The following COVID-19 Policies are intended to be a protection to you, your family, your care team, and Welcome Home's other clients. We require clients to agree to these policies prior to beginning care at our clinic and birth center. While the information regarding the Coronavirus pandemic is constantly changing, these policies are intended to be in place in their current form for the foreseeable future. Clients will always be alerted promptly if there are any changes in practice policies.
As you are reading these policies, we ask you to keep in mind:
MASKING
All midwives, student midwives, and doulas in our practice wear high-grade masks for all client contact, including clinic visits and births both in the center and at home. This is not negotiable.
Clients are asked to mask for all visits and any time they enter into the clinic. This means wearing a mask over your nose and mouth. We are happy to provide masks.
Face shields are not an appropriate substitute for masking in our practice.
Clients are not asked to mask during labor. We do ask that all partners and Doulas wear masks when they are at our birth center.
VISITORS
We ask that no partners, visitors, or children accompany you to your visits in the clinic.
We encourage you to call or video in your support people during your visits so they can have their questions answered. We also permit recording of your visits and of your birth.
In labor, we ask that you invite 1 adult (a partner or other support person) to accompany you in labor.
We also welcome Doulas as essential members of your care team. You may bring your own Doula or we can call in a volunteer Doula for you.
Anyone you bring to the center should be prepared to stay at the center for the entirety of your admission (no ins and outs). Most families have a total admission time of <12 hours at the center. Please be sure that your support person brings enough food, beverages, and a change of clothes for their stay.
TASK-BASED CLINIC SCHEDULE
All prenatal and postpartum visits in the clinic are task-based and reflect milestones each client and newborn experiences in their care. Task-based schedules reduce your childcare costs and are evidence-based. Each visit is scheduled for 1 hour. These visits are outlined below.
PHONE VISITS
Phone visits are scheduled for an hour and are alternated with your in-office visits. Phone visits reduce childcare costs and obviously reduce the risk of transmitting any illness, including COVID-19, to or from a client.
If you or someone in your household is sick, or if you have been exposed to someone who is believed to have COVID-19, we ask that you please alert your midwife at once and schedule a phone visit.
ROUTINE LABWORK
Most or all of your routine labwork can be drawn in our office. This reduces unnecessary trips and contact with high-volume lab locations.
If you do need to go to a lab, you will be encouraged to schedule an appointment at the lab.
HOSPITAL TRANSFER
At this time, our staff may be unable to accompany clients to the hospital in the event of a transfer of care. We will make every attempt to maintain contact with you if your care is transferred, and will schedule postpartum visits to proceed as they would routinely following your discharge from the hospital.
As you are reading these policies, we ask you to keep in mind:
- We serve a high volume of clients from multiple California counties.
- The majority of our clients are “essential workers” who have no option to shelter in place, and many are not given appropriate protections from their employers.
- We have had COVID-19 Positive clients who only knew they had the virus after they had transmitted it to others. This is a common experience.
- We are tasked with being some of the only community midwifery providers and doulas taking Medi-Cal in our region. If our team is unable to work because of any illness, your care may be transferred to a hospital-based provider.
- Many of the below policies are mandated by local, county, and state health orders.
MASKING
All midwives, student midwives, and doulas in our practice wear high-grade masks for all client contact, including clinic visits and births both in the center and at home. This is not negotiable.
Clients are asked to mask for all visits and any time they enter into the clinic. This means wearing a mask over your nose and mouth. We are happy to provide masks.
Face shields are not an appropriate substitute for masking in our practice.
Clients are not asked to mask during labor. We do ask that all partners and Doulas wear masks when they are at our birth center.
VISITORS
We ask that no partners, visitors, or children accompany you to your visits in the clinic.
We encourage you to call or video in your support people during your visits so they can have their questions answered. We also permit recording of your visits and of your birth.
In labor, we ask that you invite 1 adult (a partner or other support person) to accompany you in labor.
We also welcome Doulas as essential members of your care team. You may bring your own Doula or we can call in a volunteer Doula for you.
Anyone you bring to the center should be prepared to stay at the center for the entirety of your admission (no ins and outs). Most families have a total admission time of <12 hours at the center. Please be sure that your support person brings enough food, beverages, and a change of clothes for their stay.
TASK-BASED CLINIC SCHEDULE
All prenatal and postpartum visits in the clinic are task-based and reflect milestones each client and newborn experiences in their care. Task-based schedules reduce your childcare costs and are evidence-based. Each visit is scheduled for 1 hour. These visits are outlined below.
- Initial Prenatal Visit with Labwork
- 16 Week Prenatal Visit
- 28 Week Prenatal Visit with Labwork
- 32 Week Visit
- 36 Week Visit with GBS Screening
- 38 Week Visit
- 40 Week Visit
- 41 Week Visit with NST
- 41 3/7 Week Visit with NST
- 41 6/7 Week Visit with NST
- 72 Hour Postpartum Visit
- 1 Week Postpartum Visit
- 3 Week Postpartum Visit
- 6-8 Week Postpartum Visit
PHONE VISITS
Phone visits are scheduled for an hour and are alternated with your in-office visits. Phone visits reduce childcare costs and obviously reduce the risk of transmitting any illness, including COVID-19, to or from a client.
If you or someone in your household is sick, or if you have been exposed to someone who is believed to have COVID-19, we ask that you please alert your midwife at once and schedule a phone visit.
ROUTINE LABWORK
Most or all of your routine labwork can be drawn in our office. This reduces unnecessary trips and contact with high-volume lab locations.
If you do need to go to a lab, you will be encouraged to schedule an appointment at the lab.
HOSPITAL TRANSFER
At this time, our staff may be unable to accompany clients to the hospital in the event of a transfer of care. We will make every attempt to maintain contact with you if your care is transferred, and will schedule postpartum visits to proceed as they would routinely following your discharge from the hospital.
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Welcome Home Midwifery Services, Inc.
Mailing Address: PMB#302 5960 South Land Park Dr. Sacramento, CA 95822 |
Phone: 916-668-9467
Fax: 209-336-6814 |