If you are considering a pregnancy, now is the time to check your insurance for coverage regarding:

• Covered place of birth (Homebirths/Freestanding Birth Centers/Individual hospitals)

• Care provider (Obstetrician/Certified Nurse Midwife/Licensed Midwife).

• Birth and Postpartum Doula care

• Lactation services

• Other care providers

• The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) offers free ongoing in-home support and education for first time parents.

Be sure to use the accepts insurance search feature when using the Birth Network Provider Directory. Some Professional Members accept a variety of insurance coverage, while others might offer a sliding scale or scholarship opportunity.  Check the bios of each provider. Remember to check your own insurance company’s  information/website for specific coverage that may be available.

You can start with Birth Network Providers under Doulas, as well as:

• Central Coast Alliance Members, check the Medi-cal Directory

• Kaiser

• RC Fam Doula Hub — with many bilingual doulas

• Circle Family Center also has list of low cost and medi-cal doulas

• A midwife is a primary care provider with a responsibility for the health and safety of the birthing person and baby during the prenatal care and labor, birth and postpartum (whether providing care at home or in the hospital) .

• A birth doula provides non medical, physical and emotional support, as well as education and information to a laboring person and their partner. Prenatal and postpartum care may also be part of a birth doula's care.  

• A postpartum doula provides non medical care to a family after childbirth to help with the transition to parenthood.

Check out this wonderful resource from the Cleveland Clinic: What is a Doula, when to Use One and What to Expect

Meet the Doulas locally at one of our Events

In addition to a home birth with a licensed home birth midwife, Full Moon Family Wellness and Birth Center is a free standing birth center.

Hospitals:

• Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center

• Dominican Hospital

• Watsonville Community Hospital

This information is based on Birth Certificate data provided by the county. This information does not indicate which or how many doctors are responsible for successful VBAC births. There are some practices that do not do any VBACs and others that may specialize in VBAC.

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Consider making a donation in honor of:

• the birth of your child,

• the appreciation you feel for your midwife, doctor, doula or other care provider,

• finding information on our website that made an impact on your life,

Birth Network of Santa Cruz County is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Our hard working Board of Directors is all-volunteer. Every bit of support, large and small, goes to support our work. Membership and contributions will be used at the discretion of the Board of Directors according to our mission and Bylaws.

The local and national issues around birth and parenting are ever-changing. As a parent or parent-to-be it can be helpful to know that certain issues may be more "hot-button" than others. There are medical and political issues that are considered controversial. You may want to do some further exploration on the web or within the community to find answers to questions that concern you. Such as:

• Why are the cesarean rates so high?

• Why is it so hard to plan for a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)?

• Are there political issues around homebirth?

• Why does the USA have such bad maternal and infant mortality rates?

• Why can't I have a waterbirth in the hospital in Santa Cruz County?

• Will my insurance pay for homebirth?

• Why do some care providers want to induce me at 39 weeks?

Birth Network of Santa Cruz County is an independent, nonprofit organization, developed around the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI). The MFCI is the backbone upon which all Birth Networks are built. Don't neglect to utilize this document, as well as the resources available through the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) and Lamaze International.

If there is not a birth network nearby, begin networking with other local birth workers. Meet with doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, parent activists and others to discuss your community's needs. Work together to make resources available to pregnant families as you encourage local birth workers to endorse the MFCI.  Now there are hundreds of other birth networks world-wide. You may choose to have an independent organization or to be part of Birth Network National, which has a program to enable other birth networks to join their national umbrella organization.

Let us know how things work out!