#378 The Cost of Homebirth, Navigating Insurance in Midwifery

Ever wondered what it takes to provide accessible midwifery care in today's complex healthcare landscape? Join Blyss as she chats with Fadwah Halaby, a seasoned certified nurse midwife, whose journey from being inspired by Ina May Gaskin's book to navigating the intricacies of midwifery practice is nothing short of fascinating. Fadwah's insights shed light on the vital differences between hospital and home births, and the struggle to stay true to midwifery principles within hospital constraints. You will hear how she finds fulfillment in delivering evidence-based, respectful care and her vision for building a dedicated team to serve diverse communities.

Fadwah shares why it was important for her to contract with insurance companies to make home births accessible to all women. She sheds light on the struggles of getting fair compensation to ensure the sustainability of midwifery services which eventually led her to leave the insurance model and start a grassroots movement to make midwifery care more accessible. By gathering community support through her non-profit and removing financial barriers for families looking for midwifery care, Fadwah hopes to expand the movement to be able to help families on a larger scale and address systemic inequalities.

About P Fadwah Halaby:

Fadwah has worked as a nurse since 1992 (32 years) in various areas such as home health, ER, and L&D. For the past 18 years she has worked as a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife - 8 years in a busy OB practice facilitating hospital birth and office gynecology, and 10 years in her independent home birth practice. She has assisted over 2000 babies to be born with about 500 of those in the community birth setting. She has been offering breech and twin birth in her practice for years, more often in the past few years since completing formal training through Spinning Babies and Breech Without Borders. The first birth she ever witnessed live (other than her own) was a breech birth, in 1986.

Connect with Fadwah Halaby:

• Instagram: @midwife360
• Website: midwife360.com
• donate: birthequityresource.org
• Phone: 561-705-1022
• Email: fadwah@midwife360.com

Key highlights:

• Challenges of Midwifery Care Accessibility
• Expertise in Breech and Twin Births
• Navigating Midwifery Care Insurance Challenges
• Equitable Compensation for Birth Workers
• Accessible Midwifery Care Financing Solutions

Episode resources:

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This show is supported by:

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Connect with Dr. Stu & Blyss:

• Instagram: @birthinginstincts / @birthingblyss
• Website: birthinginstincts.com / birthingblyss.com
• Email: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
• Call-in line: 805-399-0439
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com