As hospitals place restrictions on visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives in the Kansas City area say they've seen an uptick in appointments.
Many pregnant women are now considering home birth to be able to have their entire support team with them.
HOSPITALS AROUND THEMETRO HAVE SOMEEXPECTANT MOTHERSCONSIDERING CHANGINGWHERE THEY'LL GIVEBIRTH.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER EMMA JAMESTALKED WITH A MOM WHOCHANGED HER BIRTHPLAN.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"Katie Schmidt is on babnumber five, she tells meshe's had every single one ofher kids right here at SaiLuke's hospital on the Plaza,but for the newest addition toher family, she's doing thingsa little differently this time."KATIE SCHMIDT, DECIDED TO DOHOME BIRTH"We were fully planning onhaving a hospital birth on thisone and Corona hit, therewere just a lot of factors, alotof rule changes."SCHMIDT SAYS ONE OFTHE MOST IMPORTANTTHINGS TO HER WASHAVING BOTH HERHUSBAND AND HER DOULAWHILE GIVING BIRTH.WHEN SHE FOUND OUTTHAT WOULDN'T BEPOSSIBLE - SHE GOT INTOUCH WITH LOCALMIDWIFE CHERYL GILMAN -WHO'S PHONE IS RINGINGOFF THE HOOK.CHERYL GILMAN, CERTIFIEDPROFESSIONAL MIDWIFE"That's probably the biggestreason women are making theinquiry is they are not wantingto be separated from theirpartners, their support peopleor the baby."GILMAN TYPICALLY GETS 3INQUIRIES ABOUT HOMEBIRTHS A WEEK.BUT IN THE LAST 24 HOUALONE - SHE'S HAD 8CONSULTATIONS AND HAS4 MORE SCHEDULED INTHE NEXT DAY.SHE SAYS ALL MIDWIVES INTHE METRO ARE DOINGTHE SAME THING.CHERYL GILMAN, CERTIFIEDPROFESSIONAL MIDWIFE"I would say it's a littlestressful for all of us butwe'retrained in out of hospitalbirthsso we are prepared to offerour services for those womenthat are ready to make thatleap."ANOTHER EXPECTANTMOTHER WHO DECIDED TOMAKE THE SWITCH ISVINUR WELLS.SHE PLANNED ON HAVINGHER FIRST BABY ATOVERLAND PARKREGIONAL MEDICALCENTER.LIKE SCHMIDT -RESTRICTIONS ONVISITORS MADE HERWORRY SHE WOULDN'TGET TO HAVE HER FULLBIRTH TEAM WITH HER.VINUR WELLS, DECIDED TO DOHOME BIRTH"It was more important to meto have my husband and tsupport of the doulas,especially as a first tiparent."SCHMIDT AND WELLS SAYTHEIR DECISIONS WEREN'TBASED ON FEAR OF THECORONAVIRU