Why choose homebirth?

• Home births often have a higher chance of natural vaginal birth success, decreased frequency of induction or augmentation of labor, and lower rates of episiotomy, operative vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery.​

• Common reasons are safety, avoidance of common, unnecessary medical interventions offered in hospital births, previous negative hospital experience, want of more control over labor/birth, trust in the body/birth process, and being in the comfort of a familiar environment, your home. 

Which area do you service and where is your office?

• Within a 1 hour radius of Willowbrook, IL, as well as in Indiana.

• We have two locations, mostly seeing clients out of our cozy space in Rooted Chiropractic in Clarendon Hills, IL. Monica will also do urgent visits at her home office in Willowbrook, IL.

Do you offer consultations?

• Before choosing a midwife, it is important to have an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about the care you will be receiving, and make sure you have found the right fit for you and your family. 

• Birth Pray Love offers free 30min consultations. Please email or call ahead to schedule your consultation. We will be glad to connect with you!

As a solo midwife practice, do you provide back up?

• We often get asked if we have back up midwives in case we are at another birth or have a family emergency. And, YES, we do! However, the chances of getting our back up is very slim, as we take a low number of clients per month to maintain our promise of providing personalized and compassionate care, which is very important to us and distinguishes us from large group practices! You know who you're getting at your birth!

What could risk me out?​

• Many women call and ask if a previous risk in pregnancy will affect their current pregnancy and chance to birth at home. If you're not sure, give us a call! Chances are, you may very likely qualify for home birth this time around! 

• If you develop high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, or other chronic medical conditions requiring medication; you are expecting multiples; history of previous uterine surgery such as multiple cesarean sections; placenta previa; your baby develops birth defects which require higher level of care; your baby is in a position other than head first at delivery.

When do you recommend to start prenatal care?

• 10-12wk in pregnancy, or sooner, as needed​. At the initial visit, we will review your medical and pregnancy history, your wellness goals for pregnancy, draw labs, do a complete physical exam, vital signs, listen to fetal heart tones, do an initial ultrasound to confirm dating (if you wish), review pregnancy discomforts, sign consents, and answer any questions or concerns you may have.

• If you have experienced a miscarriage before, you are welcome to schedule a visit sooner to do initial serial blood draws and ultrasound. Some women may need a prescription for progesterone or thyroid meds, and that is something we can help with. We're here for you!

Do you take transfers?

• Yes! Give us a call! Some women choose home birth later in their pregnancies, even in the last month. As long as we can review your prenatal records, and you are sure of your choice, we are here to serve you! If you are able to obtain your medical records prior to transfer, please have them faxed or emailed to us. 

What supplies/equipment do you carry to my birth?

• ​We carry several supplies, mostly for emergency reasons. Some things include: oxygen, resuscitation equipment, sutures & lidocaine for laceration repair, medications for hemorrhage, IV fluids, antibiotics, herbal tinctures, homeopathics, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, fetal doppler and fetoscope, pulse oximeter, delivery instruments, bladder catheters, and several other extra supplies.

• We do ask you to purchase a birth kit online and gather some supplies for labor you have around the home.

Who can I have at my birth?

• Anyone you choose who will be supportive! The energy around you will often influence your labor. Children are most welcome if you so choose. Home birth is a family event! Some people love a party, while others like to labor in private. Even us, the birth team, will step away as much as you'd prefer, or be right at your side every step of the way, providing an undisturbed labor. 

What do you do in case of emergencies?

• ​In the homebirth setting, midwives are trained to manage low-risk pregnancies. If an emergency arises, we are easily alerted to an issue. Depending on the situation, we will use our skills to assess and address the emergency and resolve it or stabilize the mom or baby. 

• We routinely keep up with our skills to make sure our mamas and babies are safe. We are CPR and NRP (neonatal resuscitation program) certified, and take a Birth Emergency Skills Training course.

• Midwives are trained to handle common birth complications including shoulder dystocia, postpartum hemorrhage, issues with placenta, resuscitation, laceration repair, etc.

• In a true emergency, we transfer to a higher level facility, typically the closest hospital. If it is a non-urgent matter, such as the mother needing pain relief, she may choose to transfer to the hospital of her choice.