Experience with Midwives at Capital Women's Care

[Anonymous]

What insurance is it? Make sure that you call the midwife (or midwives) and ask them to confirm whether or not they take your insurance. Never - never! - accept the insurance companies word on this. The reason being is that the representative that you speak with often does not realize that they cover a particular midwife. In fact, many of the local homebirth midwives successfully bill most insurance companies - although if you were to ask the company they would always tell you that they don't cover homebirth. This is not a slam or anything against the insurance company. They just don't always know what they cover, so check with the midwife herself.

Oh - what about Special Beginnings? Do they take your insurance? It winds up being about a 40 minute drive from DC, closer if you live near the beltway. No problem at all for a first time mom.

[Anonymous]

OP again. The insurance is called Pilgrim Health Care ( I had never heard of it either). It looks like they are somewhat affiliated with Kaiser. I did call Midwifery Care and they confirmed that they do not accept either PHC or Kaiser. I am doing this all from overseas - my husband is starting a new job in the US in late Feb (insurance coverage starts on Day 1 of employment) and I am due in early May.

I'll look into Special Beginnings and give them a call.

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Well, I don't know about Pilgrim Heath Care, but I know options with Kaiser are extremely limited. Kaiser works out of Washington Hospital Center - are you sure Whitney can't accpet Kaiser? She is technically on staff at WHC.

Birthcare also accepts Kaiser. They are the most respected, most established, most sought after midwifery group for a 200 mile radius. www.birthcare.org. All the midwives I know have their babies with Birthcare! They book up very early, but there is a chance they might have a spot open for May, or might be sympathetic due to your situation (trying to figure this out from overseas; limited by Kaiser insurance) and squeeze you in.

That said, if DCBC accepts Pilgrim and they are your "last resort option" then you still be in excellent hands. Only the most established midwives (ie, no trainees) are allowed to do the hospital deliveries, and Whitney Pinger serves as their in-hospital back up. Actually, DCBC also backs up Whitney, as well as a number of other local homebirh midwives (should they need to transfer their patients to a hospital for any reason).

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks PP - you are a wealth of information. I didn't mean to imply that DCBC is my last resort option - I would consider CWC with a Holy Cross doula my last resort option. I'll make some calls and see what I can find out. I also found CNMs that work out of Esposito, Mayer and Hogan. The 6 CNMs attend deliveries at Howard County General Hospital. Any experience with this practice and/or facility? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Well, you've stumped me with Howard County Hospital. LOL. I've never attended a birth there. And now that I think about it, I don't know anyone who has ever attended a birth there either. Though if their midwives attend deliveries and they take your insurance, then they are certainly worth interviewing. If you wind up choosing them make sure to come back here and post a review for all us birth junkies

[Anonymous]

DCBC/trainee PP here. After that first visit there, I tried the Physicians and Midwives practice in Alexandria and was very happy with the doctor I met with.

I'm not set on giving birth with a midwife, just with someone supportive of natural birth, so to me their setup (roughly a half dozen OBs and a half dozen midwives, one of each always at the hospital, from what I understand) seemed like a reasonable compromise. My thinking was that an OB working in that setup would be someone familiar with and sympathetic to the ideas behind unmedicated birth.

I haven't yet met with a midwife at that practice, but the two docs I've seen have been communicative and patient, things I wasn't finding in the big OB practice I left.

I also tried BirthCare, but found a long wait list...maybe the OP will be lucky there!

Oh, and last things on DCBC...I didn't talk with the management there about my experience, I wasn't interested in staying with them and didn't make the extra effort to give feedback, but was pretty outspoken during my visit, to no effect. And my insurance thought they wouldn't cover DCBC, but it turned out they covered certain midwives there and the DCBC admininstrative staff was good about figuring out how to make that work.

[Anonymous]

OP again. I just found out from a friend who is a newly minted CNM in DC that a mutual friend delivered with the midwives at Esposito and Associates at Howard County and gave good reviews. I'll get in touch with her for specifics and post them here when I hear back. The hospital itself is associated with John Hopkins I guess. I'll be living in Takoma Park so Columbia, MD seems like less of a hike than Anne Arundel. Will keep everyone posted and thanks again!

[Anonymous]

OP again. To the 10:40 Doula as you will now forever be known - here's what my friend said about Esposito and Associates and Howard County General Hospital...she had a natural, drug-free birth:

"...but in short I LOVED the midwifes at Espositos. I think there are about 6 and I rotated through them all so that when the time came I was sure to have at least met the one who would be on call at least once. Delivery at Howard County was great...I had private rooms, staff was fantastic and super helpful. Prenatal care was also fantastic. They are not all that convenient to me either but I liked them so much that I am going to continue going there for my well-woman care"

Will post more information as I get it and will post my own review of wherever I end up in May!

Cheers everyone!

[Anonymous]

I want to second the recommendation for Whitney Pinger, the midwife at Washington Hospital Center. She has years of experience with natural birth and a calm, confident temperment. Her number is 202-255-3108.

Also, I know women who have had good births with the DC Birth Center midwives, both at birth center and at Washington Hospital Center. Despite the pp's disappointing experience, I think they are a good option.

[Anonymous]

neither Whitney Pinger nor Birth Center accept Kaiser anymore.