have excellent working relationships with many hospital providers in our community and want to assure you they are as worried as we are about protecting you and are taking all necessary steps to keep you and your family safe. We want to send out a clear message that birth center birth is usually something undertaken with education and a long client/midwife relationship that helps to maintain the low risk and safe nature of birthing in our setting. Therefore, Homer Birth and Wellness Center will continue to support our community and our fellow health care workers and will be accepting late transfers for birth center birth, or home birth, on a case by case basis.
We are implementing these measures that have been proven successful in areas that managed to slow the spread of this virus. We care deeply for you and will be available for you whatever your needs.
