"I had the most amazing experience at BetterBirth in Orem.   I loved how fast my appointments were. There was never a wait!  The midwives always took the time to answer any questions or concerns I had through my pregnancy."

- McArthur November 2013

questions?  

We have answers.

Faq about Mother, Baby & Woman Care

​Does BetterBirth do prenatal and postpartum care too?
Yes, we provide routine prenatal and postpartum care as a regular part of our services.  In the event you have a complication during your pregnancy for which your team feels you need consultation or which they know they cannot handle themselves, your midwives will refer you to another appropriate provider. Generally, however, your team can provide all the care you need.

How soon should I be seen?
Many providers do not want to see you until you have completed your first trimester at about 12 weeks. We’re not sure why that is.  There are many questions and problems we can help with during those early weeks, and we encourage you to come in whenever you are ready.  Some of our clients come in the first day they miss their period, and that’s fine by us.

How often will I have prenatal visits?
We will tailor your prenatal visit schedule to you and your needs.  Recent research has shown there are many schedules that protect the safety of mother and baby.  We will discuss the options with you and you can choose what works best.  Regardless of what you choose, you may schedule additional appointments whenever you wish (all appointments are included in our packages), even on an urgent or after-hours basis if necessary.   You can always reach a midwife by phone via our hotline.

Where do prenatal appointments occur?
Prenatal appointments occur at any of our offices.  If you have a complication, we may arrange a visit at your home or we may accompany you to another provider's office or to the hospital.  If you are using our Traveling Clinic, appointments may occur in your home, our office, or another location convenient to you. 

Can I get an ultrasound?
Yes.  We work with a variety of other care providers, including sonographers.  We do not require any ultrasounds during your pregnancy.  If we suspect a complication and feel an ultrasound may be helpful, we might recommend one.  Many of our clients feel more comfortable with their plan for an out-of-hospital birth if they have an ultrasound to make sure the baby is all right and we are happy to support you in that approach.  Some parents just want to see gender, and that's ok too.  We can make arrangements for your ultrasound, schedule your appointment for you, and a midwife will attend as long as her schedule permits it.  We offer ultrasounds through our office at a great cash discount, or we can order them at other facilities if you want to use your insurance to pay for it.

Do you offer childbirth classes?
We do not offer childbirth classes ourselves, but we do recommend you take a class, particularly if this is your first baby or your first natural birth.  Check it out here.

What happens at a prenatal visit?
At these visits we will check your vital signs, weight, and urine.  At an early visit we will collect specimens for laboratory tests.   As it becomes possible to do so, we will check the baby’s heart rate and the position and growth of the baby.  We do not normally do vaginal or pelvic exams at these visits because they yield little useful information, although if there is a need or you want us to, we will.  There is plenty of time to ask questions and discuss any concerns.  If you would like more time, just let us know and we'll schedule it.

Will I have to wait long at appointments?

No, no, no!  Don't you just hate that?  Your time is valuable.  We are committed to being ready for you at your appointment time.  To do otherwise is disrespectful.  Occasionally we will discover a complication with the client ahead of you and it may take us just a little longer to start with you, but our goal is to be ready when you arrive and never let you sit down in our waiting room. 

To maintain our on-time commitment to you, we need you to be on time for us.  Appointments are  usually scheduled for 30 minutes (some are an hour).  If you arrive 15 minutes late, we can only spend 15 minutes with you in order to be on time for our next client.  If you arrive late for an appointment, you may choose to 1) keep the appointment and compress it into the time remaining, 2) start the appointment and then schedule an additional visit to finish it, or 3) reschedule it altogether.  If you know you will need more time for an appointment, just let us know and we will schedule a longer appointment for you.

What happens at a postpartum visit?
The first postpartum visit occurs between 24 and 72 hours after delivery.  Subsequent visits are usually at two weeks and five to six weeks after delivery.  We will check both you and the baby to be sure you are recovering normally, and we will perform a hearing screening and heart defect screening for the baby. You'll also have a chance to discuss any concerns or questions you may have.  If we are doing the newborn blood screening for you, we will do it at the first and second postpartum visits.

Do you provide non-pregnancy related gynecologic care such as pap smears, premarital exams, and birth control?
We perform routine pap smears and provide counseling for birth control methods.  Our certified nurse-midwife can prescribe oral contraceptives or place IUDs.  We also perform routine IUD removal free of charge.

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