Midwife Treatment: FSA Eligibility

What is midwife treatment?

Midwife treatment refers to the services offered by midwives to mothers-to-be and their families while preparing for childbirth. The midwife profession is a health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum (after childbirth) period of a woman's life and health.

Midwives generally encourage mothers to pursue a natural birth. Midwife accompaniment in the United States is correlated with reduced usage of epidurals and other childbirth-related medications. Midwives in the United States are licensed medical professionals who have earned at least a bachelor's degree and undergone additional, specific training and licensing to be certified as a midwife (American Pregnancy Association).

Midwives are normally selected by the mother as a birthing educator, coach and helper instead of an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN). Midwives commonly have a greater number of hours assisting mothers during childbirth versus their OB-GYN counterparts. Midwives are licensed medical professionals who typically emphasize "low - tech / high - touch" as part of their philosophy of helping mothers. Midwives can't perform C-sections, forceps or vacuum-assisted deliveries, and are less likely to intervene in the natural birth process. Midwives generally support vaginal births and are best able to support mothers who desire to birth vaginally and are able to do so, or lack health concerns which might prevent them from doing so (WebMD).

Midwives generally advocate for natural methods and exercises to manage pain during childbirth. Midwives are less appropriate for high-risk birth categories, and may recommend an OB-GYN to a mother who has been identified as high-risk.

Midwife expenses are typically covered under insurance, especially if the midwife expenses are generated from midwife services received while in a hospital. Midwife expenses are always eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account.