midwife

GAYLE ECKEY

CPM, LM, NHCM

Supporting families as they stand in their fiercest power

Home Birth Midwife & Lactation Specialist

Supporting Maine and New Hampshire families as a single practitioner, concierge style midwifery practice.

Based in Brownfield, Maine

About

My philosophy of care as a midwife is to provide slower paced, individualized midwifery services centered around autonomy & common sense.

This is how I feel I can best support my community and our collective future.

I am gently creating space for families who seek autonomy in their journey.

Who are looking for something different from the mainstream experience.

Who are ready to take full and unwavering responsibility through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum time.

Families who seek a witness, and grounding support as they begin, or continue, through parenthood.

I have spent almost two decades supporting families through various modalities.

I have walked many paths, all of which led me to midwifery, receiving my Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential in early 2018.

Contact

Located in Brownfield, Maine.

I prefer to keep my services central to the Mount Washington Valley, or within about a

90 minute radius of my home.

Gayle Eckey, CPM, LM, NHCM

midwifegayle@gmail.com

(631) 513-5430

Brownfield, Maine 04010

Home birth midwife, homebirth, midwife, home birth midwife Brownfield Maine, Western Maine midwife, Fryeburg Maine, free birth, freebirth

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Copyright 2023 Gayle Eckey

Gayle Eckey’s practice, while she follows a standard clinical schedule, is infused with holistic recommendations, bodywork and plenty of time for talk. By meeting people where they are, offering space to be heard without judgment and allowing a trusting relationship to unfold, we ultimately see the best health outcomes. This is always her greatest intention.

With deep reverence for the practice of home birth midwifery she consciously works to balance the standard of care with the individual needs and desires of those she is caring for. She has a fiery passion for both medical freedom and peaceful parenting which she has organically woven into her practice as a home birth midwife.

She has been mothering the three people who chose to come through her since 2001 and has been immersed in birth work since somewhere around 2007. She has grown through her years of related alternative birth practices as well as, if not more, through the act of mothering. Finally becoming a midwife in 2017 which has been one of her greatest joys. It is the culmination of these years which have, and will continue, to shape her practice.

The office is located in Brownfield, Maine. To determine if you are within my service area, please use your map application to search from your location to Dugway Road, Brownfield, ME.

• I travel within 90 minutes for homebirth services and overnight postpartum sessions. (exceptions may apply based upon need)
  
• I travel 45 minutes for all other services (give or take).
  

Covid & General Illness Policy:

I respect personal choice and expect the same in return. If you would like to wear a mask feel free to do so and/or prefer that I do, please let me know ahead of our appointment together.

Please be forthcoming with your current health including recent exposures, symptoms, or if any family members in the same dwelling are unwell, regardless of vaccine status. You can trust that I will do the same.

Gayle Eckey CPM is a proud member of the Be Her Village service registry, allowing clients to create a monetary gift registry for her clients allowing clients to receive services instead of stuff!

Gayle Eckey, Midwife

35 Potato Hole Rd

Brownfield, ME 04010

631-513-5430

Gayle Eckey, CPM ~ Home Birth Midwife

Gayle grew up on a farm in Brownfield, Maine. She moved to Eastern Long Island not long after graduating from high school where she met her now husband in 1999. They welcomed their first son in 2001 and shortly after Gayle graduated from New York College of Health Professions with an associates in medical science. She has now practiced massage therapy for twenty years. With a small private practice Gayle dedicated much of her time to parenting while also beginning her self studies around peaceful parenting, birth & lactation eventually adding these services to her home birth midwife private practice. 2008 brought a second son with a daughter following soon after in 2011.

Gayle spent almost two decades supporting the Long Island communities through volunteer work, massage therapy and bodywork, birth work, new parenting support and eventually as a midwife. Gayle knew her path was to midwifery yet she knew she had life experiences which she needed to complete before truly beginning. Gayle enrolled at Birthwise Midwifery School in 2014, graduated in 2017 and received her Certified Professional Midwife credential in early 2018. Outdated laws in New York prevented Gayle from being a licensed midwife in the state thus making practice difficult. Having always wanted to return to Maine, this was ultimately the catalyst her family needed to return to the small town. With one child grown and gone, her husband, two children and their dog sold most of their belongings, packed up what was left and headed home to the woods of Maine where she once played.

The family is adjusting to a slower, quieter life. Spending time in the woods, on the farm and together while healing from the intensity of life on Long Island. They are building a yurt and working on walking paths in their woods. Gayle has had her passion for plant medicine reignited with access to so many midwifery specific plants at her fingertips and her apothecary is growing by the day.

Gayle believes people come into eachothers lives to serve purpose, that babies call in who they need. As a midwife, Gayle honors these simple beliefs and is comfortable sitting at the feet of people as they welcome their babies. Licensed in both Maine and New Hampshire she looks forward to what the future holds as she builds her practice in this new community.

Education & Certifications

2001 New York College of Health Professions-Associates of Medical Science

2001 Licensed Massage therapist.

2007 Doula and Lactation support practice.

2017 Birthwise Midwifery School-Certificate of Midwifery

2018 North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) Certified Professional Midwife

(CPM) credential January 2018

• BLS current
  
• NRP current
  

Licensed in Maine & New Hampshire

Member of NACPM, MACPM & NH Midwives Association.

Home birth midwife, homebirth, midwife, home birth midwife Brownfield Maine, Western Maine midwife, Fryeburg Maine,

Midwife Services and Fees

Midwife Services and fees are subject to change at anytime.

• At this time I do not participate in-network with any insurance providers. Payment is accepted according to the schedule of fees for services. I am able to provide a bill which may be submitted to your insurance carrier for reimbursement, however, I can not guarantee that this will lead to reimbursement. Reimbursement is determined by your insurance carrier and what your out-of-network benefit package includes.
  
• To determine if you are within the service area please use a map application to search from your location to Dugway Road, Brownfield, Maine.
  
• I travel within 90 minutes for Home Birth services and overnight postpartum sessions. (exceptions may apply based upon need)
  
• I travel within 45 minutes for all other services (give or take).
  

Payments Accepted

• Cash
  
• Check
  
• Health savings accounts,
  
• Venmo
  
• Be Her Village registry
  

Services explained:

• Holistic Gynecologic Visits
  
• Annual and/or problem visits
  
• All visits include a comprehensive review of histories and full physical exam. Exam may include physical exams of the breast/chest and pelvic regions where indicated as well as screening services, relevant lab work, including blood tests, pap smear, STI testing as well as referrals for Ultrasound/Mammography and/or Thermography if indicated/desired.
  
• These visits may also include preconception & comprehensive contraception counseling.
  
• Lactation visit includes histories review, physical examination of the lactating person, evaluation of oral ties & body mechanic assessments. Individual recommendations as indicated.
  
• Newborn care visits may include histories review, newborn exam, gentle metabolic screenings, weight checks, visceral balancing bodywork and peaceful parenting support.
  

Ala carte Services

• Supplemental prenatal care
  
• Supplemental postpartum care
  
• Newborn overnight support when not on call.
  
• Pap parties
  
• Midwifery assisting & per diem midwifery pre and postnatal visits
  
• Labor care/support for planned hospital birth (monitrice)
  
• Birth processing through talk, touch with herbal recommendations as indicated
  
• Visceral bodywork for the preconception, pre & postnatal time
  

Services and Fees Schedule for Gynecological Care

• New Client Establishing Care/Annual Visit $150
  
• Established Client Visit $100
  
• Lactation visits $100
  
• Ala carte Services (price determined per individual need)
  

Comprehensive Prenatal, Birthing Services and Postpartum Care

• Prenatal care, birthing services and postpartum care is a comprehensive model that allows for intimate care from beginning to end. One on one care rendered in your home allows for a trusting relationship which is a tenet of my practice.
  
• Global investment $5000.00
  

This investment covers:

• All prenatal visits through the duration of the pregnancy
  
• Drawing, collecting & shipping labs (up to 4 shipments)
  
• (Some labs may be indicated requiring outside lab services)
  
• Labor, birth and immediate postpartum care
  
• Use of my equipment, antihemorrhagic medications, herbs, homeopathy etc.
  
• Medications if indicated:
  
• RhoGam
  
• Antibiotics for GBS (or other)
  
• Vitamin K, erythromycin eye ointment
  
• IV fluids where indicated
  
• Birth pool with pumps
  
• Midwifery assistant for labor, birth and immediate postpartum
  
• Filing of birth certificate & documentation where indicated
  
• Immediate newborn exam, drawing/collecting labs as indicated
  
• Care through 6-8 weeks postpartum for parent/baby dyad. (approx. 5 visits)
  

Global fee does not cover:

• Lab fees (typically covered by ins. when indicated)
  
• Ultrasound fee (typically covered by ins. when indicated)
  
• Homebirth supply kit
  
• Personal supplies ie; towels, washcloths, garbage bags, maternity pads etc
  
• Birth pool liner, waterbirth supplies
  

A $500.00 non refundable retainer is required with your signed contract upon coming into care. Payment plans shall be negotiated at the start of care with payment in full rendered by your 36th completed week of pregnancy.

• When payment is made in full upon coming into care, receive a 5% reduction of full fee ($250.00).
  
• If you feel my practice is the best fit for you but that the fee is a barrier to care please come to me for further discussion. I do accept a small number of reduced fee/extended payment plans per year.
  

Breakdown of investment for homebirth care:

• Around 20 prenatal and postpartum visits @ 60-90 minutes ( 10+ months of primary care of the baby parent dyad)
  
• 6-24+ hrs @ birth & immediate postpartum
  
• 24-7 practitioner availability direct access
  
• Practitioner travel
  
• Birth assistant fee $350-$500+
  
• Lab shipping fees $112
  
• Newborn metabolic screen $220 (Maine)
  

Refund Policy:

• The non-refundable deposit upon entering care is essentially holding your space & ensuring that you have access to practitioner services as indicated in the contract/consent to care.
  
• Loss of pregnancy- Deposit may be refunded less prenatal visit/s or fees incurred.
  
• Prior to 36 completed weeks- Should transfer of care be necessitated prior to the client being considered early term, either by practitioner or by client choice, partial refund may be provided at a prorated per visit amount inclusive of additional incurred fees.
  
• After 36 completed weeks but before onset of labor-Should transfer of care be necessitated prior to the onset of labor either by practitioner or by client choice, partial refund may be provided at a prorated per visit amount inclusive of term on call time.
  
• After onset of labor- With the exception of rare instances, no refunds will be provided after the onset of labor regardless of outcome.
  
• Alternatively, a remaining balance may be due dependent upon services rendered and payment plan instituted.
  

Have Questions? Contact us.