Heritage Birth Center Anchorage 445 West 9th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501

"It's hard to leave a poor review when the midwives at Heritage are really nice women, but I feel like there's room for improvement. 1. Their billing system or whoever runs it doesn't do the greatest job. We are a military family and majority of our prenatal care is covered. In 2018 plans switched over and we pay more out of pocket. However, for roughly 6 months of prenatal and PP care Heritage cannot be bothered to explain why I am being charged roughly double compared to what women who see them for their entire pregnancy and birth (I did not deliver with them and did not receive full prenatal visits) are being charged. I've called and cannot get ahold of billing, the receptionist can't give me an answer and left a note for them to contact me, and I've tried emailing their billing dept without getting a reply. They also did not bill Tricare in a timely manner. I was seen sept-nov 2017 and all my prenatal care should have been 100% covered under the Tricare 2017 plan, however they didn't bill my insurance until around April 2018. Jan 2018 is when my plan & coverage changed, anything in the new year would be covered differently. They knew about the new Tricare plan taking over in the new year. Previous midwives I have experience with would bill insurance throughout the pregnancy. 2. They are a little inconsistent with that "more personal" care most women want when having a homebirth. I think I saw a total of 4 different women and towards the end of my pregnancy it was a little like, 'who knows who will deliver your baby' which didn't make me feel too great. I also started seeing Heritage because of Jen H. I knew a few people who delivered when she was still at heritage and mentioned this during the beginning of my pregnancy. I also initially talked to her about going with Heritage for a homebirth during a phone consultation. She was the midwife that delivered JBER homebirths. But no one mentioned her leaving the practice until my 3rd trimester. She had been gone for months at that point. If I had known right away that she was no longer with Heritage, I would have switched. 3. The way they handle some medical info is odd. When looking over my chart I saw they had taken down some things incorrectly, although it's often talked about throughout your time. It wasn't a huge deal, just a pretty minor issue. I also had my anatomy US done a few days before leaving the state. I was gone mid-November through end of January. I never heard anything from them during my time visiting family. Which is completely fine, but since I didn't hear anything from them I assumed that meant everything in the anatomy scan was normal. When I came back in at the end of January, around 29 weeks, they told me that I had complete previa and the baby had a few cysts on the brain. This was my 3rd pregnancy and my 2 previous pregnancies were delivered between 36-37 weeks with my 2nd pregnancy being a close call at 34 weeks. They tell you that you have access to your charts online, but they decided not to call to tell me about the results and they decided to keep it hidden on the website, so that I could not view the results. If I had any complications or preterm labor while out of state, that is something I felt like I should have been aware of, regardless of the fact that complete previas can correct themselves. After I did deliver my 3rd child at 36 weeks (in a hospital) I came in a few weeks later, after she was released from NICU, for a postpartum apt. One of the midwives asked about the delivery and made a statement about 36weeks being considered fullterm in a hospital. That was a bit strange & concerning since the guidelines for premature, early term, and fullterm and pretty clear. They also had me come in every 2wks pp until my 6wk mark. It felt unnecessary. The women at Heritage are really nice/friendly. On a personal level I got along with all of them & can't say anything bad about their characters. But the small things add up, and after my experience with Heritage I knew any future babies in Alaska will be with a different midwife(wives)."

"I had the best birthing experience, My midwife Kirstin was so informative and knew exactly what I needed before I said anything. It was so peaceful and calm don't get me wrong I was still in pain, im gave birth to an 8lb baby whose head came out sidewsys, but the atmosphere was so wonderful! After giving birth I got the best care I have ever experienced, so attentive, caring, and so gentle. Ive heard many stories of people giving birth in hospital let's face it when you are expecting you are a magnet to hear all and everyone around you birthing story. I had such an amazing experience compared to the awful stories I heard about giving birth in hospitals. The reason why your midwife might sleep or knit or do other things while your in labor like some comments Ive read is because they let your body take time it needs so you do not have a rushed labor which can cause other things to happen ( which is what a hospital and doctors do) that is the beauty of a natural birth. My midwife knitted while i labored, there is nothing they could do, but they are around if you need them and are ready to assist if you need them, you just need to communicate. I recommend natural birth and having your little one at Heritage Birthing Center! What an amazing team of people."

"Couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience with Heritage Birth Center. Honestly. Not going to sugar-coat it, I was skeptical upon walking into our first appointment at the Barn in Palmer. Skeptical and timid as this was the first time my wife and I were opting out of the traditional hospital setting. We chose Heritage Midwifery due to our experiences dealing with the Clinic and Hospital staff, the setting, the labs, the tests, the extra tests, the over-charging for extra tests, the incorrect insurance billing, etc...the list of issues was overwhelming. Backing up a little bit...We didn't even know for sure if we were pregnant! My wife had taken an at-home pregnancy test and we went to our doctor for confirmation. Our first consultation at the Clinic/Hospital was at the 5 week mark. At our initial consult with the Doctor, within 5 minutes of being there he predicted my wife would have to have a C-Section...and he wanted to get it scheduled on the books already!!! WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF WE WERE PREGNANT AT THAT TIME...How could he possibly be predicting and trying to schedule a C-Section?!?! $$$$ That is how. For-Profit. The more services they can stick you with and bill you for later...the better off they are--complete disregard for you, your significant other, or child's well-being. So, after our hospital experience, we found Heritage Birth Center in Palmer. Initially I was a bit more conservative when it comes to traditional western medicine philosophies so thus my timidness. After our initial consult at Heritage, we knew this was the place we were going to have our daughter. A quaint professional setting where the staff actually cares about your experience. If you think about it, the staff that has chosen to work in this field has an undeniably strong love for the entire birthing process start to finish. As stated a few times during our 9 month adventure, "how do you think people had babies before the days of insurance billing and overnight hospital stays?" True point. The birthing process is a natural and has been throughout eternity. Having multiple ultrasounds can actually cause birthing issues, so the extra tests were not mandated as they would be in a hospital. The health and overall well-being of my wife and unborn child were the most important--so don't take the impression that a lack of test means a lack in care. Actually quite contrary to that fact. The midwives at Heritage take an ultra-personal approach to their "Mommas" and show an unconditional love and joy for the entire process. Trust in this, you will not be treated just as another number. On Birth-Day, needless to say the delivery went much better than anticipated and the love and care we received was unmatched. Our daughter was born 100% naturally...the natural way. (remember the Dr. who predicted a c-section?!? hmmmm) After hearing so many other Hospital birthing stories of multiple overnight stays in a hospital, not being able to hold your child, not being able to cut the cord and so on....My wife and I couldn't be happier with our decision. All those extra days in a hospital sure adds up to the overall bill doesn't it...4 hours after my wife gave natural birth, we were headed home. That's right. HOME. Not staying in a hospital bed, not stuck waiting on cafeteria food...HOME. Out of the entire Heritage Birth Center experience, excluding the birth of my daughter, the most importantly fascinating part was the strength my wife now has. The power of "I Can" is so strong and the Midwives allow the mother to earn that strength through empowering their Mommas--By allowing them to choose their birth plan and choose their own path--Not the atypical billing coding experience. Can't wait for Baby #2 so we can start it all over again : )"

"I cannot begin to tell you how amazing my birth experience was- in a large part because of Heritage. I had a home birth, and despite what felt like my ENTIRE family nay-saying and offering 'helpful advice' to stay with western medicine and hospital birth, did so to the applause and amazement of that same family. Our midwife Lena, helped answer any questions i had at every stage of pregnancy, talked to me and really felt engaged and tuned in to how i was doing both physically and emotionally throughout the pregnancy. I've never felt more empowered as both a woman and a mama as i did bringing my baby into this world- in the comfort of my home with only those I chose as support by my side. It was the perfect peaceful and loving environment to welcome our little one into this world. She gently gave me the confidence to dig in and believe in my own power. Postpartum was no different- the staff was amazing at helping coach me with breastfeeding, self-care, and all the hiccups any new mama worries about with great advice. LOVE THEM! Would definitely return for #2!"

"I have had the privilege to work with the amazing team at Heritage Birth Center for multiple pregnancies, labors, and caring after labor. My wife and I have 4 kids and we have used Heritage Birth Center to help deliver our last 3 kids. We wish we would of used them for our first daughter but we didn't know any better. We thought a hospital was a good idea for our first child and we quickly found that it wasn't a good idea. If I could go back we would use Heritage Birth Center. If we were to have more children I would use them without question. I would recommend them to all of my friends and family. Thank you for all of your support and caring for my family."