Interest in home births grows as pandemic reaches new heights

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    ATLANTA (WGCL) — Georgia does not currently license certified professional midwives, only certified nurse midwives.

But CBS46 has learned that all of them are staying busy during the pandemic.

Paige White has been a certified professional midwife for years.

“We take care of birthing people in a home birth setting,” she told reporter Ashley Thompson.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, White said more women have been interested in giving birth at home. She said some of them are afraid to catch the novel coronavirus at a hospital.

“What we’re hearing coming out of hospitals, where they’re limiting who can be there to support someone in labor and also that they may not let in anybody in labor,” said White.

White isn’t practicing right now but said her circle of midwives is being inundated with inquiries.

“And then we run into the fact that they only have so much room to take so many people and so they’re having to try to help them find other midwives in their area.”

White said even if you’re far along in your pregnancy, it’s not too late to contact a midwife.

“There have been some late transfers where people have contacted a midwife, started care with a midwife and had their babies already since this pandemic and sheltering orders in different counties have been happening.”

Midwives are also taking safety precautions, switching to virtual consultations when necessary.

“Be patient with us,” she said. “We can only see so many women every month.”

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, midwives still recommend you give birth in a hospital.

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