Home birth?

The Housewife · February 2010

If you had a home birth who was your midwife? Did they accept or did your insurance cover any of the costs? If not, would you mind telling how much you paid?

Thanks!

AprilCachet · February 2010

I am not having a home birth but am giving birth at a birth center that only does home or center births. My insurance would have covered either option I chose. We are using Birthcare and Womens Health in Alexandria I typically see Marsha and Katie but have spoken to all the midwives in the practice and they are great. I believe they accept most insurances. There are other out of pocket expenses we have incurred however such as a childbirth class which they require we are taking a bradley class the cost was 400, we have to get a birthing assistant (doula) ours is charging 700, and there is a list of supplies we are responsible for that will cost about 200. HTH

LindseyJW · February 2010

i was a birthcare homebirth-to-hospital transfer for c/s with my first.

similar costs to aprilcachet, insurance paid most. i think i paid $200 deductible. i don't recall being required to take a childbirth class, perhaps encouraged, but not required - but that was 4 years ago, things could be different now. however, we were already registered for a class when i transferred my care from an OB to BirthCare at 24wks.

the birthkit is about $100, but you could buy most of the contents separately for less, if you searched around. there are other things you need to have on hand, but most you would have in your home already (towels, blankets, large plastic bags, food, etc).

with our 2nd, we are planning a homebirth again. BirthCare doesn't do VBACs, so we interviewed a half dozen certified professional midwives over the summer and ended up selecting Northern Virginia Midwifery. In general, CPMs in this area charge between $2700 and $3500 for all prenatal, labor/birth and postnatal services. this includes the 12 standard prenatal visits most providers offer (12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40+) and more if necessary or if there are complications, being with you from the onset of labor until several hours after (including cleaning up your home...after BirthCare left my house, you wouldn't know a baby was *almost* born there), 2 post-partum visits including well-baby exam and lactation help. all but two of the MWs we interviewed come to the mother's home for appointments.

this fee (for all of the midwives we interviewed) did not include a mandatory fee for an assistant (the one we selected charges $500), birth kit charges (again, buy the prefilled kit, or make your own), lab fees (your insurance would cover these charges the same if you had an OB or a MW). the MW we selected requires one hypnotherapy session ($150) and encourages moms to study hypnobirthing (my class is $350). she also works wtih a billing company ($20 fee for use) who verifies and bills my insurance after the baby is born. i pay the entire fee upfront ($3000) and get reimbursed for expenses after the claim is filed. my insurance will probably pay 80% of the MW's fee.

FWIW, having done labor both at home and in the hospital now, i'd be willing to sacrifice and pay a WHOLE lot more to not have to birth in a hospital with an OB. i want NO part of the medical birth experience. it's just not for me.

let me know if you would like contacts for the midwives we interviewed.

ETA: i Marsha @BirthCare. she was my absolute favorite, by far, hands down. so much so, that i literally was distraught over finding a new midwife because it couldnt' be marsha! Also, alice, marsha's business partner at BirthCare, caught my brother some 25 years ago! they've been at this for a long, long time!

Mmmelody · February 2010

I had one baby in the hospital after a home to birth center to hospital transfer, and one homebirth, both with BirthCare. The first I was attended by Regina, and the second Alice caught my baby, with Susan Dodge (a former BC midwife) as my assistant. Alice is fantastic, and Regina was excellent support throughout my long labor transfer, and birth. Insurance paid for it 100%, and a portion of the birth assistant and birth supplies. We had Carefirst BCBS.

DCtoLowcountry · February 2010

I'd double check on Carefirst BCBS coverage for BirthCare, as they said it was changing when I was looking into their services a year ago. GL.

Mmmelody · February 2010

DCtoLowcountry:
I'd double check on Carefirst BCBS coverage for BirthCare, as they said it was changing when I was looking into their services a year ago. GL.

They were having issues negotiating last year, specifically the insurance requirements of Birthcare, but I spoke with Marsha about it (maybe 4 months ago?) and she said they had worked it out. It's a good thing, the majority of their clients are Carefirst.

DCtoLowcountry · February 2010

Thanks - that's good news!

The Housewife · February 2010

Thanks so much!! I was worried I wasn't going to get any replies. I had already contacted BirthCare when I wrote this and am just waiting to hear back from them. Lindsey could you PM the other MW that you interviewed if you wouldn't mind?

Thanks ladies!!

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