Our bodies are sacred, powerful, and wise
Pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period make up a powerful rite of passage, a period of rapid growth and change, and also an especially tender time with uniquely intense needs for witnessing, nourishment, and connection.
When a mother or pregnant person feels relaxed and heard, honored and supported, true possibilities emerge for sweetness and joy, deep empowerment, and profound transformation.
This is what every woman and birthing person deserves and why I strive to offer a spacious, attentive, and curious listening presence; practical guidance and accessible opportunities for enhancing well-being; plenty of resources for making informed choices free from pressure; and expertise grounded in the understanding of pregnancy & birth, breastfeeding and healing processes as normal, natural, safe, and beneficial.
Because your pregnancy, birth, and baby moon should be joyful, empowering, and transformative!
Home Birth
Midwifery Care
Personalized, holistic, midwifery care for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and your newborn
Serving the Baltimore, Maryland area
and York County, Pennsylvania
Hour-long prenatal visits
allow time to ask all your questions, address any concerns, and receive holistic guidance in a relaxed atmosphere. Other children and family members are always welcome. My home office boasts a terrific toy library and is located in Reisterstown, Maryland. Visits are offered monthly until 36 weeks, and weekly thereafter. The 36-week visit will be in your home.
Individualized holistic guidance
in nutrition, supplements, homeopathics, herbs, exercise, relaxation, breastfeeding, bodywork, and natural baby care to empower your parenting journey.
Biodynamic craniosacral therapy
sessions are included in your care, optional of course, once in each trimester that I see you, plus one postpartum session each for mama and baby. Read all about it here.
Lab work
including blood draws, urine testing, PAP tests, etc., is offered in my home office and is usually covered by insurance. We go over your results together and apply nutritional and natural remedies to correct deficiencies and treat other issues whenever possible.
On-call availability, back-up support & a second experienced birth attendant
means you can reach me at any time, day or night. I am here for you, along with a second midwife to assist at your birth and provide back-up coverage.
Complications, emergencies, and transfer of care
sometimes happen. Continuity of care helps us notice and address warning signs early, in natural and non-invasive ways whenever possible. As a Certified Professional Midwife, I am trained and equipped to recognize and handle many complications and emergencies at home and to stabilize for and facilitate transfer of care when needed. Suturing with local anesthetic is offered at home when needed.
Postpartum home visits
are provided for mother and baby during the first six weeks, including newborn exams and screenings, breastfeeding support, craniosacral therapy, and more. Maryland requires referral to a pediatrician for a newborn visit after the first 72 hours.
Fees and discounts
cover prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care, a second midwife's attendance at your birth, lab specimen collections, birth supplies, routine and emergency medicines and supplies. Lab fees, ultrasound, birth pool rental, and certain elective medications are not included. I do not accept insurance, but I do work with a Midwifery Billing Service, who can often get some insurance reimbursement for my clients. Discounts are available for clients who utilize Medicaid. Payment plans are available for all clients.
The full fee for my services is $4800 in Maryland and $3800 in Pennsylvania.
To schedule a free consultation,
contact Nets Manela, CPM, LDEM, RCST
240-997-5319
Located in Reisterstown, Baltimore County, Maryland
Home Birth FAQ
Am I a candidate for a home birth? What would risk me out? What if I have been told I am “high risk?”
It's worth scheduling a free consult to discuss this. Risk categories are different among different care providers. And regulations differ state to state. If I can't take care of you, I may be able to point you to a provider with a similar philosophy who can.
What if there is an emergency?
This is the single biggest concern most parents have. The simplest answer is that, as a CPM, I am trained and equipped to handle emergency situations such as bleeding and the need to resuscitate a newborn. But there is a lot to this question. First of all, emergency situations are less common at home births for several reasons. 1) Our clients are "low risk." 2) Continuity of care allows us to be familiar with what's normal for you, recognize early when something is off, use non-invasive means to remedy issues as they arise, and choose to transfer before things become serious or emergent. 3) We do many fewer invasive procedures and avoid potentially destabilizing medications, which are often the cause of "emergencies" in the hospital setting. 4) When challenges arise, we stay calm such that our clients don't experience certain situations as emergencies. For example, we can help a baby breathe while they are right next to you with the cord intact, so they are still receiving oxygen through the placenta. Another example would be that our clients push in whatever position they desire, and we do not rush the birth of the shoulders. We see less shoulder dystocia than in the hospital because we respect and encourage physiological birth, even with larger babies. When a shoulder dystocia does occur, we use positional changes and hands-on maneuvers, communicating clearly but calmly, so that the situation is far less traumatic for the whole family.
What happens if I need to transfer to the hospital
coming soon
Do you carry medications? Can you write prescriptions? Can you give referrals?
Coming Soon
Will my insurance cover your services
Coming Soon
What is a CPM? What kind of training and experience do you have?
Coming Soon
Can you give pain medications? What kind of comfort measures do you recommend?
Coming Soon
What about lab work?
Coming Soon
What if I need stitches?
Coming Soon
My partner is afraid to have a home birth. What can I do to get them on board?
Coming Soon
Isn't it messy? Do you clean up?
Coming Soon
Is my home suitable? Clean enough?
Coming Soon
Can I have a waterbirth? Do you rent pools?
Coming Soon