General FAQ

Can all pregnant women have midwifery care for birth?

Midwifery is equipped to deal with natural birth and therefore, a low-risk, healthy mother is the right candidate for midwifery care. However, a high risk mother can always opt to consult with midwives to have a supportive prenatal experience, in addition to her mainstream careprovider, but she will not be a candidate to have a birth with midwives. Midwives are the experts of non/minimally interventional and natural births. Mainstream careproviders are the experts of high risk birth.

Do you have any branches?

Birthvillage – The Natural Birthing Centre does NOT have any branches anywhere else. It is quite difficult to replicate a birth centre model and our small team is fully dedicated to the unit that we currently have. Our centre is based in Kizkakkambalam, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.

How much do your services cost?

Depending on the individual choices opted for by the family/mother, our costs would range between Rs.75,000 – 1,00,000. This is for all prenatal care, birth at the centre and also 6 post partum consults.

Do you have insurance coverage?

Yes, we have insurance coverage. This is not cashless insurance – it is a reimbursible model. Please mention this to our administrator when you get in touch with the office.

How can I connect to your team?

Connect with us by sending a message via our social media:
Facebook: Birthvillage – the natural birthing centre
Instagram: @birthvillageindia
or send us an email via this website

How do your appointments work?

Our appointments are usually an hour long, minimum. The couple are free to ask all doubts and queries, the midwife does all the prenatal checks, bloodwork results are reviewed, scan reports are looked at and discussed – and all of the layers of concerns and fears that the couple has, are openly addressed in a safe and confidential environment.

When should I get in touch?

It’s ideal to get in touch with our birth team once12 weeks of pregnancy is crossed.

Do you do home births?

Since we are a small team and operate directly from a state-of-the-art, fully equipped birth centre, we do not offer home births. Home birth midwifery is a different model of midwifery care that we as a team are not practising at this point of time.

Can I have a natural birth after a C-Section?

Yes, this is called a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section). The safety protocols around this are that there should be a minimum of 18-24 months gap between the previous surgery and this birth. Each case is reviewed in detail. Midwifery can only cater to a healthy birth, so an exploration of VBAC would depend on the state of the current pregnancy and all the pertinent details on a case by case-by-case basis.

Pandemic Protocols

Is it safe to travel and come to Kerala, to your centre during this pandemic?

The reason safety protocols are created are to ensure that the maximum safety can be extended to all citizens. Including pregnant mothers and families. As long as you follow the protocols mandated by your government, it is safe to travel.

What protocols are in place at the centre during this pandemic?

We follow all of the mandated, evidence based safety and clinical protocols for our appointments and for all activities at the centre – including labour, birth and postpartum.

I have decided to come to the centre for birth what should I keep in mind when I travel to Kerala?

Please make note of all the following points : Before you travel, kindly go through the below information and self-check to see if you have any of these symptoms. Most common symptoms:

– Fever
– dry cough
– tiredness Less common symptoms:
– aches and pains
– sore throat
– Diarrhoea
– Conjunctivitis
– Headache
– loss of taste or smell
– a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes Serious symptoms:
– difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
– chest pain or pressure
– loss of speech or movement If you, or anyone who is supposed to travel with you has any of these symptoms:
1. Please halt your travel plans and first and foremost do an RT-PCR test at the place of your residence itself.
2. Please keep us updated on the situation and also the results of the test, so that we can be of the best assistance to you at all times.
3. Please keep in mind that the safety of all our clients is extremely important and if one fails to comply with these safety protocols, it may negatively impact the team and also the remaining mothers who are preparing to birth with us. It is up to all of us to look out for each other.

Are there any protocols which will require my baby to be separated from me?

As per all the evidence coming out consistently throughout the past year, even if a mother is tested positive, the antibodies in her milk provide extra immunity and resistance to the newborn. So it’s an even more necessary step to NOT separate the baby from the mother. Since the baby has been within the mother’s body, there is no additional exposure to the illness that comes with birth – and hence the best thing to do is to keep baby and mother together so that both recover with the least amount of stress.

What is the protocol for testing before I give birth?

Since protocols keep changing and are updated every once in a while, the best way to know about what you and your family would be required to do, is to go through the latest information updated on https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/ and make sure you follow the protocols mentioned there.
On the clinical front, we are always available to assist you with any questions during our office hours – 10 a.m to 5 p.m. (except on Sundays).