Midwifery

In our practice, midwifery care centers around personalization and building strong relationships. During our 30-60 minute appointments, we prioritize open discussions and getting to know each other better. We start by addressing topics that matter most to you, focusing on your specific needs and concerns at each stage of pregnancy. Armed with relevant information and guidance, we aim to help you feel your best and address any discomforts or worries you may have.

Throughout the weeks and months, we assist you in creating a birth plan and postpartum plan, assembling a birth kit, and optimizing your nutrition by discussing food choices, lab results, and lifestyle adjustments. Our appointments cover a wide range of topics, providing comprehensive care. Typically, we spend around 10-15 minutes taking vital signs for both mama and baby, guiding you to understand what's normal, what to expect, and how to maintain optimal well-being.

We incorporate craniosacral therapy (CST) into prenatal care, giving each mom suggestions for how CST can help them, and offering treatment as needed.

Many moms continue to see the midwife through the 4th trimester for newborn CST.

There are generally three classifications of midwives in the United States: Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Certified Professional MIdwives (CPMs), and Traditional or Direct Entry Midwives. When you interview your potential midwives, it’s important that you ask about their level of education, training, skill, and experience.

Kristy is a CPM, and registered preceptor with the North American Registry of Midwives. She follows evidence-based practices and international standards for midwifery care.

In the state of Pennsylvania, there is no licensure for certified professional midwives. As such, Kristy‘s practice encompasses a traditional midwife approach focused on preventative health and herbal approach to wellness.

Learn more about Kristy here.

Learn more about the types of midwives in the US, and their differences here.

Our service fee for homebirth starts at $6,000. Homebirth service fees for first time moms and VBAC moms start at $7,500. First time moms and VBAC moms receive extended pregnancy support, childbirth education, a doula, and additional support by birth assistants, and an additional home visit with labor support around 30 weeks.

Labwork, ultrasounds, supplements/herbs are billed separately. We can offer cash options for labwork for clients without insurance.

☰ Financial Agreement
☰ Payment Options (COMING SOON)

We do not bill insurance on your behalf. All fees are due in full prior to your expected due date (see our financial agreement and payment options (coming soon) for specific details).

If you have medical insurance, we can provide you with a global invoice (“superbill”) approximately 2 weeks after your birth. You may then complete a claim request with your insurance carrier to seek reimbursement. Additional itemized invoices will be provided with a service fee of $25.

Learn more about why we do not accept health insurance here.

We can tailor your care to what’s best and preferable for you. For some, that means seeing us and an OB for your prenatal care. For others, it might mean seeing us for prenatals and transferring into the hospital system around 34 weeks and having a member of our team serve as their doula for a hospital birth.

We offer full support, if needed, or, just fill-in-the-gaps. Some clients even prefer to see us only once per trimester.

We recommend blood panels in the first and third trimester, a food-based glucose tolerance test in the second trimester, and GBS screening at 36/37 weeks.

Optional and available are also Sneak Peek gender testing, and Unity Screening genetic testing.

Labs and ultrasounds are referred, and billed separately. We have cash discount options for clients without insurance.

A midwife's scope of care in a planned out-of-hospital, community-based birth is best suited for clients with low-risk pregnancies. To ensure safety during homebirth, we closely monitor bloodwork and lab results throughout pregnancy, working with you to optimize your and your baby's health and wellness.

Sometimes, it becomes necessary for a birth plan to change, and a hospital birth may be in the best interest of either the mother or the baby. In such cases, we consult with trusted medical providers, assist you in preparing for a hospital birth, and send a member of our team to the hospital as a doula to support you throughout your labor.

For more information regarding payments and refunds in these cases, please see our Financial Agreement.

There will be a minimum of two trained birth attendants present at your homebirth and occasionally up to four, depending on clinical needs and training levels.

Kristy Wilson, CPM, CDEM, serves as the Primary Midwife and holds full clinical responsibility for both mother and baby. She also serves on the executive board of the National Fellowship of Direct Entry Midwives (NFDEM) and helps support and train aspiring midwives.

She is supported by:

• Assistant Midwives (under supervision) — midwives-in-training who have demonstrated competency in specific clinical skills and participate according to their level of education and experience.

• Student Midwives — individuals earlier in their training who may observe or assist in limited ways under direct supervision.

• A Family Support Specialist — a trained team member who provides continuous emotional, physical, and environmental support throughout labor and the immediate postpartum period.

Harrisburg Midwife & Wellness operates as an intentional, apprenticeship-based practice. Providing supervised clinical experience to aspiring midwives is a selected and integrated part of our care model, ensuring that the art and skill of physiologic birth are passed on responsibly while families receive layered, attentive support from a trained team.

When students or assistants are present, they function under Kristy’s direct supervision and clinical authority. Families are informed in advance when additional team members will attend.

Interested in training or working with Kristy? Please apply by sending an email to kristywilsonmidwife@gmail.com with your resume, list of training/certifications, and birth attendance or relevant experience. Please note that CPR for BLS and NRP/NALS/Helping Babies Breathe is a minimum requirement, as well as completion of a doula training course.

We publish our client outcomes statistics each year for full transparency.

View 2023 Statistics
View 2022 Statistics

The midwife, Kristy, operates on a Caseload Midwifery model, limiting clients based on availability and providing dedicated time per month. The midwifery practice is a family-operated business. Kristy runs the practice with the assistance of her assistants. They support multiple births, around 3-5 per month. Balancing demands is crucial to ensure high-quality care and their own well-being.

To maintain this quality and prevent "caregiver burnout," specific communication guidelines have been established.

• You’ll have monthly appointments up to 32 weeks, then every other week.

• Between appointments, you can contact Kristy through the chart email for non-urgent issues.

• You can request additional appointments to discuss any concerns for an extra fee.

• For emergencies, like bleeding, pre-term labor, or water breaking, you can call and use line 1.